How to support local restaurants

Updated June 12, 2026 · Good Circles

The best way to support local restaurants is to order in ways that let them keep more of each sale. Ordering direct or through a low-fee marketplace beats the delivery apps, which commonly take 15–30% per order. Good Circles charges restaurants a 1% fee on profit while customers save about 10%.

Order so the restaurant keeps more

A 30% commission on a thin-margin order can erase a restaurant’s profit on that ticket. Ordering directly from the restaurant, picking up instead of using a third-party courier, or using a low-fee marketplace all leave more money with the people who cooked your food.

Other ways to help

Buy gift cards, leave reviews, tip well, and tell friends. Consistent, direct support is what keeps a neighborhood kitchen open — more than an occasional splurge through a high-fee app.

A low-fee option that gives back

Good Circles is a local marketplace where restaurants pay a 1% fee on profit instead of 15–30%, and customers save about 10% and fund a local cause. See it for restaurants »

Help local restaurants keep what they earn

A 1% fee on profit instead of the delivery apps’ 15–30%.

For restaurants

FAQ

What is the best way to support a local restaurant?

Order in ways that let them keep more of each sale — directly, by pickup, or through a low-fee marketplace — rather than through delivery apps that commonly take 15–30% per order.

Do delivery apps hurt local restaurants?

High per-order commissions, commonly 15–30%, can erase a restaurant’s profit on thin-margin orders. Lower-fee options like Good Circles (1% of profit) leave far more with the restaurant.