In today’s fast-paced and digital landscape, on-demand delivery apps have become an inseparable part of modern lifestyle, with their widespread popularity and penetration in our lives continuing to grow.

The proliferation of food delivery apps has contributed to a significant diversification of culinary choices available to consumers. According to industry reports, users now have access to an extensive array of restaurants and cuisines at their fingertips, fostering a culture of exploration and discovery within the realm of gastronomy.

So, what factors contribute to the immeasurable success of food delivery apps? Well, the primary driver is a food delivery app development company that fuels the fire of building a cutting-edge solution that can efficiently satiate consumers’ desire for convenience and culinary cravings.

Appinventiv, a leading player in app development, plays a pivotal role in building next-generation restaurant applications. We have a proven track record of redefining the success of food delivery giants like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s.

Let’s get a sneak peek into the growing dominance of food delivery mobile app development, the statistical facts, cost, process, and case studies of food delivery businesses.

Statistical Facts about Food Delivery Apps – Because Numbers Don’t Lie

The evolution of food delivery services has been marked by a surge in demand for digital applications. Changing consumer preferences, coupled with the need for speed and convenience, have driven the adoption of food delivery apps. Let’s throw light on some statistical facts about food delivery services:

Global Growth of Food Delivery Apps

According to Statista, the global food delivery market hit $2.52 trillion in 2021 and is anticipated to cross $4.43 trillion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2021 to 2028. This underscores the sustained and robust growth of the food delivery industry.

Revenue Generation from the Food Delivery Market

The global revenue from the online food delivery market is projected to reach a value of $329.7 billion by 2027. This growth trajectory demonstrates the massive potential for businesses to capture a significant market share.

Mobile App Usage Trends

As of 2022, the number of mobile app downloads related to food and drink worldwide amounted to about $717 million. This statistic highlights the increasing reliance on mobile apps for food-related activities, from ordering meals to exploring new culinary experiences.

Impact of Global Pandemic – COVID-19

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of food delivery apps, with a surge in demand for contactless dining options. A McKinsey report noted a 78-93% increase in the use of food delivery apps during the early stages of the global health crisis.

Benefits of Food Delivery Mobile App Development

The food industry is growing exponentially, giving entrepreneurs countless reasons to invest in food delivery app development and emerge as key players in this rewarding sector. Here are some of the reasons why leveraging the power of food delivery apps can be highly profitable for businesses:

Increased Reach and Higher Revenue

For the restaurant industry, using a mobile app translates into capturing a broader consumer segment worldwide, satisfying the needs of potential users who might otherwise miss their offerings. This extended reach can significantly boost sales and increase revenue, contributing to the overall growth and success of the restaurant.

DoorDash is a leading example of a global food delivery business, catering to customers’ culinary needs across Canada, Australia, and the US.

Eliminates the Entry Barriers

The food delivery sector is well-regarded for its minimal entry barriers, fostering an environment that readily embraces emerging startups and entrants. Unlike traditional businesses that require substantial initial investments and intricate infrastructures, the on-demand food delivery solutions empower aspiring entrepreneurs to start their food delivery ventures with comparatively modest investments.

Also Read: 3 Top Reasons to Invest in a Mobile App for Your Restaurant

Unmatched Convenience for Consumers

Mobile apps bring unparalleled convenience to food lovers, bringing a host of culinary items from different regions to their fingertips. With just a few taps on their smartphones, users can effortlessly browse through diverse menus, place orders, and track their deliveries in real-time. This streamlined process eliminates the need for traditional methods like phone calls or physical menus, offering a great level of convenience that aligns with today’s fast-paced lifestyle.

Personalized User Experience

Mobile apps enable a personalized user experience, allowing businesses to tailor their offerings based on user preferences and behaviors. With the emerging integration of data analytics and artificial intelligence in the restaurant industry, businesses can predict customer choices, suggest personalized menus, and even offer exclusive discounts or coupons. This level of personalization enhances the overall user experience and increases their loyalty to the brand.

Increased User Engagements

A feature-rich food delivery app enables restaurants to interact actively with their customers through push notifications, messages, emails, or even chatbots. This helps businesses inform users about their latest offers, loyalty programs, and lucrative deals and discounts, keeping them engaged in your offerings.

Predictive Analytics

Mobile apps provide restaurant owners with valuable data analytics. From tracking order trends to comprehending peak hours, these insights empower businesses to make informed decisions. Additionally, mobile apps streamline the ordering and delivery management process, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring operational efficiency.

These are some of the most common benefits of food delivery app development. As technology advances, businesses that opt for mobile app solutions are poised to experience more transformational advantages and sustained success in the competitive landscape of the food delivery industry.

Related Article: A Comprehensive Guide on Using Predictive Analytics for Mobile Apps

Appinventiv: A Pioneer in Food Delivery App Development

We, as a leading IT company, have established ourselves as a frontrunner in app development, particularly in the food delivery sector. With a proven track record and a commitment to innovation, we have successfully crafted innovative solutions for global businesses that elevate user experiences and drive growth.

Our approach involves a meticulous understanding of client needs, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, using the best security measures, and delivering apps that stand out in the competitive market.

Let us elucidate the case studies of three business giants in the food industry and witness how we turned their distinctive vision into an enticing reality, capturing the eyes of users worldwide.

KFC Case Study

KFC, a leading fast-food company with a global presence in 150+ countries, operates under Americana Group in the Middle East and is the world’s second-largest restaurant chain.

Challenges Faced by KFC

• Nearly 90% of KFC’s total orders were coming through aggregator apps, raising concerns about the brand’s dependency on third-party platforms.
• With a significant portion of orders funneled through aggregator apps, KFC faced increased operational costs and the risk of potential damage to the brand’s digital image.
• The challenges escalated when KFC started receiving negative reviews on its own platform, primarily related to a poor user experience.

Appinventiv’s Strategic Solution

KFC, facing such challenges in the Middle East, turned to Appinventiv for a comprehensive solution with a vision to develop seven KFC mobile applications within a year. We took these challenges as an opportunity to prove our expertise by building a robust direct-to-consumer digital channel for KFC.

We developed seven custom food delivery apps in the Middle East across – the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, ensuring a personalized user experience for specific regions and demographics.

Results and Impact

The development and launch of seven KFC mobile applications within the stipulated timeframe helped KFC witness a transformative shift in its digital delivery channel, leading to significant positive outcomes:

• 22% increase in conversion rate
• 4.5 average rating on the Google Play Store and App Store
• Over 50% of the total orders coming through the app
• Over 60% increase in repeat purchases across channels
• Highest customer lifetime value across all order modes
• Reduced resilience on aggregator apps from 90% to 50%
• 30,000+ orders filled through the app per day.

Pizza Hut Case Study

Pizza Hut, one of the largest multinational restaurant chains, operates 17,639 restaurants worldwide as of 2020.

Challenges Faced by Pizza Hut

• Pizza Hut faced challenges in maintaining a strong digital presence. Their existing app struggled to keep pace with modern standards, hindering its performance.
• The app lacked an extensible and scalable architecture, limiting its ability to adapt to the evolving needs of today’s digital age.
• Customers encountered difficulties navigating the app, placing orders, and enjoying a seamless interaction with Pizza Hut’s offerings, leading to poor user experience.

Appinventiv’s Strategic Solution

Our team of 1200+ tech evangelists recognized the need for a comprehensive overhaul of Pizza Hut’s app. Thus, we conducted thorough research to understand the unique needs of Pizza Hut’s target audience and created a user-friendly design that resonated with users, ensuring a more personalized and engaging experience.

To meet industry standards, we leveraged the latest tools and technologies to enhance the app’s functionality and keep it at the forefront of trends.

Results and Impact

The redesigned app provided Pizza Hut with a revitalized digital presence, aligning with industry standards, meeting users’ expectations, and elevating the brand’s image in the digital space, which resulted into:

• 50K app downloads
• 30% increase in conversion rates
• 7 seconds increase in screen transition time
• Improved customer engagement and business growth
• Increased user interactions and order placements

Domino’s Case Study

Domino’s is a well-recognized powerhouse of pizza delivery worldwide, operating over 14,000 pizza restaurants in 85+ countries and delivering more than 1.5 million pizzas every day.

Challenges Faced by Domino’s

• Domino’s experienced a rising bounce rate on their mobile app, indicating that users were navigating away without completing orders.
• The company faced challenges in retaining customers and received negative reviews in terms of poor app experience, difficulty in placing orders, and an in-app user journey.
• One of the major concerns the brand faced was subpar UI/UX design, which led to a decrease in customers’ attention and engagement on the brand’s app.

Appinventiv’s Strategic Solution

Domino’s collaborated with us to resolve its pressing challenges and redefine its business identity in the market. We started the journey with a deep analysis of the core issues hindering the performance of Domino’s pizza delivery app. We dove deep into customers’ reviews and pinpointed the problem area that was making users’ in-app journeys complex.

