Build a No-Code Food Ordering System in Make.com
A no-code food ordering system built with make.com lets restaurants, food trucks, and delivery services accept and manage orders online without writing code. This guide walks you through the essential steps to design the workflow, connect tools, and automate confirmations so you can launch a working solution quickly.
The approach below is based on the official how-to tutorial from make.com and translates it into a clear process you can adapt to your own business.
Why Use Make.com for Food Ordering?
Instead of hiring developers or stitching together custom scripts, you can use visual automation in make.com to build a complete ordering pipeline. This includes collecting orders, calculating totals, routing requests to the kitchen, and sending messages to customers.
Key advantages include:
- Visual scenario builder instead of code
- Fast setup and iteration for menus or pricing
- Easy integrations with email, chat, and storage apps
- Automation that reduces manual data entry and errors
Before you begin, define what your ordering flow looks like, which apps you already use, and how your staff will receive and process orders.
Plan the Workflow Before Building in Make.com
Planning your flow first will save time when you move into the make.com scenario editor. Map each step from the moment a customer places an order to the moment they receive confirmation.
Map the Customer Journey
Start with a simple flowchart or list of steps. A typical food ordering journey might include:
- Customer opens your ordering page or form.
- Customer selects menu items and quantities.
- The system calculates the total price and any fees.
- Order details are stored in a sheet or database.
- The kitchen or staff receives a new order notification.
- The customer receives a confirmation message with the order summary.
Each of these actions will later translate into specific modules and connections in make.com.
Decide Which Tools to Connect to Make.com
Next, decide which apps will be part of your system. Common choices include:
- Form or website tool to collect orders
- Spreadsheet or database to store order history
- Email or chat app to send notifications
- Accounting or invoicing app if needed
Once you know your tool stack, you can match each step in your flow to a module inside make.com.
Create the Core Ordering Scenario in Make.com
With your plan ready, you can design the first core scenario in make.com. This scenario will receive the order and perform the essential actions like recording data and sending alerts.
Step 1: Set the Trigger in Make.com
Every scenario in make.com begins with a trigger. Choose a trigger based on how customers submit orders:
- Web form submission – Trigger when a new form response is received.
- Webhook – Trigger when your website or custom page sends an HTTP request.
- New row in a sheet – Trigger when a row is added to a spreadsheet that logs orders.
Configure the trigger so it captures all key fields, such as customer name, contact details, items ordered, quantities, and any special notes.
Step 2: Transform and Validate Order Data
After the trigger, add tools in make.com to format and validate incoming data. Common actions include:
- Trimming empty fields and normalizing phone numbers
- Checking if mandatory fields are present
- Splitting multiple items into a structured list you can work with
Use text tools, iterator modules, and filters to ensure every order that moves forward is complete and ready to process.
Step 3: Calculate Totals and Fees in Make.com
Next, add logic in make.com to calculate the order value. You can:
- Multiply item prices by quantities
- Apply taxes or service charges
- Add delivery or packaging fees
- Compute the final total amount
Store these values as variables that can be reused later for notifications, reporting, or payment processing.
Store and Organize Orders with Make.com
Keeping a structured record of every order is essential for accounting, logistics, and customer support. The next layer in your scenario will store orders in a single source of truth.
Choose a Storage Destination
You can connect make.com to a variety of data tools, such as:
- Spreadsheets for simpler operations
- Online databases for advanced querying and relationships
- Cloud documents or tables for structured but flexible storage
For each new order, create a record that includes:
- Unique order ID
- Timestamp of order
- Customer contact details
- Items, quantities, and individual prices
- Subtotal, fees, and total amount
- Order status (e.g., new, in progress, completed)
This structure makes it easy to build dashboards, reports, or follow-up automations later.
Use Filters in Make.com to Manage Status
As your volume grows, filters and conditional paths in make.com become important. You can route scenarios based on status, payment state, or location, for example:
- Send priority notifications for large or VIP orders.
- Branch the flow for delivery versus pickup.
- Skip certain modules for test or internal orders.
Define these conditions early so your automations remain clear and maintainable.
Send Notifications and Confirmations via Make.com
Communication is a core piece of any ordering system. Use make.com to automatically send messages to both staff and customers as orders move through the flow.
Notify Your Team About New Orders
Add modules that send real-time alerts to the staff or kitchen. Common choices include:
- Chat apps for instant notifications
- Email for more detailed order summaries
- Mobile push or SMS for urgent orders
Use the mapped fields from your scenario to include critical data, such as items, customer name, and expected pickup or delivery time.
Send Order Confirmations to Customers
Next, configure customer-facing messages in make.com. Typical confirmations might include:
- Order number and summary
- Estimated time until ready or delivered
- Pickup or delivery instructions
- Contact information if they need to reach you
You can also add follow-up messages when the order status changes, like “order in preparation,” “out for delivery,” or “ready for pickup.”
Test, Optimize, and Scale Your Make.com System
When your first scenario is connected end-to-end, the final step is to test thoroughly and refine the flow. The visual interface in make.com makes it simple to track data through each module and identify improvements.
Run Test Orders Through Make.com
Send several test orders covering different cases:
- Single item orders
- Multiple item combinations
- Orders with and without delivery
- Orders missing optional fields
Check how each order moves through the scenario, confirm that totals are right, and verify that notifications look correct in the recipient apps.
Improve Performance and Maintainability
After your tests, look for optimizations:
- Group related steps with routers for clarity.
- Reuse common logic across scenarios with reusable patterns.
- Organize scenarios by function (ordering, notifications, reporting).
Over time, you can add more scenarios in make.com, such as daily reports, customer feedback requests, or automated menu updates.
Next Steps Beyond Your First Make.com Scenario
Once the core food ordering system is live, consider expanding the solution with extra automations, loyalty flows, or integrations with marketing tools. If you need strategic help designing scalable workflows, you can explore expert automation and AI services at Consultevo.
By starting with a clear process map, then building and refining scenarios in make.com, you can deliver a professional, automated food ordering experience without writing a single line of code.
Need Help With Make.com?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.