A WooCommerce Mini Cart plugin is crucial for restaurants, as it reduces cart abandonment (industry-wide average 70-75%), speeds up mobile ordering, and boosts conversions by 5-10% through real-time updates and frictionless checkouts. Picking the right WooCommerce Mini Cart system can be tricky because there are so many choices. If you run a restaurant website on WordPress, having a smooth cart is very important for your customers.
A well-designed WooCommerce mini cart helps customers see their online food order instantly, make quick changes, and place food orders without hassle.
In this guide, we’ve selected the 5 best free and paid WooCommerce mini cart plugins that work well for a complete restaurant management system. This will help you find the right solution for your menu setup and your customers’ buying journey.
Let’s take a closer look.
📖 Quick Overview
This guide highlights the best WooCommerce mini cart plugins for restaurant websites and explains how the right mini cart setup can streamline online food ordering and increase sales. You’ll find clear, practical insights you can apply to your own restaurant site, including:
- What a WooCommerce mini cart plugin is and why it’s essential for restaurants
- The importance of using a mini cart to speed up checkout and reduce cart abandonment
- Key features that top mini cart plugins offer for smooth, same-page ordering
- A curated list of the 7 best WooCommerce mini cart plugins for restaurant food ordering systems
- How to get started with the best WooCommerce mini cart plugin
- Expert tips to help you choose the right mini cart based on your restaurant’s needs
- Why RestroFood stands out as the best WooCommerce mini cart solution for restaurants
- Step-by-step guidance to set up and customize the RestroFood mini cart
Let’s get started!
What Is a WooCommerce Mini Cart Plugin?
A WooCommerce Mini Cart is a tool that adds a compact cart widget, often as a slide-out canvas, fixed footer, or sidebar next to products, to your online store. Customers can quickly view, edit, or remove items without leaving the page, improve user experience, reduce cart abandonment, and increase sales.
- Show a shopping cart summary on all food menu pages
- Let customers update or remove food items easily
- Provide a smooth, simple, and same-page checkout process
- Increase completed online food orders and revenue
Importance of a WooCommerce Mini Cart Plugin
A mini cart system plays an important role because it streamlines online food ordering, speeds up/same-page checkout, and improves the overall customer experience. With a mini cart, customers can view, edit, or remove items instantly without leaving the food menu page, making online ordering smoother and faster.
- Faster checkout: Customers can complete food orders directly from the online menu, reducing abandonment using the mini cart plugin.
- Real-time updates: Quantities, subtotals, taxes, and food delivery fees are visible instantly in the mini cart system.
- Better mobile experience: Works seamlessly on phones and tablets, perfect for fast and simple mobile food ordering.
- Boosts sales: A frictionless cart system encourages more completed orders and repeat business.
- Supports multi-branch and takeaway orders: Makes tracking and managing restaurant orders easier using this woocommerce plugin.
By adding a mini cart, restaurants improve user experience, reduce checkout friction, and increase revenue, making it an essential tool for WooCommerce-powered food businesses.
Key Features of a WooCommerce Mini Cart Plugin
The best mini cart plugin boasts several key features that contribute to an improved shopping experience and increased sales. Here are some of the most important:
- AJAX Update Functionality: This allows the mini cart to update in real-time without page reloads when items are added, removed, or quantities are changed.
- Customizable Cart Display: The ability to customize the mini cart design to match the store’s branding is essential. This includes options for colors, fonts, button styles, and the cart icon WooCommerce selection.
- Responsive Design: The mini cart should be fully responsive and display correctly on all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Product Variant Display: The mini cart should clearly display product variations (e.g., size, color) to avoid confusion.
- Quantity Adjustment: Customers should be able to easily adjust the quantity of items in their cart directly from the mini cart.
- Remove Item Functionality: A clear and easy-to-use remove button allows customers to quickly remove unwanted items.
- Checkout Button: A prominent checkout button should be included to guide customers towards completing their purchase.
- Cross-Sell Cart Integration: The ability to display related products or upsells within the mini cart.
- Geolocation-Based Cart: (Advanced) Display special offers based on the customer’s location, if geolocation data is available.
- Personalized Cart Messages: (Advanced) Display personalized messages to encourage purchase based on cart contents or customer history.