We developed strategic solutions to revamp the UI/UX design, streamlining the app’s functionality, making it more efficient, and enhancing the overall user experience.

Results and Impact

• The collaboration with Appinventiv facilitated the reinvention of Domino’s business image, reinforcing its position in the competitive food delivery market.
• Our refined UI/UX strategy reduced the bounce rate and increased the mobile app conversion rate by 23%.
• The UI/UX redesign contributed to a significant improvement in customer engagement. The users who were once leaving the app without placing the orders now spend time within the app to track their orders in real time.

Food Delivery App Development Cost

When planning to make a food delivery app like KFC, Pizza Hut, or Domino’s, people often contemplate the restaurant app development cost. While the cost to build the latest food delivery app is one of the most crucial considerations, it is challenging to quote an exact amount as the Pizza Hut, Domino’s, or KFC food delivery app development cost significantly varies depending on multiple factors.

Some of the most important factors that affect the food delivery application development cost are:

• The intricacy and sophistication of the app’s design, level, features, and functionalities.
• The number of third-party plugins available in the app to improve user engagement.
• The targeted platform (Android, iOS, or cross-platform) on which the app will run.
• Intensity and frequency of regular maintenance and updates required to ensure the apt app performance.
• The geographic location of the chosen mobile app development company. For instance, developers in regions like the US or the UK charge a whopping amount of $90-$110 per hour, while developers in India typically charge a more budget-friendly price, i.e., $20-$70 per hour.

On average, KFC, Pizza Hut, or Domino’s food delivery app development costs range between $30,000 to $300,000 or more, depending on the aforementioned cost-influencing factors.

Here is a visual presentation of the factors affecting food delivery mobile app development cost

How to Make a Food Delivery App?

There is no better way to tap into the flourishing food market than to make a feature-rich application for your business. However, making an app for food delivery is a complex and challenging process, requiring professional expertise and experience in building similar applications.

The food delivery app development process is quite similar to building any other mobile app. It passes through the same stages of project planning, design conceptualization, feature integration, coding and development, rigorous testing, and ultimate deployment.

In straight terms, developing a food delivery app like KFC, Pizza Hut, or Domino’s requires meticulous planning, visually appealing UI/UX design, the right tech stack, seamless feature integration, and continual maintenance.

Thus, you must consider outsourcing your project to a professional app development company to ensure a smooth and successful food delivery app development process. Collaborating with an experienced restaurant app development company with a proven history of developing similar solutions not only improves your chances of building a successful solution but also ensures its ongoing success in the competitive market.

For an in-depth understanding of the food delivery application development process, delve into our comprehensive guide on Mobile App Development for Businesses.

You may like to know: How to start your own food delivery business.

Leverage Appinvenitv’s Experience to Build a Food Delivery App

Appinventiv’s expertise in food delivery mobile app development has played a pivotal role in revamping the applications of industry giants – KFC, Pizza Hut, and Domino’s, redefining their brand image.

We are committed to shaping the future of food delivery apps through the effective utilization of cutting-edge technologies, innovative solutions, a deep understanding of market dynamics, and a commitment to staying ahead of industry trends.

These case studies serve as a testament to the transformative impact that our strategic app development services can have on the success of food delivery businesses.

So, if you also want to create a food delivery app like KFC, Pizza Hut, or Domino’s, don’t hesitate to partner with us. Our skilled team will stand by you throughout the food delivery app development process, helping you take your business to greater heights.

FAQs

Q. What features can be added to build a food delivery app?

A. Building a successful food delivery app requires incorporating multiple features to enhance user experience. Mentioned below are some of the most essential features to add to a food delivery app:

• User registration and profiles
• Real-time order tracking
• Secure payment gateway
• Search and filters
• Rating and reviews
• Promotions and discounts
• Multiple platform compatibility
• Referrals and rewards
• Push notifications
• Multi-language support
• Geolocation services
• Social media integration
• Customer support chatbot
• Offline accessibility
• Analytics and reporting

Q. How much time does it take to make a food delivery app?

A. The time required to develop a food delivery app can vary significantly based on several factors, including the app’s complexity, choice of platform (iOS, Android, or hybrid), feature list, tech stack, UI/UX design, and the location of the app development company.

On average, a simple app with basic features can take around 4 to 9 months to develop, while a more complex app with advanced features may take 9 months to a year or more.

You should define your clear project objectives and discuss your app idea with an experienced development team to know the exact timeline it will take to bring your vision to life.

Q. How much does it cost to develop a food delivery app?

A. Determining the cost of developing a food delivery app involves considering various factors such as the app’s features, complexity, platform choice, design intricacies, and the location of the development team.

On average, food delivery app development costs range between $30,000 to $300,000 or more.

A robust app can be a key part of tapping into this growth trend, boosting customer interaction and sales. One notable example of this evolution is the emergence of food delivery apps like KFC that allow customers to place orders, pay for their meals, and enjoy various other features at just a few taps of their smartphones.

KFC, the global fast-food giant, empowers its users to access their favorite fried chicken and many other finger-licking foods with just a few taps on the mobile application. This entices other food businesses to invest in building an app similar to KFC.

Developing a mobile app like KFC requires careful planning, a professional eCommerce app development company, and a significant investment. This raises the question: How much does it cost to develop an app like KFC?

When considering the cost to develop an app like KFC, one needs to consider several factors, including the app’s complexity, features, UI/UX design, the expertise of developers, and so on. On average, KFC app development cost ranges between $30,000 to 300,000 or more.

Let’s discover the essential factors, features, and steps to building an app like KFC that contribute to KFC like app development costs.

Why Invest in a Fast-Food Ordering App Development Like KFC

Investing to build an app like KFC is a lucrative business move as the brand’s mobile strategy has notably boosted the company’s sales and expanded its market reach. The KFC app is specifically designed with user-friendly features like easy menu browsing, order customization, secure payment options, etc., which help reduce wait times and foster customer loyalty. Their app’s convenience increased conversions by a remarkable 28%.

Customers appreciate the efficiency and simplicity of online ordering. By deciding to build a KFC-like app, companies foster brand loyalty. Mobile apps also provide valuable consumer behavior insights. These insights are key for tailoring marketing efforts effectively. In the fast-paced food industry, this move aligns with modern consumers’ digital preferences.

Factors Affecting the Development Cost for a Fast-Food Ordering App

Here are the critical elements that shape the KFC-like app development cost. Understanding these factors provides a clear picture of the budget needed to develop a competitive fast-food ordering application.

Feature Complexity and App Functionality

KFC like app development cost heavily depends on the intricacies of features and functionalities desired. For instance, complex features such as live order tracking, AI-based suggestions, or augmented reality can drive up costs. On the other hand, simple, streamlined functionalities reduce the KFC-like app development cost but may not provide a competitive edge.

Personalization features, which offer users a tailored experience, often require advanced algorithms, adding to the development expense. Moreover, incorporating a robust feedback system to collect user reviews can escalate the price, yet it’s critical for continuous improvement and user satisfaction.

Choice of Platform (iOS, Android, or Cross-Platform)

Choosing the right platform impacts the KFC app development cost. Opting for a native iOS or Android app typically requires a larger investment due to the need for separate development processes for each platform.

Conversely, cross-platform solutions can lower the cost to develop an app like KFC as they allow for a single codebase to be used across multiple platforms. However, this might limit the use of native-only features, which can be crucial for engaging users. It’s important to maintain a balance between cost, functionality, and the potential return on investment when deciding on the platform.

Design Specifics and Branding Elements

Aesthetic appeal and brand alignment are pivotal, influencing the KFC-like app development cost. Designing a visually striking interface while ensuring it resonates with the brand requires skilled designers, which can be costly. A visually appealing user experience (UX) design dictates the app’s intuitiveness, affecting customer satisfaction and retention.

Similarly, a stellar user interface (UI) can differentiate an app in a crowded market. Thus potentially increasing the cost to develop an app like KFC. However, investing in high-quality design can lead to a more engaging and loyal user base. This can outweigh initial development expenses.

Integration with Existing Systems and Third-Party Services

Seamless integration with KFC’s current operational systems will influence the KFC like app development cost. Each integration point must be secure and function without hiccups to ensure a smooth user experience. While these integrations can be complex and elevate the upfront cost, they are critical for an app’s long-term efficiency.

Likewise, integrating third-party services such as payment gateways, map services for delivery, CRM systems for customer service, etc., can also elevate expenses.

Developers Expertise, Location, and Hourly Rates

The cost to develop an app like KFC largely hinges on the developers’ expertise. Experienced developers bring a wealth of knowledge but often come with higher price tags. This expertise can lead to more efficient problem-solving and a higher-quality product, which increases cost but will generate good ROI in the long run.

Additionally, the geographical location of your development team is a crucial consideration. For instance, developers in North America and Western Europe typically have higher hourly rates compared to those in Asia or Eastern Europe. The variation in regional costs will inevitably impact the KFC-like app development cost. Choosing the right balance between experience, location, and rate is crucial for managing your budget effectively.

