User manual · version 1.0
PHP Restaurant Marketplace user manual
Step-by-step guides for the website, the restaurant owner panel and the main admin panel of Restaurant Marketplace - from the first installation to payments, commissions and AI features.
1Getting started
Restaurant Marketplace script: features overviewRestaurant Marketplace PHP script: listings, online food ordering, table booking, AI tools, Stripe and PayPal payments and flexible commissions.
InstallationHow to install the restaurant marketplace PHP script: server requirements, config file, database installer, folder permissions and the first login.
First steps: configure your marketplaceA practical checklist for the first hour: site name, logo, e-mail, charging mode, payment keys, AI, languages and your first restaurants.
2Website (front end)
Home page and restaurant searchHow visitors find restaurants: home page, cuisines, search by dish or city, filters for price, rating, delivery and pickup, sorting and mobile design.
AI search: find food by describing itAI search understands sentences like "romantic Italian dinner" and turns them into filters. Works with Groq, DeepSeek or ChatGPT, plus keyword fallback.
Restaurant page, menu and basketEvery restaurant gets its own page with photos, opening hours, reviews and an online menu with dish options, extras and a live ordering basket.
Checkout: delivery, pickup and paymentHow customers place an order: choose delivery or pickup, enter details, add a tip, apply a promo code and pay by card, PayPal or cash.
Order tracking and status e-mailsCustomers follow their order from confirmed to delivered on a private tracking page and receive an e-mail at every status change.
Customer accountRegistered customers see their orders, table bookings and favourite restaurants, keep their details and can reset a forgotten password.
Table bookingDiners request a table from the restaurant page; the restaurant confirms or declines in its panel and the guest receives an e-mail.
Reviews, ratings and favouritesCustomers rate restaurants with stars and comments, restaurants reply publicly, and you moderate reviews. Customers can also save favourite restaurants.
Blog, FAQ, contact and information pagesThe content pages of the website: blog articles, frequently asked questions, contact form, About us, Terms and the "for restaurants" page with plans.
3Restaurant owner panel
Restaurant registration and approvalHow a restaurant joins your marketplace: sign-up form, free trial, admin approval, welcome e-mails and first login to the owner panel.
The restaurant owner dashboardThe owner panel dashboard shows open orders, bookings, rating, monthly sales, subscription status and a get-started checklist for new restaurants.
Restaurant profile, hours and photosEdit the restaurant page: description written with AI, cuisines, opening hours, delivery settings, minimum order, logo, cover and photo gallery.
Menu: dishes, sections, options and extrasBuild the restaurant menu: create sections, add dishes with photos, dietary badges, old prices, required choices like size and optional extras.
Import a menu with AIPaste the text of an existing menu and the AI creates sections and dishes with prices automatically. Review the result, then add it to the restaurant.
Orders: live screen and historyRestaurants receive online orders live, update the status with one click, see paid or unpaid, and search the complete order history.
Table bookings in the owner panelRestaurant owners confirm or decline table reservation requests with one click; the guest is informed by e-mail automatically.
Customer reviews and repliesRead customer reviews in the owner panel and answer them publicly. The AI suggests a friendly reply that you can edit before saving.
Promo codes and discountsCreate discount codes for your customers: percentage or fixed amount, minimum order, usage limit and expiry date.
Online payments: how the restaurant gets paidThe payments page explains how this restaurant is paid in the marketplace charging mode and lets owners connect Stripe, PayPal or enable cash only.
Earnings, commission and payoutsRestaurants see sales, commission, what they earn and what the marketplace owes them, including the commission of cash orders and payout history.
Plans, billing and subscriptionRestaurants choose a listing plan, pay with Stripe, PayPal or bank transfer, see the payment history and keep their restaurant visible.
4Main admin panel
The admin dashboardThe main admin panel dashboard shows restaurants, orders, owners, customers, monthly sales, your commission, subscription income and the amount to pay out.
Managing restaurantsApprove new restaurants, edit any listing with AI help, suspend, feature on the home page, moderate reviews and see table bookings in the admin panel.
Cuisines and locationsCreate the cuisines (Italian, Sushi, Burgers) and manage the country, region and city list of the restaurant marketplace from a simple text file editor.
All orders of the marketplaceSee and manage every order of every restaurant: filter by status, check payment, commission and payout state, change status and handle refunds.
Restaurant owners and customersEdit restaurant owners and customers, suspend accounts, set an individual commission rate for a partner and log in as an owner to help with setup.
Charging modes: monthly fee, commission or split paymentsChoose how your marketplace earns: monthly subscription, commission paid later or Stripe Connect split payments. Switch anytime without breaking old orders.
Stripe setup: Checkout, webhook and ConnectConnect Stripe to your marketplace: API keys, webhook, test mode and Stripe Connect Express accounts for split payments with application fees.
PayPal setupAccept PayPal in your marketplace: create a REST app, paste the Client ID and Secret, test in sandbox, go live and use platform fees for split payments.
Payouts and commissionsSee what you owe each restaurant, subtract the commission of cash orders, mark payouts as settled and review the commission your marketplace earned.
Listing plans, subscriptions and bank transfersCreate listing plans with price, duration, menu limit and featured status; approve bank transfers, track subscriptions and keep a payment archive.
Pages, blog articles and FAQEdit the website pages with a visual editor, write blog articles with AI help, set SEO titles and descriptions, manage the FAQ and upload your logo and favicon.
Configuration options and e-mail (SMTP)All general settings of the marketplace: site name, time zone, approvals, guest checkout, ordering and booking switches, maintenance mode and SMTP e-mail.
Artificial intelligence settingsConnect Groq, DeepSeek or ChatGPT to power AI search, restaurant descriptions, menu import and review replies. Choose a provider, paste the key and test.
Languages and translationsRun your marketplace in several languages. English and Spanish included; add any language, translate every text in admin, switch languages on or off.
SEO, tracking and social mediaImprove search engine ranking and measure traffic: SEO-friendly URLs, page titles, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, custom scripts and social media links.
Admin users, groups and permissionsGive your team limited access to the admin panel: create administrators, assign them to groups with fine-grained permissions and review login logs.
Statistics and backupsTrack visits and unique visitors, review sales and commission reports, and download a full SQL backup of your restaurant marketplace database.
5Reference
Customization and folder structureWhere everything is in the script: extensions, template and CSS, language files, owner and admin panels - and how to change the look or add a page.
Security best practicesWhat the script does to protect your marketplace - prepared statements, hashed passwords, CSRF tokens, verified payments - and what you should do on the server.
Troubleshooting and frequently asked questionsFix common problems: e-mails not arriving, images not uploading, SEO URLs not working, payments not confirmed, restaurants not visible, AI not responding.