7 Best WooCommerce Mini Cart Plugins for Restaurants
The default WooCommerce cart page can slow down online ordering and frustrate your customers. For restaurant websites, a smooth mini cart system makes it an easier and better solution for a happy shopping experience.
In this list, we share the 7 best WooCommerce mini cart plugins that work well for restaurant online food ordering and improve the checkout experience.
1. RestroFood – Online Food Ordering and Restaurant Management Plugin For WooCommerce
RestroFood is an all-in-one restaurant management plugin designed to make online food ordering fast and hassle-free. It’s built with 3 types of mini cart (Canvas Model, Footer Fixed, Beside Products), which lets customers review their items and complete orders directly using the same page checkout system without visiting a separate page. This speeds up checkout and reduces order errors.
RestroFood helps you offer a better checkout experience, increase completed orders, and keep your customers satisfied.
Special Features of RestroFood Restaurant Management Plugin:
- Online Food Ordering System
- Ajax Quick Product View
- Ajax Quick Search
- Ajax Category Filter
- Ajax Pagination
- Same Page Cart & Checkout System
- 3 Mini Cart Style
- Canvas Model Mini Cart
- Footer Fixed Mini Cart
- Beside Products Mini Cart
- Add To Cart Button Show
- Upload Cart Button Icon
- Branch-Wise Online Ordering
- Branch-Wise Table Reservation Bookings
- 6 Product Display Layout
- Pre-order and scheduled ordering system
- Table reservation system
- Multi-location support
- Branch-wise pickup and delivery settings
- Time-based open and close option
- Tips management
- Quick Order Placement
- Order Tracking System
- Order Bumps
- Product Extra Option
- Product Extra Quantities Change Option
- Delivery Type Select Option ( Delivery/Pickup )
- Pickup/Takeaway
- Delivery Time Slot Set Option
- Custom Delivery Fee
- Break Time Adding Option
- Free Shipping Based on Order Amount
- All Kinds of Themes & Page Builders Are Supported
- Support all WooCommerce Payment Gateways
- Compatibility with WordPress 6+
- Provides Shortcodes
- Free Updates
- Well Documented
Ideal for restaurant owners who are seeking a complete restaurant management solution. Perfect for managing online food orders and delivery, with full support for WooCommerce mini cart functionality and smooth checkout management.
Pricing: Just $75 for a complete restaurant management plugin with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
2. WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce
The WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce is a fully responsive plugin that lets customers add products to their cart without leaving the current page or manually refreshing it. Shoppers can quickly review their orders, continue shopping, or proceed to checkout, all from a single screen. The fly cart can appear as an overlay on any page, including product pages and category archives, providing a smooth and uninterrupted shopping experience.
Compatibility: WordPress 4.0+, WooCommerce 3.0+
Pricing: $99 with a 7-day money-back guarantee
Ideal For: Users who want a visually engaging and interactive mini cart experience
Special Features of WPC Fly Cart
- Full AJAX support
- Option to enable overlay effects
- Multiple style choices
- Customize cart details
- Automatic cart refresh
- Choose multiple bubble icons
- Adjust the cart position
3. Cart All In One For WooCommerce
Cart All In One makes online food ordering smooth by reducing distractions and securely storing customer information during registration. It gives users the ability to customize the Sidebar Cart, Menu Cart, Sticky Add to Cart button, and Checkout within the Sidebar Cart, making WooCommerce stores more efficient.
Requirements: WordPress 6.0+, PHP 7.0+, WooCommerce 6.0+
Pricing: Free version available, Premium unlocks all features at $30
Ideal For: Users seeking advanced cart customization and smoother checkout experiences
Key Features:
- 5 front-end styles with 45 mini cart icons
- View cart details, including coupons, quantities, and remove options
- Edit cart without leaving the current page
- Add products from anywhere on the site, including product pages or pop-ups
- Customize the design ofthe Sidebar Cart and the Menu Cart before publishing
Premium Features:
- Sticky Add to Cart Button
- Recently Viewed Products
- Checkout area inside Sidebar Cart
4. XT Floating Cart for WooCommerce
XT Floating Cart for WooCommerce is a modern, sticky floating side cart that enhances the shopping experience for your online store. It provides quick access to cart items, helping customers review, edit, or proceed to checkout without leaving the page. This makes it a smarter alternative to using a WooCommerce mini cart without a plugin.