When bringing a KFC-level app to market, it’s vital to consider these overarching components, which collectively contribute to KFC app development costs.

Also Read: Unveiling the taste of success in food delivery app development – 3 business case studies

Essential Features for a Successful Fast-Food Ordering App

Here are the indispensable functionalities that contribute to the efficacy of a fast-food ordering platform. When planning to build an app like KFC, these features are vital for success and customer satisfaction.

User-Friendly Interface with Intuitive Navigation

A critical feature when you build an app like KFC is a user-friendly interface. It should guide customers smoothly when browsing the app to place an order. The navigation must be intuitive, allowing for easy location of items, leading to a hassle-free ordering process. Accessibility features, such as voice commands or large text options, which cater to all types of users, potentially increase your customer base. An app’s success hinges on how effortlessly a user can move through the ordering steps, making this aspect a top priority in development.

Augmented Reality Menu Viewing

Augmented reality is transforming the way consumers engage with food-ordering apps. When entrepreneurs set out to create an app like KFC, they’re not just providing a service; they’re delivering an experience. By utilizing AR, users can view how a Zinger Burger or a bucket of wings will look on their table, giving them a taste of the experience before the food arrives.

This feature can significantly boost consumer confidence in their order choices and provide an interactive element that’s both fun and useful. The addition of such advanced technology may increase the KFC food delivery app development cost. However, the investment will pay off by differentiating the app in a crowded market and attracting a tech-savvy audience.

AI-Driven Meal Suggestions Based on User Behavior

Tailored experiences are no longer a luxury; they are an expectation. An app similar to KFC that harnesses AI for meal suggestions can analyze user order history, noting that a customer frequently orders a grilled chicken salad around lunchtime. Next time they open the app, it could suggest a new salad promotion or a customized meal that fits their dietary habits. Similarly, if a user consistently browses the dessert section but never purchases, the AI could offer a special deal on desserts to entice them.

When businesses build an app like KFC, incorporating such intelligent algorithms adds value to the user experience by making it uniquely adaptive. This can lead to a more intuitive ordering process, potentially boosting user engagement and sales. Developing advanced AI capabilities demands a significant initial investment. Yet, the enduring advantages of enhanced customer loyalty and satisfaction may justify the initial outlay, positioning market leaders for success.

Secure and Diverse Payment Gateway Integration

Integrating a variety of secure payment options is an indispensable KFC app feature. Users should be able to pay through credit/debit cards, digital wallets, or even through loyalty points. Each gateway must uphold the highest security standards to protect user data and build trust. Providing multiple payment options can also help expand the customer base by catering to different preferences.

The security of these gateways is paramount, as they handle sensitive financial information. Ensuring robust security protocols can influence the development cost. However, it’s critical to ensure an app’s success and credibility in the competitive market.

Real-Time Order Tracking and Delivery Updates

An essential KFC app feature is real-time tracking. If you want to start your own food delivery business, this feature is an absolute necessity. By integrating this feature into an app similar to KFC, customers can monitor their order’s journey from preparation to delivery. For instance, they could receive notifications when their meal is being cooked. They could also be alerted when they leave the restaurant and are about to arrive.

This level of detail empowers users and improves their ordering experience. As businesses make an app like KFC, including GPS tracking can significantly reduce customer calls and queries regarding order status. Thus streamlining the process for both the business and the customers.

Loyalty Program Integration and Reward Management

Loyalty programs are a cornerstone for customer retention. Implementing one effectively is a strategic move when looking to make an app like KFC. For example, a points system allows the accumulation of points with each purchase. These points can be redeemed for free meals or discounts, increasing order frequency.

Personalized rewards can also be offered based on the user’s ordering history. Something like giving bonus points for ordering a favorite item. This not only personalizes the experience but also incentivizes continued use of the app. Thus creating a loyal customer base that feels valued and understood.

Push Notifications for Promotions and Order Status

Effective push notifications are like personal assistants for app users, providing updates on current deals and order progress. They’re a direct line to the consumer, offering tailored alerts about discounts or new menu items. Notifications can nudge users to take advantage of limited-time offers, enhancing the KFC app features suite.

Consider how a notification could inform a user that their favorite bucket is now on a special discount. Thus increasing immediate app engagement. This strategy is not just about customer service; it’s a smart marketing move, too. Thoughtfully executed, this feature can balance user convenience with strategic business goals.

Voice-Activated Ordering System

Voice ordering is akin to having a conversation with the app. Users can place their orders by simply speaking to their device. When you think about making an app like KFC, do include this feature in your app.

Imagine the ease with which a user could reorder their last meal, “Hey App, reorder my last meal,” and it’s done. This hands-free ordering method aligns with the growing trend of using voice assistants for daily tasks.

While the integration of such a system may add to the KFC food delivery app development cost, the investment could significantly boost user retention and appeal to a tech-savvy market. The capability to order a ‘Family Fill Up’ with just a voice command could be the deciding feature for the success of an app similar to KFC.

Feedback and Rating System

Incorporating a feedback and rating system for food quality and service is crucial to ensure the ongoing success and credibility of an app. Those looking to make an app like KFC should consider integrating a feedback system. It might raise the KFC food delivery app development cost, but it will notably boost user interaction and yield valuable consumer data. This enhancement is key for optimizing business strategies and fostering growth.

The feedback mechanism not only ensures consistent food quality and service but also empowers customers to share their dining experiences. Consistent, honest customer reviews guide new users and build trust in the platform. An effective rating system can also pinpoint improvement areas, enabling businesses to respond swiftly to customer needs. This two-way communication channel contributes to a stronger brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Multi-Language Support

Providing multi-language support is essential in catering to global customers from different linguistic backgrounds, breaking down barriers to app accessibility.

For instance, users in Spain might prefer ordering their meals in Spanish, and in China, in Mandarin. This versatility can transform a regional app into a global one, enhancing its appeal and expanding its user base. Multi-language functionality demonstrates a brand’s commitment to diversity and accessibility, which can drive international growth and brand loyalty. Although it may add to the KFC app development cost, it is an investment in customer inclusivity.

As fast-food businesses aspire to create an app like KFC, integrating these essential features can help ensure a seamless user experience and the app’s success. They are the backbone of a thriving digital presence in the competitive food service industry.

Also Read: How Much Does Restaurant App Development Cost?

Process of Building a Fast-Food Ordering App like KFC

Creating a fast-food ordering app akin to KFC involves much more than just replicating a successful formula. It’s about diving deep into the nuances of user behavior, technology trends, and culinary commerce. Let’s delve into the essential phases of the KFC app development process.

Phase 1: Research and Planning

The journey begins with market research to understand customer preferences and to identify what makes the app unique. This phase is crucial for shaping the app’s value proposition, featuring a user-friendly interface, payment options, and tracking.

Phase 2: Design and Prototyping

Post-research, the KFC app development process transitions into design. This phase involves crafting detailed wireframes and interactive mockups, defining the app’s visual identity and user experience before any coding begins.

Phase 3: Technical Development

Choosing the right technical framework and coding the app takes place in this phase. Developers must decide on a tech stack that ensures the app is both high-performing and scalable.

Phase 4: Testing and Quality Assurance

Testing is integral to the KFC app development process. Quality assurance teams work to identify and fix bugs, ensuring the app provides a consistent and user-friendly experience across all devices.

Phase 5: Launch and Maintenance

Once you are done with all the other steps and sure about the smooth app performance, it is time to submit the application to the respective platform. Once deployed, make sure to continuously monitor your app performance to ensure it is up-to-date and free from any bugs or glitches.

These five phases encapsulate the essence of the KFC app development process. Each contributes to the eventual goal of launching a successful fast-food ordering app. From initial planning to final promotion, every step is essential for the app’s success in today’s competitive landscape.

Deep Dive: Appinventiv’s Strategy for KFC’s App Innovation

At Appinventiv, we’ve redefined custom food delivery app development with our KFC project. This initiative was part of our collaboration with the Americana Group. It aimed to strengthen KFC’s digital footprint in the Middle East. Our strategy led to the successful launch of seven KFC applications, spanning across UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.

Our food delivery app development services were tailored to meet KFC’s unique challenges and increase its customer base. As a result, the company observed a significant 22% surge in conversion rates and won user satisfaction by achieving an average rating of 4.5 across the app stores.

Through our innovative approach, KFC’s reliance on aggregator apps fell drastically, from 90% to less than 50%. This pivot was not only cost-effective for KFC but also improved customer engagement. The apps accounted for more than half of KFC’s total orders, leading to a 60% rise in repeat customer transactions.

We placed a high value on user experience, integrating multiple ordering options directly into the app. This move made ordering flexible and user-friendly for KFC patrons.

