Restaurant ordering in Toronto: what the numbers say
Toronto grew 2.3% between 2016 and 2021, a steady rate. In a settled market, repeat customers are what keep a restaurant busy, so offers for returning guests and easy reordering matter more than chasing new reach.
At about 4,428 people per km², Toronto is one of the densest places in Canada. Short delivery trips are possible, so a tight radius with a low delivery fee usually works better than a wide one. Pickup is also popular where people walk past your door.
Delivery zones across Toronto
You can draw separate zones and fees for the parts of Toronto you serve. Restaurants here often think in terms of areas like these:
- Downtown
- Kensington Market
- Chinatown (Spadina)
- Little Italy
- Greektown on the Danforth
- Gerrard India Bazaar
- Leslieville
- Liberty Village
- Yorkville
- Scarborough
Local facts for Toronto restaurants
St. Lawrence Market traces back to 1803, when a public market was set up in the town of York.
Toronto Public Health inspects food premises under its DineSafe program and publishes the results as open data.
Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia (St. Lawrence Market); City of Toronto (DineSafe).
Nearby cities you can reach
The closest large municipalities to Toronto are Mississauga (22 km), Vaughan (25 km), Richmond Hill (26 km), Markham (27 km), Brampton (31 km). Distances are straight-line from the city centre. If your kitchen sits near a boundary, one Chefzi delivery zone can cover customers on both sides of the line.
Sales tax on online orders in Ontario
Restaurant meals in Ontario carry the 13% HST (5% federal plus 8% provincial portion). For rebates on small purchases and the full rules, see sales tax in Ontario.
Chefzi shows tax on the checkout and receipt using the rates you set.
One system for Toronto restaurants
- Online ordering on your own site, with no commission per order.
- POS and kitchen display, so online orders are never retyped.
- Table reservations and a loyalty program.
- Delivery by your staff or Uber Eats and DoorDash couriers.
- Card payments go straight to your restaurant.
- Plans are month-to-month, with discounts on 1-, 2- and 3-year plans. Menu setup and onboarding are free.
Ontario menu rule for growing chains
In Ontario, food-service chains with 20 or more locations must show calories on menus, including websites and apps that list prices and take orders (Ontario, Healthy Menu Choices Act, 2015). Add calories to item descriptions before you reach that size.
Going live in Toronto
- Send us your menu; setup and onboarding are free.
- Draw delivery zones and fees.
- Test orders to the POS and kitchen screen.
- Add the order link to your Google Business Profile, website and Instagram.
- Put QR codes on tables and bags.
Direct ordering vs delivery apps in Toronto
Delivery apps bring discovery; your own ordering page keeps the order and the customer. Most Toronto restaurants keep both: the apps for new customers, a direct link for regulars. Compare costs in commission-free online ordering and the Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes alternatives.
Delivery in Toronto without your own drivers
Deliver with your own staff, or let Chefzi’s courier integration send orders from your own site to Uber Eats or DoorDash (DoorDash Drive) couriers. See delivery courier integration. Set zones and fees per area so long trips pay for themselves.
Dine-in, pickup and QR ordering
One Chefzi menu serves delivery, pickup and table ordering. Put a QR code on each table so guests order from their phone; see the QR code menu guide.
POS and payments: what to check
- Chefzi has its own POS and kitchen display in Canada, so online orders don’t need retyping.
- Card payments go straight to your restaurant; budget for card processing on every card order.
- Tax rates shown at checkout and on receipts (see the tax section above).
Going live in Toronto: 6 steps
- Build the menu with modifiers, photos and hours.
- Draw delivery zones and fees.
- Run cash and card test orders to the kitchen tablet or printer.
- Add the order link to your Google Business Profile, website and Instagram.
- Print QR codes for tables and bags.
- Tell regulars who opted in (CASL).
How Chefzi works for Toronto restaurants
Pricing is a flat monthly fee: see plans in CAD. Moving from GloriaFood? Read our GloriaFood migration guide.
- Your own ordering page and app, with your name and menu, and no commission per order.
- Delivery, pickup and table ordering from one menu.
- Orders go to a tablet or printer in your kitchen.
- Customer list and offers you control, for repeat orders.
- Card payments paid out to your own account.
Frequently asked questions
Can Chefzi handle orders across Toronto's former boroughs?
Yes. You set your own delivery zones, so a restaurant in Etobicoke can cover nearby postal areas only, while a Scarborough kitchen can draw a wider radius. Each zone can carry its own fee and minimum order.
Does Chefzi take commission on orders in Toronto?
No. Chefzi charges a flat monthly fee. Card processing fees still apply to card payments, as with any payment provider.
Can I deliver from Toronto to Mississauga?
Yes, if it fits your kitchen. You choose your delivery radius or draw zones on a map, and you can charge a higher fee for longer trips.
Do you set up my menu for me?
Yes. Menu setup and onboarding are free.
Is there a contract?
Plans are month-to-month, with discounts on 1-, 2- and 3-year plans.
Does Chefzi have a POS and kitchen display in Toronto?
Yes. Chefzi offers a POS, kitchen display, reservations and loyalty in Canada.
Can I deliver in Toronto without my own drivers?
Yes. Chefzi integrates with Uber Eats and DoorDash (DoorDash Drive) couriers.
Do I have to leave Uber Eats or DoorDash to use Chefzi in Toronto?
No. Many restaurants keep the apps for discovery and send regulars to their own ordering page, where Chefzi charges no commission.
Can I offer delivery in Toronto without hiring drivers?
Yes. Chefzi integrates with Uber Eats and DoorDash (DoorDash Drive) couriers for orders from your own site, or you can use your own staff.
Does Chefzi have a POS?
Yes. Chefzi offers its own restaurant POS and kitchen display in Canada, so counter and online orders run in one system.
Does Chefzi work for restaurants in Scarborough, Etobicoke or North York?
Yes. Toronto’s former boroughs are all inside the city, and you set your own delivery zones, so a kitchen in one area can cover the postal areas it can actually reach in time.
Is there sales tax on restaurant orders in Toronto?
Yes. Restaurant meals in Ontario carry the 13% HST. Qualifying prepared food and drinks priced at $4 or less get a rebate of the 8% provincial portion (Canada Revenue Agency, GI-064).