FoodHub will not release your domain when you want to leave. It is a gun to the head of every takeaway owner who trusted them. This report exposes the truth — and shows you how to protect yourself.
If FoodHub registered your website domain, you do not own your own business online. They do.
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The Warning
Here is the brutal truth:
The Full Report
Chapter 1
When FoodHub built your website, they likely registered the domain in their name, not yours. They told you it was "included" or "free." What they did not tell you is that this gives them total control over your digital identity — forever.
The moment you decide to leave — because their commissions are too high, their service is too slow, or you simply found something better — you discover the trap. They will not release the domain. Your web address, printed on every menu, every flyer, every Google listing, belongs to them.
This is not a partnership. It is a hostage situation. You cannot leave without losing everything: your domain, your Google rankings, your online customers, your brand. It is a gun to the head of every trusting takeaway owner who assumed FoodHub had their back.
"You can't leave FoodHub. You're locked in."
— That is the unspoken message when a provider refuses to release your domain.
Chapter 2
FoodHub holds your domain. The moment you want to switch providers, they simply refuse to release it. Your web address — the thing customers type to find you — belongs to them, not you.
Your domain is your digital identity. It is printed on your menus, your flyers, your signage, your Google listing. When FoodHub owns it, they own your identity. You are renting your own name.
When they control your domain, they control you. Commissions go up? Tough. Service gets worse? Tough. You cannot walk away without losing your entire web presence and every customer who finds you online.
Years of Google rankings, backlinks, and search authority are tied to that domain. If FoodHub refuses to release it, you start from zero. Every customer who searched "takeaway near me" and found you — lost.
Chapter 3
Ask yourself these questions honestly. If you answer "yes" to any of them, you are at risk:
Chapter 4
The fix is simple in principle: you must own your domain, your website, and your customer data — outright, in your name, with your own login. No exceptions. No "included free" tricks. No third-party control.
A domain costs £10–£15 per year. Any provider who refuses to let you own it is not your partner — they are your warden. A trustworthy platform builds your website on a domain you control, hands you the registrar login, and makes sure you can walk away at any time with everything intact.
Chapter 5
Let us be direct. Holding a customer's domain hostage is conceited, immoral, and devious. It takes advantage of vulnerable, trusting takeaway owners who assumed the company building their website had their best interests at heart.
These are hardworking people — often first-generation business owners, often working 70-hour weeks, often not deeply technical. They trust. And that trust is being exploited to lock them into a relationship they can never leave without losing everything.
A domain is not a gift. It is leverage. And when a provider uses it to trap you, that tells you everything you need to know about how they see you — not as a customer to serve, but as a revenue stream to control.
You deserve better. You deserve a partner who builds your business on foundations you own.
Chapter 6
You might think the domain hostage situation only matters if you want to leave FoodHub. But the trap springs the moment you try to sell your business.
Transferring domain and Maps ownership can take time. If FoodHub refuses, buyers face uncertainty. Some buyers will not proceed with that level of risk.
A new buyer with their own system wants full control. If domain and Maps stay with FoodHub, they cannot fully own the brand. This can make the deal unworkable for certain buyers.
Even if you stay with FoodHub, your exit option is restricted. The real danger is when you want to sell or change systems. That is the moment you see the trap.
"You are not hostage only if you exit. You are hostage at sale."
— The moment you try to sell or change systems is the moment you discover who really owns your business.
Chapter 7
Register it in your name via your own registrar. Use FoodHub only as a connector, not as the owner.
Ensure the listing is under your own Google account. You should be the primary owner, not FoodHub.
These are part of goodwill and brand value. If you do not own them, your business is weaker on paper.
If possible, transfer domain and Maps ownership now. Even if you stay with FoodHub, own the assets. This makes your business more saleable and more valuable.
Bottom Line
If FoodHub owns your domain and controls your Google Maps listing, you are effectively hostage to their platform. You can still run a business, but it is less valuable, less flexible, and harder to sell. Getting full ownership of your domain and Google Business Profile is not just a "nice thing" — it is a basic requirement for a properly sellable business.
Talk to Neil about owning your website, your domain, and your customer data — outright.
07831 571890 · neil@deckchairai.com
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