Our collaboration with this leading food delivery partner has been a testament to Appinventiv’s dedication to delivering high-impact digital solutions. We are committed to continuously enhancing our services, ensuring businesses gain a competitive edge in the digital landscape.

Appinventiv: Your Trusted Partner for Fast-Food App Development Needs

When considering the development of a fast-food ordering app, partnering with Appinventiv can provide a significant edge. Being a leading restaurant app development company, we provide comprehensive food delivery app development services for the world’s leading brands, including KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and so on.

Our custom food delivery app development services are specifically designed to cater to your specific brand needs and increase customer retention. By working with us, you are not just building an app; you are crafting a unique digital experience that resonates with your customers.

Get in touch now and give wings to your food delivery business.

FAQs

Q. How to build a food delivery app like KFC?

A. To create a food delivery app akin to KFC, begin by drafting a comprehensive plan that emphasizes user experience and efficient service. Integrate key features that align with your brand and focus on creating a seamless user ordering process.

For more detailed insight, please refer to the above blog.

Q. How much does the KFC app cost?

A. The expense to develop an app paralleling KFC’s functionality can range broadly from $30,000 to $300,000. There are various factors that influence this cost range, including the app’s complexity, feature set, design uniqueness, and the geographic location of developers.

Q. How long does it take to develop an app like KFC?

A. The development timeline for an app similar to KFC can stretch from a few months to over a year. It depends on the complexity, the number of platforms you want your app to support, and any specific custom features you wish to include. Consulting with a professional development team can provide a more precise timeline.

While we are sure you might have the drive to ensure the proper execution of the plan, all you need is some guidance and instructions because the better your idea, the better it is for your business. 

You need to take care of multiple things, including your technological resources, business model, revenue model, delivery app, and more. So, whether you are a beginner or have some experience in the industry, this article will help you start a food delivery business. 

Is It Worthwhile Investing in a Food Delivery Business?

The food delivery business is one of the fastest flourishing businesses of our time, so there’s no doubt it will be a blooming investment. According to Statista, the projected market volume of the platform delivery market is expected to reach $340.80 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of  4.79% from 2024 to 2028. The user penetration is expected to reach 19.1% by the same year. 

More specifically, the global online food delivery market is estimated to reach $505.50 billion by 2030, continuing at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2023 to 2030. The increasing market share can be attributed to the convenience and accessibility that online food delivery platforms offer to consumers. Furthermore, the increasing smartphone usage and internet penetration have also added to the rising food delivery market size.

Looking at the demographics of the people who use food delivery apps the most, you will realize that Millennials and Gen Z make the most of them. About 80% of US diners are ordering online at the same or increased rates compared to last year. Furthermore, the US has also witnessed significant growth in orders during off-peak hours, with late-night orders up by 36% and morning orders by 23%.

Keeping all of these points in mind, it is safe to say that if you are planning to open a delivery food business, the future will likely be bright.

Food Delivery Business Models to Choose From

Before you begin to create a food delivery app, you must decide on a food delivery app business model that best suits your business type. Here are a few that you can take a look at:

Aggregator business model

This online food delivery business model provides a platform that acts as a bridge between restaurants and customers. It does that by associating multiple food outlets with its platform. The customers can then explore several different restaurants in one place itself. 

As a food delivery startup, you can start with a subscription model to let customers and restaurants subscribe to your platform. This will be a safer option for ensuring returns from your business.

The successful applications that are built on this specific business model are JustEat, Delivery Hero, Talabat, and many more. 

Order and delivery model

In this food delivery business model, the food business owners hire a delivery service provider for quick and efficient deliveries. The third-party delivery provider sets the delivery fees for food orders because they are in charge of the delivery.

This business model is suitable for you if you are a food business owner who does not want to invest in a delivery fleet but wants the food to reach your customers at home. You can collaborate with logistics providers like Swiggy, Zomato, etc., to manage the delivery. However, it is important to ensure and track the delivery partner to ensure your services are at par with the commitments made to the customers.

Full-service business model

As the name suggests, you do everything from cooking the food to delivering it. Everything will be done in-house, and so will require a huge investment. But because you will control every step of the process in this model, you are likely to earn much more. Some of the successful examples of this model are Domino’s and McDonald’s.

[Bonus Read: Restaurant App Development: Benefits Of Online Food Ordering Services]

How to Start an Online Food Delivery Business?

After choosing your preferred business model, rest assured that developing a food delivery application is a concept with a strong potential for success. However, it is always wise to understand the market, competitors, and challenges that you might face in this development journey. Taking a methodical approach will help you achieve the end results successfully. Here are the steps you can follow when starting a food delivery business:

Research the market

Start by doing thorough food delivery market research. You can use this to construct your restaurant’s menu and combine your passion for eating with a means of making money. Build an appropriate entry strategy by concentrating on knowing market dynamics. Here are some important factors to think about:

Competitors

Platform-to-consumer and restaurant-to-consumer operators who have their own delivery logistics control a major portion of the market for food delivery services. Research their pricing practices, online menus, and marketing techniques to position your company favorably in comparison to these competitors’ offerings.

Opportunities and threats

Conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis in order to compare important aspects of your operation to those of your rivals. You may take advantage of your strengths, evaluate your deficiencies, seize fresh possibilities, and spot threats with the aid of the analysis. 

Target Audience

You need to know what customers you are targeting. If you already own a restaurant, your existing clientele will be your target audience. But if you’re starting a business, pick a market you can influence the most.

The menu should showcase your unique cooking style and the preferences and needs of your intended clientele.

Determine your cost and budget

According to business owners, a food delivery startup’s costs are usually between $3,000 and $25,000, with monthly overheads reaching $600 to $10,000. Let’s discuss some major costs associated with starting and maintaining a food delivery service:

Inventory

In the case of a brand-new restaurant, you will need a location, kitchenware, interior decor, flooring, etc. However, a cloud or virtual kitchen is a good idea if you only want to get started with a small investment. You can significantly reduce your inventory costs.

Technology costs

It will cost you around $30K to $150K to create a food delivery service from scratch. The price is determined by the complexity, functionality, development team, location, and other elements of the app. But you can reduce the cost by partnering with a food delivery app developer. 

Business license and insurance

The price of acquiring a suitable business license and insurance increases the startup costs of a meal delivery service. As an illustration, consider liability insurance and commercial auto insurance. Additionally, several states mandate that employers carry worker’s compensation insurance. Keep a check on these requirements that continually keep changing. 

Cost of marketing

The price of marketing and advertising also affects how much it will cost to launch a meal delivery service. Advertising your business to millions of online users will help with advertising on social media, in banners, by email, etc.

Logistics

Starting a food delivery service will be more expensive due to the expense of logistics. You will have to invest in cars and the wages of the drivers if you intend to own the fleet for your food delivery business.

If not, you can request food deliveries from third-party delivery service providers in exchange for a 20%–30% commission.

Sort out your licenses

If you operate a restaurant, you likely already possess all appropriate licenses. But if you are just starting, check with your town or city clerk’s office to see what licenses you need. You can find comprehensive information on state licenses and permits on the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website since regulatory requirements differ from state to state.

Set up order-receiving channels

There are plenty of channels where you can accept orders – over the phone, via text, WhatsApp, email, websites, apps, and even social media.

Your social media accounts can act as a multipurpose medium, assisting you in both order collection and business promotion.

Use food delivery software to build your website, take orders, and handle deliveries all in one. GPS tracking and POS integration should both be features of the software. Some applications that deliver food impose flat rates per order or a percentage of overall sales. You can also try such models.

Set up delivery methods

Before even considering starting a food delivery business, you must choose a shipping method. You must set up a shipping system and choose the best time to start a food delivery service. What time is ideal for food delivery? When does your food delivery service operate most effectively?

Think about the delivery area you want to cover. You must choose which regions of the city or country you wish to serve and if you’re going to deliver food in the city or across the nation. After that, you can choose what day of the week and when to serve food. Another thing to consider is whether you want the food delivered in the middle of the night.

It’s wise to consider the weather when choosing the best time for food delivery. A party might be going on, and the weather is chilly. You don’t want to deliver food when it’s too cold outside. Additionally, it might be too hot outside. You should also consider what is going on in your neighborhood. You must ensure that the day of the week best suits your food delivery to customers.

Promote your brand

Once everything is in place, you must inform your clients that you are starting a food delivery business. Use different media to promote your app and market your brand.

Utilize social media marketing tools to post promotional messages and analytics tools to develop appropriate engagement methods. To alert clients about the deal of the day, the chef’s special, discounts, and more, you can also execute SMS or WhatsApp campaigns.

Digital marketing strategies, including push notifications, SMS, loyalty programs, and email marketing templates, are provided without charge by food delivery companies because of how effective they are.

Communicate with your customers about your food preparation methods so they know how well you keep your place sanitized and how you care for hygiene.

Additionally, the good behavior of the delivery staff is crucial and should be followed and monitored diligently. Their punctuality and customer-friendly conduct can help to advertise your company.