Pricing: Free version available, premium upgrade at $59/year.
System Requirements: WordPress 6.0 or higher, PHP 7.0+, WooCommerce 6.0+
Best For: Restaurants and online stores looking for advanced cart customization and faster, smoother checkout
Key Features:
- User-Friendly Interface
- Related Product Suggestions
- Quick Cart Access
- Responsive Design
5. Modal Fly Cart & AJAX Add to Cart for WooCommerce
Modal Fly Cart & AJAX Add to Cart for WooCommerce is a free mini-cart plugin for WooCommerce that adds an Ajax-powered pop-up cart to your store. When a customer adds a product, it displays a pop-up with cart contents and options like View Cart and Checkout without reloading the page, helping improve the shopping experience.
Pricing: Free version available. Premium features are $35.
System Requirements: WordPress 5.0 or higher and WooCommerce 6.8.3+, PHP 7.4+ or higher.
Best For: Restaurants and online stores looking for a pop-up mini-cart that updates in real-time.
Key Features:
- Add products to the cart without page reload (works on shop, category, and single product pages).
- Cart popup opens automatically when products are added.
- Allows adjusting quantities or removing items inside the pop-up.
- Unlimited background colors and styling options.
- Includes View Cart and Checkout buttons in the pop-up.
- Works with both simple and variable products.
- Compatible with many popular WooCommerce themes (e.g., Hello Elementor, OceanWP, Astra, Divi, Flatsome, WoodMart).
6. Booster for WooCommerce
Booster for WooCommerce is a versatile plugin that includes a mini cart module along with multiple WooCommerce enhancements. You can create and customize your mini cart without any coding, making it ideal for restaurant websites or online stores. Using shortcodes, you can also adjust the placement of your mini cart anywhere on your site.
This plugin allows you to disable unused features, helping to optimize your website speed. The mini cart is fully responsive, ensuring it looks great on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Pricing: Free version available; premium $39.99/month
System Requirements: WordPress 5.0+, WooCommerce 3.0+, PHP 7.0+
Best For: Users who want a flexible, no-code mini cart solution that works smoothly across all devices.
Key Features:
- Customize mini cart information easily.
- Adjust the mini cart position using shortcodes.
- Display the mini cart anywhere on your site.
- User-friendly settings for quick configuration.
- Highly customizable mini cart with zero coding required.
7. Side Cart For WooCommerce
Side Cart For WooCommerce is a dedicated mini cart plugin that displays added products in a floating side panel on your store pages. Customers can view, edit, or remove items directly from the product page without navigating away, creating a smoother and faster shopping experience, perfect for restaurants and food ordering websites.
The plugin is fully responsive, mobile-friendly, and allows for customizable layouts, ensuring your mini cart looks great on all devices. It also auto-opens with an animated effect whenever a customer adds a product to the cart, improving engagement and reducing cart abandonment.
Pricing: Free version available; premium $149
System Requirements: WordPress 4.0+, WooCommerce 3.0+, PHP 7.0+
Best For: Restaurants and food stores seeking a responsive, customizable, and user-friendly side cart to improve online orders.
Key Features:
- Flexible Cart Position: Adjust the side cart to appear on the left or right side of the page.
- Customizable Layout: Modify every section of the side cart, including colors, buttons, and cart details.
- Mobile Optimized: Fully responsive design for tablets and smartphones.
- Page-Specific Display: Show the side cart only on selected pages if needed.
- User-Friendly Setup: Intuitive interface makes setup and customization easy without coding.
Get started with the best WooCommerce mini cart plugin
Among the top mini carts for WooCommerce, the RestroFood plugin stands out because it offers mini cart functionality along with a complete online restaurant management system. This makes it ideal for restaurants, cafés, cloud kitchens, and online food businesses looking for an all-in-one solution.
Here you can find a pickup/delivery system for online orders, an advanced food menu, pos integration, table reservations, in-restaurant ordering, and tips management functionality. RestroFood helps you manage every aspect of your food-ordering business efficiently.
How does the RestroFood Mini Cart work in WooCommerce? (Configure Process and Frontend Look)
Configure Process Of RestroFood Mini Cart:
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to RestroFood > General > Cart.
- Under Mini Cart Style, select your preferred layout: Canvas Model, Footer Fixed, or Beside Products.
