Key takeaways
- On FIG, takeout means you order in the app, pay there and pick it up. There is no delivery fee and FIG adds no service fee.
- For one $18 main with $4 off, takeout comes to $15.82. Dine-in with a drink and a 15% tip comes to $23.04 in the example below.
- The deal itself is worth the same either way. The gap comes from drinks, tip, parking and what else you order.
- Takeout is only available with a deal, unless the restaurant sets 0 deals per order. Then takeout is at full price.
- Dine-in is a different thing, not just a dearer one: you get the room, the service and the time.
The short answer
For the same dish and the same deal, takeout is usually the cheaper way to eat, because you skip the drink, the tip and the table time. In the example below, one $18 main with $4 off costs $15.82 as takeout and $23.04 as a dine-in meal with a drink and a 15% tip. The deal is worth the same either way. What changes is everything around it. This post works out where the difference comes from, so you can decide with your own prices.
FIG is free for diners and opens to them in Markham on January 1, 2027. Until then, diners can join the waitlist at www.figpromo.ca.
What each way means on FIG
| Dine-in with a deal | Takeout with a deal | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use the deal | Show your QR code at the restaurant and staff scan it | Tap Takeout on the deal, add dishes from the menu and pay in the app |
| How you pay | The restaurant, the way you always do | In the app, by card |
| Fees from FIG | None | No delivery fee and no service fee |
| Which deals | Any live deal | Only deals the restaurant allows as takeout |
| Full price | You can order anything on the menu | Takeout needs a deal, unless the restaurant sets 0 deals per order. Then takeout is at full price |
FIG does not deliver. You pick the order up yourself. How takeout with a deal works and how a deal works from claim to counter.
One dish, three ways
Take an $18 main with a $4-off deal, and round example prices. Ontario HST is 13%, and it is worked out on the price after the restaurant's own discount, the same way a store coupon lowers the price before tax. This is general information, not tax advice.
| Way | Food and drink | HST at 13% | Tip (your choice) | You pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takeout with the deal | $14.00 | $1.82 | none | $15.82 |
| Dine-in with the deal, plus a $4 drink | $18.00 | $2.34 | 15% of $18.00 = $2.70 | $23.04 |
| Takeout at full price (0 deals per order) | $18.00 | $2.34 | none | $20.34 |
Check: $18.00 − $4.00 = $14.00; 13% of $14.00 is $1.82. Dine-in: $14.00 + $4.00 = $18.00; 13% is $2.34; $18.00 + $2.34 + $2.70 = $23.04. A tip is a personal decision, and the 15% on the after-deal subtotal is only an example.
The deal saved $4.00 plus $0.52 of tax in both of the first two rows. The $7.22 gap between them is the drink, the tax on the drink, and the tip.
What dine-in gives you that takeout cannot
Cheaper is not always better. Dine-in gives you the food made and served at its best, the room, someone else doing the dishes, and time with the people you are with. A cold bowl of noodles carried home in a bag is not the same dish. If the meal is the point of your evening, such as a date or a family night, the extra cost is the price of the evening. A date night plan, with the math and a family dinner plan go through that kind of meal.
Takeout suits a different night: you are tired, you want to eat at home, or you only have twenty minutes.
Count the trip too
The price on the menu is not the only cost of getting food. Both ways, you travel to the restaurant. For takeout, you also carry the food home, and some dishes lose quality on the way.
- Parking or transit. If you pay for either, add it to both columns. It is the same trip, but for takeout it can feel like a lot for a quick pickup.
- Travel time. A 15-minute drive each way is 30 minutes. That matters more for a $14 pickup than for a long dinner out.
- Food that travels. Fried food and noodles in broth are best eaten fresh. Dumplings, curries and rice dishes usually travel well.
- Walking. A pickup from a restaurant in your own plaza is nearly free. A 20-minute drive for the same bag is not.
Which deals work for takeout
Only deals the restaurant has allowed as takeout show the Takeout button, usually marked Dine in or takeout. A deal that is dine-in only is for eating at the restaurant. Restaurants can also limit how many deals one order can use, so a big order may not stack discounts. If you are unsure, call before you go. How to compare restaurant deals.
Order for two or for a group
The comparison shifts when more people are involved. A pickup for four is one trip, one payment and one person doing the carrying, and the fixed costs spread out. A dine-in meal for four costs more in drinks and tip, but the people are together.
- Takeout: pay for one $16 main, $16.00. HST $2.08. Total $18.08, so $9.04 each.
- Dine-in: $16.00, plus two $4 drinks, $24.00. HST $3.12. Tip at 15% of $24.00 is $3.60. Total $30.72, so $15.36 each.
These are round example prices. Your own order, your own drinks and your own tip will give different totals. The gap is $12.64 for the two of you.
Missed pickups and being on time
Takeout has one rule that dine-in does not. Tap I'm here when you arrive, and show your pickup code. An order that is not picked up closes as Not picked up two hours after the pickup time, and restaurants can see a diner's missed pickups. Order when you are ready to leave, and the food is best the moment it is made. If something goes wrong at the counter, here is what to check and what to say.
Allergies and special requests
On takeout you cannot ask the server at the table, so call the restaurant right after you order to mention allergies or changes, and check the bag against your order before you leave. Filters are a starting point, not a guarantee. This is general information, not medical advice. What to ask about diets and allergies.
A simple way to decide
- Is the meal the point of the evening? If yes, dine in.
- Is it a quick feed at home? Takeout.
- Work out both totals with your own prices, including drinks and tip.
- Check that the deal allows takeout, and that the dish will survive the trip.
- Claim the deal before you leave. A claim stays until the deal ends.
Questions
Is takeout cheaper than dining in?
Usually, for the same dish and deal, because you skip drinks, tip and table time. In this post's example, $15.82 for takeout against $23.04 for dine-in with a drink and a 15% tip. Your prices will differ.
Does FIG charge a delivery or service fee on takeout?
No. FIG does not deliver, so there is no delivery fee, and FIG adds no service fee. You pay the menu price minus the deal, plus tax.
Can I order takeout without a deal?
Only if the restaurant sets 0 deals per order. Then takeout is at full price. Otherwise takeout comes with a deal.
How do I pay for takeout on FIG?
In the app, by card, when you order. Dine-in deals are paid at the restaurant as usual.
Is HST charged before or after the deal?
After the restaurant's own discount, the same way a store coupon lowers the price before tax. This is general information, not tax advice.
What if I cannot pick up my order?
An order not picked up closes as Not picked up two hours after the pickup time, and restaurants can see missed pickups. Tap I'm here when you arrive.
When do deals start in Markham?
FIG opens to diners in Markham on January 1, 2027, and deals start then. Until then, diners can join the waitlist at www.figpromo.ca.