Monetize Your Food Delivery Business Through Different Channels

If you want to start a food delivery business, you will want to finalize revenue channels that give you enough returns to compensate for your investment and gain profits. This is how revenue generation generally happens for delivery food businesses:

Restaurant’s fee

You will charge restaurants and outlets for featuring their ad or menus on your platform. The more they pay, the higher they will be positioned on the list. In turn, you will deliver the food for them and feature them on your app. 

Commission from each order

Every meal order is normally subject to a 20–30% commission which goes to the food delivery service. This means you will transfer a set portion of every order to your business. 

Delivery fee by customers 

The consumer mostly covers the cost of delivery. They pay for the food that is delivered to them. The amount is determined by the location where the order has to be delivered.

Advertisements 

This is a common way of earning revenue. Brands and businesses choose to show their advertisement on the app, and for showcasing that ad, they are required to pay some amount to the platform. 

How Can Appinventiv Help in Launching Your Food Delivery Business?

Your on-demand food delivery business development will start by partnering with an app development company like Appinventiv that is ready to build the best solution for your business. Our aim has always been to curate custom-made solutions for every client that brings wanted outcomes and even more. Appinventiv has worked with multiple international brands to provide them with digital solutions for their apps and websites. 

One such client we worked with was KFC. Their app needed an extension in the UAE for a better global presence. Their immediate requirement was to improve QR functionality, facilitate multiple order modes, and initiate advanced analytics. Appinventiv was able to curate solutions for better customer experience, which increased the conversion rate by 28%. It began by conceptualizing, designing, and deploying the right digital solutions. 

Appinventiv can be the food delivery app development company you are looking for to launch your food delivery business. The experts will guide you through the entire development process and help take your business to the next level. So, get in touch with us. 

FAQs

Q. How long does it take to develop a food delivery app?

A. While this mainly depends on the complexity of the app and the feature requirements, it usually takes about 2 to 4 weeks to complete an on-demand food delivery app development.

Q. How should I price items in my food delivery startup?

A. A straightforward formula for pricing any product is to add up your variable costs, fixed costs, and profit margin. Additionally, it’s crucial to consider who your target market is. Know how much they are willing to spend on their food, especially food ordered online. Use the average market price as a benchmark when comparing your products to those of your competitors.

Q. What features should my online food delivery app have? 

A. While some features in your app will be similar to those found in any delivery app, ensure to include certain specific features. Some of these include menu options, home page customization, app feature integrations, geolocation services, customer rating and review options, multiple payment options, and more. 

As per the report by Statista, the number of food delivery users in the Middle East region is expected to reach 5.5 million by 2026, with a penetration rate of 44.5% in 2022.

Today’s tech-savvy generation value the convenience of ordering online and receiving quicker deliveries helping them in managing their busy schedules.

Based on the success of the food delivery app, Talabat, investors have shown a lot of inclination toward funding such applications. This seems to be the perfect time to monetize the online food delivery business by creating a robust food delivery app like Talabat.

The rise in popularity of such apps is stable, and worldwide revenue is expected to reach $320 billion by 2029. While COVID has already pushed us to use contactless delivery services, the use of technology in the future will also affect this domain to introduce food deliveries by drones once they evolve to be more sustainable.

The on-demand food delivery industry is not as young as one might think. What is new is the exploration of new fronts in the digital market, as it was undeveloped until 2013. The primary distinction between the traditional and new approaches to the food delivery industry is that the latter gave the customer access to the logistics associated with various restaurants and allowed them to compare and contrast the goods and services provided by various restaurants.

Even though the food delivery industry has seen growth over the last few years, there is a lot of opportunity for refinement and excellence, especially when it comes to food delivery services. Customers might be drawn in by a wide selection of restaurants, a variety of food options, and easy payment methods. Therefore, the urgent need is to create an app that offers these features.

Want to learn more about how you can develop an app like Talabat? Keep reading.

Why should you create a food delivery app like Talabat?

Prior to investing your time and resources in on-demand food delivery app development, it is crucial to determine the advantages of entering the market. In other words, it is better to know why you are stepping into this field and what benefits it would reap to make a food delivery platform like Talabat.

• Market growth is quite promising 

  The number of users and income generated by the delivery business are still amazing. As mentioned above, the market in this industry is expected to touch $320 billion by 2029. But this is not the end. If there was ever a moment to create your own meal delivery app, it is now.

• Locate and remain in touch with your target market

A fantastic approach to engage your target audience, get in touch with them, and obtain feedback is through an on-demand delivery app. The secret to operating a successful business is connecting with as many potential clients as possible. You will be able to see an increase in repeat customers if you create an app similar to Talabat that appeals to a large number of clients at once.

• Convenience and openness to both owners and customers

The benefit to consumers is clear. They get more options and better services. The owners will profit if they can respond to market demands as rapidly as possible by engaging with clients, enlarging their sphere of influence, and gaining dominance.

Key features of a food delivery app like Talabat

Talabat has been one of the most well-known food delivery services in the Middle East’s online meal delivery market for over a decade. Abdulaziz Al Loughani established the meal delivery service Talabat in Kuwait in 2004. In nations in the Middle East, Talabat has been known as a dependable food delivery app.

When Talabat was established, the food delivery sector had just begun to see the effects of the digitization wave. The business made the most of the untapped prospects available at the time by offering the people of the middle east an innovative new method of ordering food. The business expanded its customer base by enabling customers to order food using their mobile devices conveniently.

Talabat app’s features are what make it the most popular meal delivery app in the UAE. If you want an app similar to Talabat, here are the food delivery app features you should consider:

From the customer’s perspective

Only if the application is optimized for an aesthetic feel and ease of navigation the users will choose your application over others. Keeping in mind the needs of the customers, the following features should be considered while creating an application like Talabat.

• Order tracking

Restaurant owners can often update the order status using a real-time tracking tool so that the delivery person can monitor the order and pick it up when it is prepared. Additionally, consumers may follow their orders via real-time delivery tracking from the moment they place an order until the food is delivered.

• Real image support

Customers are highly concerned about the location and cleanliness standards of the restaurant they are ordering from, even when they are not choosing to dine in. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you provide restaurant and food images together with the address and the menu.

• Customer assistance

There must be someone to contact in the event of any inconvenience. A help desk must be available for any needs. These queries and complaints can give you feedback to improve your services.

• Billing options

Your food delivery platform must be secure with multiple payment gateways and offer a variety of payment choices for instant billing, like net banking, debit cards, and credit cards.

From the delivery service’s perspective

The delivery agent, restaurant, and consumers must work closely together for the convenience of all parties involved. The developer must aim for delivery-centric features like:

• A feature that enables order status determination for quicker delivery and better administration. This should help you streamline the management and execution of order deliveries.
• A database for information about all delivery persons and their contact information. It should also track their order delivery history.
• GPS tracker for information about the delivery location and the quickest way to get there. This feature will also give them an approximation of delivery time.
• A chat system for communication with restaurants and customers for speedy coordination. The delivery person should also be able to direct the consumer to the restaurant if necessary.
• Frequent reward deliveries so that delivery agents’ morale and motivation can be boosted.

From the restaurant’s perspective

The restaurant partnering with you for food delivery should have the feature of registering into your delivery platform. Having partnerships with more restaurants and quality restaurants will attract more customers. The features must include the following:

• Registration of restaurant partners with their names, updated menus, addresses, and contact information.
• Order tracking system with push notifications feature.
• A chat system for communication with the delivery partners for better coordination.
• Options of multiple payment systems through your payment gateways.

Additionally, the application must have the feature of managing the above-mentioned three key business parties to add and approve their membership on your application. This will also help you derive analytical KPIs, providing you with further business opportunities or gaps that can be resolved in a timely manner. Charging fees to become your partner will also become a source of revenue, making your business profitable.

How to develop an app for food delivery like Talabat?

We have already talked about the desirable features of an ideal online meal delivery app. To achieve your goal and create an application for food delivery, having a reference app might be a very effective advantage. Here are comprehensive steps you can follow to build an app like Talabat:

Step 1: Conduct market research and define your niche

Prior to joining any new market field, it is crucial to understand the industry dynamics. To identify the market leaders and acquire insights into current trends, one needs to undertake rigorous competitor and market research. Only then shall you start the process of developing a food delivery platform like Talabat. Thoroughly examine your target audience and the market, as this will establish what your app needs.

Step 2: Prepare a business model

Your ultimate aim is to make money. You need to think about how your app will help you with that. Therefore, don’t forget to give your business plan’s prospects due consideration. Define the target market, marketing strategy, and monetization model. What strategies would you employ to keep your current clientele as well as draw in new ones? When will your app start to make a profit? What are the chances going forward?

Make a list of the necessary features and integrations based on this. You can choose the abilities that developers need to have. An assessment can help you determine what competencies are present in your current team and who or what is missing.

