Hi all,
I may be asked to create a new website for a local pizza restaurant. Sparkle (of course) is my goto for the design, but I want to be able to have the end user order online, submit payment, etc.
Is there something out there that will allow me to incorporate something like that into Sparkle?
Thanks in advance!
Tom
You can use ECWID for example, that works fine for me
does ecwid allow menu item choices, like pepperoni, extra cheese, pizza size, etc?
If you want something that is totally within the website, I can recommend THIS script. Its a self contained script that is installed on the web server and does the whole thing - online ordering and payment through PayPal, AuthorizeNet or, if the client has a merchant account, by credit/debit card. The publishers will provide installation support if you need it. The script itself is PHP, so the web host must have PHP and Mysql. Once installed, there is an administrator back end to the system which is where the client would set up his menu items etc, When it comes to integrating into a Sparkle website, the script provides the necessary code to add to your sparkle page - just add the code into an embed object.
The script does come with a price tag of €75, but for something that may be important to a business, it’s a reasonable price for the client to pay. I suggest you check out the front end and back end demo to make sure it meets your client’s needs.
The alternative is to use a third party e-commerce service, but this is not always the best solution for those who may wish to present a more professional front.Ultimately, I think it all depends on the volume of business the client is expecting. If they only expect a few orders a day, they could go for one of the free ecommerce offerings, and if business increases, upgrade their e-commerce plan to a a paid subscription later.
@TomJr I would go with @Martin suggestion…
Your client won’t have any issues as Ecwid is a rock solid ecommerce platform and integrates/works effortlessly with Sparkle.
For you it will also be less work as Ecwid looks after itself.
You can see here how Ecwid handles selling food online - https://support.ecwid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021754399-Selling-food-online-how-to-start-your-business
Thanks for your response. This potential client has been around for many years, and the sons of the original owners have taken over and want a refresh of their brand and materials. From what I gather, it’s very popular, so there would likely be a lot of online/delivery orders.
I will check this script, it would be well worth the cost. Yeah, a 3rd party e-commerce could be less flexible.
Thanks!
hey Tom!
Sorry, but to be honest, you would be better grabbing a third-party solution. Ecommerce is a very serious thing, with data and all the quirks. The best thing to guarantee to a client is safety, and you alone can’t uphold any struggles that comes your way in this regard. 3rd party solutions exists to safeguard both business - theirs and their clients. These solutions go through years and years of identation, updates and feedback.
Since everyone mentioned Ecwid, I think that would be your best bet - you don’t need to open hand about the design you’re thinking of: Ecwid allows to embbed the store within the Sparkle website. Granted, the product page embbeded into your design will have small Ecwid interface that shows price, select the ingredients etc, but besides that, everything outside this embed container is designed by you.
But, as it is a service, it would require subscription (specifically for this case that you want to have “addons” on each food [extra ingredients etc that adds to the price]). It is not a big amount per month, and for a business, i think it is a no brainer, better than a script that may or may not be updated, have sufficient payment gateways or stuff that you as the designer/developer will have to manually change or interact.
Extra: also forgot, depending on which plan you subscribe to, you get access to a mobile app for the shop - so the pizzaria could have a mobile app with all their products ready to order. Really a no brainer.
Yeah, I was looking at some of the Ecwid integration with Sparkle, and on the surface, it appeared that I’d have to do a lot of the front end work.
But if I can embed the store within the site, that would be a good solution, so long as I have enough creative control (colors and fonts, for instance). I’ll have to play with it some to see.
Thanks!
Yeah, I’m seeing it as a viable option, and Ecwid seems to have the most options in Sparkle.
I have not gotten the phone call (yet) from the potential client, but wanted to be educated ahead of time as to my options. There are a lot of newer restaurants in my area that I could approach too, once I get a handle on it.
Thanks!
I agree with @primo on this one!
The more PHP you place on your server the more you are a potential target for the hackers! For the hackers PHP is the door, they just need to figure out the key to open it and they love the challenge! 
Here is an example of a Sparkle website with an Ecwid embedded via the Sparkle Widget - https://www.tngt.com.au/shop-tng-t-tasmania.html
As you can see I have enough control over Ecwid to make it look as it is part of my client’s brand.
Also as a bonus not only can Ecwid work with your client’s POS, but also they can implement Ecwid into their social media channels allowing their Users to make an order. Ecwid also handles subscriptions.
On top of that Ecwid has a massive amount of tutorials for your client to have an effortless experience in running their online store! 
I can safely say, ECWID is a brilliant e-commerce tool to use with a Sparkle website. I have one site that’s been using ECWID for years without any issues. Whenever I require any support or help, ECWID are really quick at responding and offer custom design if its required at an extra cost (this has not been required on my main website, but we did pay for some custom work with another client). Please take a look at one of my sites that uses ECWID for e-commerce here
If you need any help or have any questions please just get in touch. I am sure it would handle an online pizza shop business very well.
@FlaminFig @Primo I don’t know why I hadn’t considered the security issues using PHP, that would be a dealbreaker for me.
@andymaltby correct on ECWID. I reached out to them afterwards, and not only did they get back to me quickly, but they already knew the Sparkle integration with it, and sent me a detailed email with helpful links too!
Thanks for the e-commerce link sites too, looks really good!
So, I have a free account, just to mess around with it, and see how it would fit with a pizza joint.
I have to say, if purchasing Sparkle alone was all there was, I’d be pretty happy. But the support from @duncan and the community here makes it truly a premium app. Thanks!