Terms of Service

Version 2 · Last updated September 30, 2026 · Archived. Current version

This document describes how OrderInsider actually works. It has not been reviewed by an attorney and is not legal advice.

1. What OrderInsider is

OrderInsider is a restaurant guide for Charlotte, North Carolina, available on the web and as an app. It helps diners decide what to order, not only where to eat, using the dishes other guests have picked as their favorite. We also offer restaurants a paid subscription that shows them what their guests are picking and saying. These Terms apply to everyone who uses OrderInsider: diners, listed restaurants, and subscribers alike. Using OrderInsider means you accept them and our Privacy Policy.

2. How picks work

A guest can pick one dish per section of a restaurant’s menu as their favorite. A pick can be changed until midnight in the restaurant’s time zone, and after that a guest can pick in that section again every 30 days. Picks count toward a dish for twelve months and then fade. There is no way to vote a dish down. Only a guest who picked a dish can comment on it. Counts are shown only once enough guests have picked for them to mean something; below that we show nothing rather than guess.

Picks and comments are the opinions of the guests who made them. They are not our assessment of any restaurant and are not a statement of fact about food quality, safety, or hygiene. Menus change and prices drift, and we do not promise every detail is current. If something is wrong, tell us at hello@theorderinsider.com or use the flag on the restaurant’s page, and we will correct it.

3. Picks and position cannot be bought or edited

No payment affects any pick count, comment, trending position, recommendation, or search position. Paid and free listings are treated identically everywhere they appear and are ordered by the same method. Where the site offers to choose a restaurant at random, every restaurant matching what the diner asked for has the same chance of being chosen. Paying adds features for the restaurant; it never changes what diners see about a dish.

A restaurant cannot edit its own pick counts or its guests’ words, and neither can we on request. We do not remove individual picks in exchange for payment, advertising, or goodwill. We remove comments only under Section 8. A restaurant that does not want its picks published may have its entire listing removed under Section 5. Those are the only two states: published as computed, or not published.

4. Restaurant listings

Restaurants appear in one of three ways. Free listing: the restaurant appears with its menu and its guests’ picks and comments at no cost, with no card and no commitment. Subscription ($30 per month, per location): everything in the free listing plus the restaurant’s own dashboard of what guests are picking and saying, the ability to reply to guest comments, and branding and menu controls. A subscription is never placement or ranking; see Section 3. Removed: the listing comes down.

By accepting a listing you confirm you are authorized to make that decision for the restaurant, and you grant OrderInsider a non-exclusive, revocable license to display the restaurant’s name, menu items, prices, and descriptions for that purpose. You may withdraw at any time under Section 5.

5. Removal

Any restaurant may have its listing removed, whether or not it ever agreed to one, by writing to hello@theorderinsider.com or using the removal option on its consent link. We honor removals promptly, record them, and do not re-list a removed restaurant without a new agreement from the restaurant. Removal is free and available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.

If you believe content on OrderInsider infringes your copyright or other rights, write to the same address with the URL, a description of the material, and your contact details, and we will review and remove it where appropriate.

6. Subscription, billing & cancellation

Subscriptions are $30 per month per location, billed through Stripe; by subscribing you also accept Stripe’s terms. Billing begins at signup — there is no free trial, because the free listing in Section 4 costs nothing and does not expire. Subscriptions renew monthly until cancelled. Cancel any time from the dashboard: the subscription stays active through the end of the paid month, after which paid features end. Amounts already paid are non-refundable except where required by law. Cancelling a subscription does not by itself remove a listing — use Section 5 for that. We may change pricing with advance notice, effective the following billing period.

7. Restaurant-supplied content

Subscribers can add and edit menus, descriptions, prices, announcements, branding, and featured dishes. You are responsible for that content and confirm you have the right to publish it, including any staff names or photographs. Dietary and allergy information shown on OrderInsider is informational only and is not a substitute for speaking with restaurant staff. We display what a restaurant provides and do not independently verify it. Guests with allergies or dietary requirements should always confirm directly with the restaurant.

8. Guest accounts and contributions

You can use OrderInsider without an account. If you make one, keep your sign in email to yourself; you are responsible for what happens on your account. You can delete it at any time from the account screen in the app or by emailing us; what that removes is described in the Privacy Policy.

You are responsible for the picks, comments, names, and photos you post, and you grant us a non-exclusive license to display them. We do not tolerate objectionable content or abusive users. Do not post anything unlawful, hateful, harassing, sexually explicit, threatening, defamatory, or deceptive; do not impersonate anyone; and do not pick or post about a restaurant on behalf of its owner, staff, or a competitor. Anyone can report a comment or hide comments from a person. We review reports, and we remove content and block devices or accounts that break these rules. Contributions are the views of the people who wrote them, not ours.

9. Restaurant names and trademarks

Restaurant names, logos, and marks belong to their owners. We use them only to identify the restaurant a listing is about. OrderInsider is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any restaurant, review platform, or search engine unless we say so plainly.

10. Acceptable use

Do not scrape, bulk-download, resell, or systematically copy OrderInsider’s picks, comments, or recommendations; do not attempt to manipulate picks, counts, or position, including by using many devices or asking guests to pick in exchange for anything; do not misuse, overload, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the service.

11. Disclaimers & limitation of liability

OrderInsider is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind, including any warranty that picks, menus, prices, or availability are accurate, complete, or current. To the fullest extent permitted by law, OrderInsider and its operator are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, and total liability for any claim is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the three months before the claim or $100. You agree to indemnify OrderInsider against claims arising from content you supply or your use of the service.

12. Termination & changes

You may stop using OrderInsider at any time. We may suspend or end service for violations of these Terms or non-payment. We may update these Terms; material changes will be reflected in the version number and date above, and continued use after that means acceptance. The previous version is archived here.

13. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, and disputes will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

14. Contact

Questions? Email hello@theorderinsider.com or call 703-939-0996.