Step 3: Plan a revenue strategy

Develop a revenue strategy to monetize the food delivery app. Leading online food delivery companies like Talabat usually have four main income-generating channels:

• Price charged for each order
• Advertisements
• Promos for restaurants on-site
• Membership fees

Step 4: Put a team together and approach developers

You need to make sure that you have both experienced and technical help in your team to put your thoughts and goals into action. In order to avoid any misunderstandings and to ensure that you are happy with the final output, be sure to communicate all of your worries and requirements in advance with a reputable team of developers.

Step 5: Build an MVP

Your mental view needs to be more focused. Separate the must-have features from the rest of the features if you really want to set your delivery application apart from the competition. Then, start developing your MVP. Make sure that brand strategists, developers, and designers give the necessary consideration and perspective to create an appealing user interface because this is what the end user sees. Launching a preliminary draft and evaluating the responses will help you validate your business idea before you commit a significant amount of money.

Step 6: Run a test trial

Obtain the feedback your MVP helped to gather. Together, decide which features were most frequently used and which were lacking. Who has accessed your app the most frequently, and when? When creating your final product, concentrate on this information and make changes and improvements.

Step 7: Final release

Finally, you can launch your app, but this is where the constant customer assistance and bug-fixing job starts. Be there to assist your customers 24/7.

Design and tech stack required to build a food delivery app

The architecture of the application should be designed to facilitate customers, delivery partners, and restaurant partners in such a way that it is user-friendly from all the partner’s perspectives and is easily scalable with the subsequent growth of the business.

For smooth data exchange and automation of the services, the architecture should be designed keeping in mind the server capacity and integrated APIs and parsers to ensure there are no losses or delays in information exchanges.

Based on the steps mentioned above and the requirements of your application, it becomes imperative that the application works seamlessly on all the platforms, both Android and iOS. You can choose for ReactNative and Flutter frameworks to create your application as they are scalable, flexible, and most suitable for developing cross-platform applications.

In addition to special features, you must consider the below-mentioned basic features you must consider while choosing the tech stack.

Cost of developing a food delivery app

Any business is designed with an intent to earn profits. Thus it is important to know the investment required to ensure the desired profits. However, the cost depends on multiple factors like the features you choose, the applications and platforms you shortlist for the development of the application, and the development partner. Please note that the MVP cost and the cost of the final product will differ marginally.

For better understanding, it is advised to calculate the man-hours required to develop the application, as the cost will depend on the location of the development partner.

The below-mentioned grid can provide a better estimation of full-version applications development cost.

Based on the hiring location of your development partner and the required features, you can easily calculate the development cost with the formula:

(Features x time) x Hourly Rate = Development Cost

On an average, the cost to make an app like Talabat can cost anywhere between $15,000 to $40,000. You will also need to make versions for both Android and iOS.

[Also Read: How much does it cost to create an app in 2022? A detailed guide]

How can Appinventiv help build a profitable food delivery application?

When you start thinking along the lines of custom food delivery application development, Appinventiv should be the place to reach out to for support. With our history of clients and the services we provided to them, we can serve you as a reasonable and expert food delivery app development company.

Appinventiv helped Pizza Hut develop a mobile app for Middle Eastern countries using UI/UX technology to improve their digital appearance and user experience.

Our team did extensive research to understand the customer needs and provide a visually appealing architecture to their app. By overcoming operational challenges and increasing the screen transition time to 7 seconds, we were able to increase their mobile app conversion rate to 30% and encourage 50k+ app downloads.

It is no doubt that we will have your back from the beginning of the journey till the outcomes are seen. So, whenever you next think about how to create an app like Talabat, just drop us a query.

FAQs

Q. How much does the Talabat app cost?

A. The cost to make an app like Talabat can cost anywhere between $15,000 to $40,000 depending on the features and functions that the app needs, the resources required to build it, and the level of optimization and operability that it demands. You will also need to make versions for both Android and iOS. The cost from ideation to launch can also go up to $50k or $60k if you build a dedicated website apart from an app.

Q. How long does it take to build an app like Talabat?

A. With a team of experts and experienced developers, it should take between 8 to 10 weeks, depending on the features and functionalities that need to be inculcated into the app.

Q. Are there any special considerations one should take care of when developing an app similar to Talabat?

A. Yes, you must take care of a few things when developing food delivery app features. A solid structure is practically required for an online food delivery app like Talabat.

• Whether the front or back end, the app needs to be adaptable for future changes and additions as the needs and feedback change.
• Remember that consumers are exposed to the user interface, and the more easily it can be used, the more users will choose it.
• You need a solid database and backend to give the technical staff the greatest support possible.
• The app goes live after the front-end and back-end have been developed and integrated. However, a testing team is required to look for any application flaws even after launch.

Even amidst the pandemic and market slowdown, the food delivery app market managed to cross $30 billion in the US.

The current online food delivery segment is projected to reach $323.30 billion by the end of 2022 along with the average revenue per user amounting to $178.90. This clearly exhibits that the audience likes the concept of ordering food from the comfort of their homes, which is why the food delivery applications never run out of business.

Speaking of successful food delivery apps, DoorDash has shelved the top rank in the on-demand food delivery application development market. The revenue source and business growth of DoorDash has made businesses wonder “how much does it cost to build an app like DoorDash?”

Well, certain factors could lead your food delivery app development cost anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 or even more. However, to get an estimation of food delivery app development cost, you would need a thorough understanding of various criteria.

Also read: How much does restaurant app development cost? and

How much does On-demand food delivery app development cost?

Now, If you are ready to discover the development cost of an app like DoorDash, this article gives you a complete understanding of all such criteria including must-have features in your food delivery app, factors that impact your app development budget and cost to develop a food delivery app like DoorDash.

How about we begin with a quick overview of the current DoorDash food delivery app market standing?

Current Statistics on DoorDash Food Delivery App

• DoorDash is among the top on-demand food delivery apps in the US.
• Making an exclusive skip from $850 million to $2.9 billion, DoorDash app witnessed a hike of 241% in the past two years.
• DoorDash currently stands at the market share of $5 billion with more than 25 million users worldwide.
• As per the survey of Edison Trends, the DoorDash app has the holding of 45% of the entire US food delivery market.

Another interesting fact is that 2021 has been the third consecutive year where online food sales have outdone offline sales. Moreover, by the end of 2023, the food delivery app market is predicted to generate the revenue of $154.34 billion, a figure that outpaces all numbers.

These numbers suggest that DoorDash is the perfect food delivery app to follow if you need an online food delivery app business model to start from scratch.

Now, let’s see the working model of the DoorDash app.

How Does DoorDash Food Delivery App Work?

Here’s what all you need to know about DoorDash:

The DoorDash app lets its users order their desired food from a variety of nearby available restaurants and plays a vital role in connecting consumers with food vendors. This online food delivery app can be used by three ends;

1. Consumer end
2. Restaurant end
3. Delivery end

DoorDash calls its delivery people “The Dashers”. The popularity of this app resonates with its superior features and functionalities. A food delivery app like DoorDash benefits the restaurant owners by cutting their cost down for delivery, generating employment opportunities for dashers and providing food at consumer’s convenience.

Why else do people prefer food delivery app services like DoorDash?

• It takes significantly less time to order something than by going out or calling in
• People can pay for the food order however they want – cash, card, net banking, in-app wallet, etc
• Gets order delivered right to the doorstep
• People get to use online coupons and discounts

While this business model works great with consumers, how does this impact the restaurant and delivery end?

• DoorDash procures its own delivery drivers that charge $5-$8 per arrangement.
• If you create an app like DoorDash, you (restaurant business) would be able to secure nearly 20% of the commission per order.
• Typically, food delivery apps like DoorDash function in more than 20 advertisements crosswise over the US, estimating great revenue sustainability for your business.
• Not to mention that the Dashers make more than $600 annually with the food delivery arrangements.

DoorDash is successful and popular not just through a secure business model, but with the engaging features that hold the customers back. Moreover, the features contribute to the final app development cost of your food delivery app. So overview the essential features of a food delivery app like DoorDash.

Must Have Features in Your DoorDash Like Food Delivery App

Here, the features are aggregated into three categories: Dasher Panel, Restaurant Panel and the Customer Panel. Since each panel’s requirement for features is different, we will discover every panel separately.

Restaurant Panel

The restaurant panel feature typically centers around usability of customers, tracking the delivery partner and receiving payments.

You might also want to look at , “Features to consider when building a restaurant search app”.

Here’s a list of the top features to be included in the restaurant panel of your food delivery app:

• Payment Integration
• Live tracking system 
• Consumer’s profile
• Managing order
• Reviews and ratings of restaurant
• Menu and food catalog
• Dasher status
• Record of previous orders
• Daily analytics
• Push notifications

For reference, Discover how Appinventiv refined the restaurant panel interface for Dominos and increased its conversion rate to 23%.