- Enable the Add To Cart Button by setting it to Yes.
- Upload your desired Cart Button Icon.
- Click Save Settings to apply changes.
Frontend Look Of RestroFood Mini Cart:
Need help? Check our step-by-step instructions:
How to Configure Cart Style in RestroFood?
Expert Tips & Recommendations for Choosing the Right Mini Cart
The best WooCommerce mini cart plugin depends on how your restaurant works and what your customers expect. A good mini cart should make ordering faster, reduce checkout friction, and keep customers on the menu page.
Before choosing a plugin, test different options and features to see which one fits your restaurant’s ordering flow and improves the customer experience.
Key Things to Consider
- Your restaurant needs: Do you need only a mini cart, or a full restaurant ordering and management system?
- Customization options: Check if you can control cart design, layout, and behavior.
- Budget: Compare free vs premium features and long-term value.
- Ease of use: Make sure the plugin is simple to set up and manage.
- Compatibility: Ensure it works smoothly with your theme, WooCommerce, and other plugins.
Our Recommendations
➤ For a complete restaurant management system with mini cart support: RestroFood
➤ For a smooth floating cart experience on any page: WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce
➤ For a modern sticky floating side cart: XT Floating Cart for WooCommerce
➤ For a pop-up mini cart with real-time updates: Modal Fly Cart & AJAX Add to Cart for WooCommerce
➤ For a flexible, no-code mini cart solution: Booster for WooCommerce
➤ For a responsive side cart that auto-opens on product add: Side Cart For WooCommerce
➤ For advanced cart customization and multiple layout options: Cart All In One For WooCommerce
Why Choose RestroFood?
RestroFood goes beyond a basic mini cart. It combines WooCommerce food ordering, delivery & pickup, and complete restaurant management in one wordpress system, making it ideal for restaurants that want to grow without using multiple plugins.
Final Thought
In e-commerce, even small details can make a big difference. Your WooCommerce mini cart may seem simple, but it has the power to boost user experience and increase sales. Focus on features that stand out, simplify ordering, and keep customers engaged. Regularly refine your mini cart to highlight your products and make shopping smooth for every visitor.
Turn your mini cart into a smart, helpful tool that delights your customers and drives results!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is a WooCommerce mini cart plugin?
A WooCommerce Mini Cart is a small, handy cart widget that appears on your store as a sidebar, slide-out canvas, or fixed footer. It lets customers quickly view their items, adjust quantities, or remove products without leaving the page. By making the checkout process faster and smoother, a mini cart improves the user experience, reduces abandoned carts, and helps increase sales, perfect for restaurants and food-ordering websites.
Why Use a WooCommerce Mini Cart Plugin?
A mini cart lets customers quickly see, update, and complete their orders without leaving the menu page. For restaurants, this ensures faster checkout, fewer order errors, and more successful online food orders.
What are the best WooCommerce mini cart plugins?
The best WooCommerce mini cart plugins for restaurant websites include RestroFood, WPC Fly Cart for WooCommerce, XT Floating Cart for WooCommerce, Modal Fly Cart & AJAX Add to Cart, Booster for WooCommerce, Side Cart for WooCommerce, and Cart All In One for WooCommerce. But the expert recommended RestroFood for a complete restaurant management system.
How to configure the RestroFood mini cart plugin?
Go to your WordPress dashboard and select: RestroFood > General > Cart > Mini Cart Style > Choose One Style (Canvas Model / Footer Fixed / Beside Products) > Add To Cart Button Show (Yes) > Upload Cart Button Icon > Save Settings
How can I track and analyze my mini cart performance?
You can track your mini cart using built-in plugin analytics or tools like Google Analytics. This helps you see how customers interact with the mini cart, spot areas for improvement, and test different features to increase orders.
Can I use these mini carts on other types of online stores?
Yes! Mini cart plugins work on any WooCommerce site with online ordering, including restaurants, cafes, bakeries, or food delivery services.
How can WooCommerce mini cart plugins improve my store’s functionality?
Mini cart plugins enhance your store by offering customizable layouts, advanced styling, quick navigation, and better order management, making it easier for customers to place orders.
Can a WooCommerce mini cart plugin improve mobile shopping?
Absolutely. Mini carts are fully responsive, providing a smooth and fast shopping experience on phones and tablets, which helps increase mobile sales.