Seymour is a working direct online ordering MVP for restaurants and takeaways. It is ready for pilot testing with one or two independent businesses that want to take orders directly, keep staff in control and capture card payments only after an order is accepted Source 1 .
The public demo is ready to try now. It uses a fictional takeaway and test orders, so no real payment is taken and no email is sent Source 2 .
Seymour has not yet processed live customer orders. That is what the pilot stage is for: testing the complete journey with a real business, its staff and its customers, then improving anything that does not hold up during day-to-day service.
What Seymour does
Seymour gives a food business a hosted ordering page where customers can browse the live menu, customise items, choose collection or delivery, add notes and check out. It is designed for the realities of takeaway service, where staff still need to manage capacity and protect the kitchen during busy periods.
The important bit is the approval step. Staff can accept, adjust or decline an order before card payment is captured. Accepted card orders move through to payment capture; declined card orders release the authorisation.
What is included in the MVP
- Hosted storefront, basket and checkout for direct customer orders.
- Menu sections, item modifiers, allergens and availability so customers can order with clearer information.
- Collection, delivery, zones and opening windows to match how the business fulfils orders.
- Staff order controls for accepting, adjusting or declining orders before payment capture.
- Customer status pages and service emails so customers can follow what is happening without phoning the shop.
- Customer accounts, saved addresses and reorders for repeat customers.
Why direct ordering matters
Marketplaces can be useful, but they sit between the business and the customer. Seymour is built around a more direct route: a restaurant or takeaway keeps the ordering relationship, while customers still get the convenience of an online basket and checkout.
Seymour charges by active location rather than taking commission on food orders. Direct starts from £49 per active location per month, while Brand adds appearance controls from £69 per active location per month. Both plans currently include a 14-day free trial Source 1 .
Become a Seymour pilot shop
Seymour is looking for one or two independent restaurants or takeaways willing to test the MVP in real service. It may suit a business that already takes phone, counter or marketplace orders and wants to try a direct online route without paying commission on food sales.
Pilot shops will get hands-on help setting up their menu, collection or delivery options and ordering flow. In return, Seymour needs frank feedback from the people taking and preparing the orders: what works, what gets in the way and what needs to change before a wider release.
Asking about the pilot does not commit you to using Seymour. The first conversation is simply to understand how your business handles orders and whether the current MVP is a sensible fit.
Try the demo store
The demo uses a fictional Sheffield takeaway so you can walk through the customer experience without touching a live restaurant. You can use made-up contact details; no payment is taken, no email is sent and the order status updates automatically.
It shows the core flow: browse a menu, customise an item, build a basket, choose collection or delivery, add customer details and place a test order.
What comes next
The MVP keeps the first release focused on direct ordering and staff control. Seymour's public roadmap lists later additions including discount vouchers, loyalty points, special offers, bundles and customer campaigns.
The pilot comes first. The core ordering journey needs to work reliably for real shops before Seymour layers on more promotion and retention tools.
Related reading
If you are planning a hospitality website, read websites for restaurants and cafés: menus, bookings and mobile. For launch checks, see why QA beats hope: a release checklist for small sites.
Sources
- [1] Seymour. Direct online ordering for takeaways. Back to article
- [2] Seymour. Seymour demo menu. Back to article