Cost for Restaurant Panel- The cost induced for developing a panel for restaurants is usually more than $10,000 for each platform and $13,000 for cross platform.

Dasher Panel

The features of the Dasher panel must center around the delivery man’s usability. Therefore, ensure that your food delivery app development team includes features that make tracking deliveries and receiving payments easier. The dasher panel in your food delivery app must consist of following features:

• Location of restaurant and customer
• Payment method opted by customer
• Review and rating section for delivery partner
• Order delivery real time status

For reference, Discover how Appinventiv designed a comprehensive and customized order management system for KFC, making it the no.1 ranking app on the Play Store.

Cost of Dasher/admin panel : The cost of developing an app like DoorDash for an admin panel starts from $12,000 for a single platform and reaches up to $16,000 for cross platform app development.

Customer Panel

Every food delivery service customer is going to use your app with a different objective and might expect different features in return. The first and foremost priority while designing the customer panel must be the engaged and personalized, easy-to-use interface.

For reference, check out how Appinventiv transformed Pizza Hut’s UX/UI, increasing its mobile app conversion rate to 30%.

Here are a few must have features to include in the consumer panel of your food delivery app:

• Search bar
• Order history
• Restaurant suggestions
• Transaction methods
• Real time order tracking
• Customer support

You can also add modern features such as restaurant video suggestions, food catalog with its calorie intake and integration with wearable devices etc. to make your food delivery app trending and engaging.

Cost for customer panel : The cost for designing a customer app panel for a single platform starts from $10,000 while the cost of developing a cross-platform customer app panel starts from $12,000.

Want to know the average doordash like app development cost based on above features?

Here it is:

You might also want to look at other factors that impact the development cost of an app like DoorDash.

Factors That Impact The DoorDash Like App Development Cost

Food delivery app development like DoorDash has critical stages along with business requirements of either a simple, complex or medium complex food delivery app. Again, the choice of the development platform, functionalities, technology stack and design highly impact your food delivery app development cost.

The cost of developing a food delivery app like DoorDash is based on the below factors:

• Location of your app development agency
• App design
• Level of app features
• App platform you choose (Android/iOS/Hybrid)
• Type of app development: Clone or custom app development

All these factors could lead your food delivery app development cost anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 or even more.

For a detailed discussion, the top three factors that create a high influence in developing food delivery app like DoorDash  are:

Development Team

First things first, outsourcing your app development team is always going to cost you less with timely and successful delivery. While each food delivery development company has a different pricing strategy, choose the one with a reliable and experienced portfolio. Here, the experts suggest choosing quality over quantity.

UI/UX Design

Choosing the right design is the most important aspect of your food delivery app development. For this, you might need to contemplate your customer’s point of view and offer an intuitive and convenient design interface to your users. The more advanced and simpler interface offers high prices.

Also Read: Proven tips to enhance your mobile app design and improving your UI 

App Platform

Android vs iOS is a question you cannot avoid while choosing the appropriate app development platform for your food delivery app. You may also opt to develop your food delivery app on both the platforms making it a cross platform application, however, keeping in mind that this may result in higher development cost.

Also Read: Unveiling the taste of success in food delivery app development – 3 business case studies

How Much Does It Cost To Develop a Food Delivery App Like DoorDash?

App development time and cost based on app complexity and development team factor:

A reliable food delivery app development company can help you with business analysis, understanding the app requirements, setting up the target audience, app development, app design with complete user interface, app launch, and extending the services to maintenance.

[Also Read: How to start your own food delivery business in 2023?]

How Can Appinventiv Help You With Food Delivery App Development?

Appinventiv is a leading food delivery app development company known for hand-crafted restaurant and food delivery mobile app development solutions that make dining easy and food delivery efficient. No matter how you are looking to innovate the food and restaurant industry, the expert team at Appinventiv plates up a variety of restaurant solutions to help you serve your diners better.

We specialize in serving your customers with online food ordering, digital food menu, online payments and much more through our responsive restaurant mobile app solutions. Our variety of mobile application development services include:

• Restaurant finder app development
• Food delivery app development
• Food ordering app development
• Inventory management solutions development
• Restaurant PoS software development and so much more

Consult our top experts to get started with your app today.

A point-of-sale (POS) system is now a necessity for your restaurant. It helps you process all modern payment options, manage your inventory, and, most importantly, record and store all transaction data. By 2025, the restaurant POS terminal market is projected to grow to a value of $24.7 billion.

Three significant stepping stones in the POS evolution are:

• The very first cash register was built in 1879.
• The first point-of-sale software, released by Microsoft Windows in 1992, started the era of point-of-sale systems.
• The first cloud-based POS system was created in the UK in 2002, ten years later.

The two primary categories of POS software available today include on-premise POS and cloud-based POS systems. Every type has advantages and disadvantages. Purchasing a restaurant POS system is a huge investment. Therefore, it makes sense that restaurant owners would fret about selecting a restaurant POS system. It should be done without careful consideration of all the available options.

The number of features a POS has determines which one to choose. This article will outline the key distinctions between cloud-based and legacy point-of-sale systems (cloud POS vs legacy POS) to assist you in selecting the best management system for your restaurant. However, let’s first examine what each of these POS systems is.

What is a POS System in a Restaurant?

It is a question you should be seeking an answer to if you’re a newcomer planning to operate a restaurant in the current technological era. A restaurant point of sale system, often known as a POS system, functions like a command center by seamlessly integrating and optimizing your front, kitchen, and back-office activities into one location.

Point-of-sale software offers real end-to-end solutions for business owners looking to up their game in the hospitality industry. The best restaurant POS systems benefit you with features like intuitive table management, online booking, payment services, real-time sales reporting, and powerful customer relationship management (CRM) techniques, to name a few.

What is a Cloud-Based POS?

Cloud-based POS is fundamentally Software as a Service (SaaS). It allows information to be stored and retrieved from a remote server rather than being stored on local computers. All that it requires to function is a live internet connection.

In layman’s terms, it means that the whole database of information, including the daily transaction reports, inventory data, and customer data, is accessible online with a cloud-based restaurant POS system.

Restaurant management via the cloud POS is accessible from anywhere and is not location-dependent for restaurants. Cloud services are also scalable, making it simple to add new features to them.

The market for cloud POS systems is anticipated to reach $3.73 billion by 2023, according to  Markets and Markets analysis.

What is a Legacy POS?

Typical restaurant  POS systems, usually referred to as legacy POS systems, have long dominated the restaurant industry. These programs use a private internal network and local servers to save your data locally.

Staff members have traditionally utilized them to process restaurant billing invoices and produce KOTs (Kitchen Order Tickets). These systems are afflicted by the hazards of data loss, high initial costs, data security problems, data accessibility problems, and the requirement for ongoing manual data uploading.

It is comparable to downloading movies from OTT services as opposed to streaming them online. Family images saved to the desktop of your home computer—which is not available anywhere through the internet—are another example of an on-premise POS system.

Cloud POS vs Legacy POS System

Now that you are familiar with the two systems, we can move on to discuss the more crucial topic—what the differences between them mean for you and your company. Here are the main distinctions between a legacy POS system and a cloud-based POS system.

Data Storage:

Accessibility:

Pricing:

Updates:

Security:

Capabilities for integration:

Scalability:

Hardware:

Food Industry Insights You Need to Know

• 2022 has witnessed the food industry bagging a $8.66 trillion valuation where 7.8% of the total revenue accounts for online food services via delivery apps, restaurant apps and more. 
• The online food delivery and restaurant services alone amount to $323.30 billion in 2022, expecting to show an annual growth of 7.60% from 2022 to 2027. 
• On top of these, the number of active users in the online food delivery and restaurant services are expected to reach 2,613.2 million by the year 2027. 

These are big numbers depicting the growth and opportunities digital restaurant transformation solutions such as  mobile apps for restaurants bring to a business.  Businesses have started investing in restaurant online ordering apps that have made ordering food in real-time, finding a restaurant, booking a table, or simply leaving experience reviews online easier than ever . 

A sign of this contribution can be seen in the stats that the restaurant-to-consumer delivery segment accounts for $115.30 billion in 2022. With such high numbers on stake, you’d probably want to know how do you make a restaurant app and the cost to develop a reliable restaurant app for your business. 

The restaurant app development cost ranges from $2000-8000 comprehending basic features such as Geo location, food delivery etc.  whereas a multinational food chain app development cost would be around $20,000-40,000 comprehending advance and complex features. 

However, the accurate figure depends on various factors like restaurant app features, cost of your restaurant app development company, type of restaurant app etc. 

In this article, we are going to look into the different facets of restaurant mobile ordering app development. You will discover reasons why entrepreneurs should enter the mobile app space and build a custom restaurant app, the different app categories, feature-set, factors that affect the cost of restaurant app development etc. Let’s start with the basics: 

Why Do You Need Restaurant Application Development for Your Business?

There are a number of reasons why restaurants aim to have a well-executed mobile app. Let us dive into them before moving to the nitty-gritty of restaurant mobile app solutions.

Here are the top four reasons why your business needs a restaurant mobile app:

1. Brand Awareness 

A restaurant mobile ordering app comes with a huge potential to better your restaurant’s visibility, marketing it to users, and increasing the overall footfall in your restaurant. There are multiple ways apps help you achieve high brand awareness – push notifications help with retargeting, wait time gamification helps with increasing engagement, geo-location tagging makes you popular in a particular region, etc.  

2. Increased Bookings 

With the increased need for on-demand apps, mobile applications for restaurants give you the benefit of more bookings and reservations. By making it easy for customers to find your restaurant and book tables right from within the application, apps help increase bookings to a massive extent.  

3. Greater Loyalty 

Great experience and good food are not enough to increase your loyalty count. In the restaurant business, a reward system offering customers a discount on their next order or when they refer their friend can go a long way in terms of sales count and revenue. 

4. Get Customer Feedback 

Modern-day customers are very vocal about their experiences. While they might not be comfortable talking about your food or restaurant atmosphere, until it’s severe, they will most definitely share their experience online. The review/feedback section of your restaurant application can be a great space for you to learn what your customers want or what they are looking for. 

In the app industry, it is said that the more convenient the set of features, the higher are the chances of a business earning revenue. The same rule applies to the restaurant domain as well. So let’s take a look at the must have features your restaurant app needs. 

Must-Have Features for Your Restaurant App 

The list of your must-have features depends on the specifics of your restaurant business. For instance, if your business majorly involves on-demand online delivery services , then your features must include GPS, catalog panel, menu etc. however, if it’s a restaurant food chain, you would need features like “restaurant finder”, “book a table” and “compare prices” . 

Moreover, a restaurant app acquires a set of common features mandatory for every food app. Here are they:

1. Opening Screen

This is usually the first screen that the customer visits when they open your application. It carries information around your unique offering or brand story, location details, and a peek into the cuisine that you offer in addition to testimonials from customers who have dined with you before.

2. Menu 

The next important feature of a restaurant application is the menu section. Although fairly standard, there are a few things that can make your app innovative, like an extensive search feature that can help customers choose specific dishes on the basis of taste, course, ratings, etc. Moreover, it helps to add photos of the dish and a basic description highlighting its component or USP.

3. Online Ordering 

Online ordering is one of the most common features that every restaurant app offers. You should add geolocation capabilities in the app to make it easy for the customer to pin their address and even track how far their order has reached once placed. 

4. Table Booking 

Although not mainstream, the table booking feature is also growing in popularity. You can give your customers the option to both choose a standard table or a specific table through the help of an interactive floor map – something that VR and other modern technologies in restaurants can help you with. 

5. Login via Social Media or email

When it comes to taking customers’ information, there are two stages that you can consider – one when they launch the app for the first time or second when they place an order or book a table in your restaurant. 

Although our restaurant mobile app developers advise using the second because of the timeliness factor, irrespective of which stage you go with, ensure that you are giving them the option to login via email or social media platforms. 

6. Payment Processing

One of the time-tested ways to optimize your restaurant app performance is to make the process of making payment easy and safe. You should give your users a number of payment options – debit card, credit card payment, pay at delivery, add coupons, etc. when they are at the payment stage. 

At the payment stage, it is very important for your partnered restaurant app development agency to follow the compliances of payment integration to ensure that your customers’ data is protected at all times. 

7. Push notifications 

The next in our list of must-have restaurant app features are push notifications. You should have an effective notification strategy that is timed around the key hanger hours like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While these help with retargeting, you can also add notifications when the order has been accepted by the restaurant or when it’s in transit. 

8. Ratings & Reviews

The last on our list is ratings and reviews. Whether we accept or not, customers place 80% of their food order decision on the ratings made by other users. The better the reviews the higher the chances of more people ordering from your restaurant. 

Now, when we talk about reviews it’s important to give them a delete and edit option so that they can change their review once their issue is addressed. It is also important to integrate chatbots and support systems to enhance customer experience and make your restaurant app worthy. 

[Also Read – What customers expect from your restaurant app ]

The success of these features and your restaurant app as a whole depends heavily on how real-time and informative it is. A way of ensuring that is to integrate the best-in-class APIs inside the application. Here are the ones that our restaurant app developers trust:

[Also Read – 10 must-have features for your restaurant app. ]

Now that we have looked into the technical aspects of the restaurant application, let us get to the costing part of the article – the cost to develop an app for online food ordering restaurants. 

How Much Does a Restaurant App Development Costs?

The apps developed for restaurants and  are of two types: 

The simple restaurant app with core features like menu, orders, payments, push notifications, location services etc. With a basic feature set, a simple restaurant app development cost will range from $8000- 15,000. 

On the other hand, an advanced complex restaurant app with features like pre-order meal, 3D view of restaurant, 3D menu, order tracking status etc. starts with minimum $25,000. 

As for the other factors that contribute to the cost of building a restaurant app, here is a list:

• Features-set 
• Mobile app design 
• Team size 
• Location of the agency
• Platform for application deployment
• Tech stack used 
• App complexity etc.

To give you a general estimate of the time and cost, here’s a table exhibiting the restaurant app development time and cost for both Android and iOS platforms.

When we talk about the development side of restaurant online ordering apps, It is advisable for businesses to build an MVP first. It is always wise to test the waters with a working model of your app idea than jump into full-fledged restaurant app development services. This way, you get to see how people are reacting to your app – changes they want to see, features they want more of, etc. 

However, if you are convinced with your product idea, full-fledgedly developing an app for your restaurant won’t be a bad idea either.

Either way, our restaurant app development services can help you make your restaurant apps smarter. Here are a few validatory examples of the restaurant and food delivery chains we have served;

Restaurant App Development Solutions by Appinventiv

We have worked with over 15+ restaurants for the digitalization of their solutions. Some of the most notable ones are mentioned below; 

1. Dominos

Appinventiv’s refined UI/UX strategy increased Domino’s mobile app conversion rate by 23%. From conceptualization to product design,development and deployment, Appinventiv helped the company with brand maintenance and design system changes to give transformative results. 

2. KFC

Appinventiv helped KFC expand its mobile presence globally and increase the conversion rate by 28%. With a portfolio ranging across multiple online restaurant solutions, Appinventiv introduced efficient customer service and expanded the customer base using modern solutions. 

3. Pizza Hut

Appinventiv, through its transformative UI/UX strategy and intuitive development standard increased the conversion rate of Pizza Hut by 30%. Not only this, the Pizza Hut mobile app solved the screen transition time challenge to 7 seconds with the right tools and tech stack. 

How Can Appinventiv Help Your Business with Restaurant App Development?

Appinventiv is a restaurant app development company where our team of domain experts have hand-held  brands throughout the ideation and the deployment of all the custom iOS and Android apps for restaurant phases, helping them increase their conversion rates and in-restaurant footfall to a much greater extent than before. 

We serve the restaurant industry stakeholders with solutions such as: 

• On-premise food order POS development
• Restaurant online ordering app
• Food delivery app development
• Food ordering apps development 
• Inventory management solutions
• Restaurant web portals 
• Waiter management solutions 
• Restaurant chains
• Kitchen display system etc. 

The next step lies with the beginning itself – building a mobile app for your restaurant. Talk to our domain experts to get started today.

If you’re a restaurant manager or owner not being able to focus on important aspects of your business, signs are that you’ve not been exposed to innovative restaurant technology that allows you to achieve operational efficiency.

However, don’t confuse this revolutionary progress with updated ovens and economical dishwashers (not even a coffee machine!). The latest use of technology in restaurant industry makes the food business omnichannel and more digital.

Restaurant technology is more than just a trend. You can sit, relax in any corner of the globe and know what’s happening in your restaurant – be it dining, service management, or even stocks!

As a general rule of thumb, thinking of a restaurant as just a business about eating is straight out dumb. Here’s a quick list of stats that indicate the importance of technology in restaurants or the food industry:

•       63% of consumers believe that online ordering is more convenient in comparison to dining out with their family.
•       More than 80% of restaurants are adopting technology in their operations – like reservations, online ordering, and restaurant analytics.
•       68% of consumers admitted that the use of server tablets in restaurants improved their dining experience gradually.

The stats are not about a brand-new refrigerator or dishwasher. Apart from the clean plates and tidiness, the customer barely notices any changes in a restaurant (at least on a conscious level). Before you learn how  emerging restaurant technology is shaping the industry, you need to know what it is in general

What Is Restaurant Technology?

If we talk about Restaurant Technology in a layman’s words, then it can be portrayed as a dedicated tech that helps commercial kitchens become more sustainable while saving time, labor and money. 

In the past, the process of managing a restaurant involved using notebooks and a calendar with each data written by hands. This means you needed to provide human efforts to capture order data, sort transactions, and report about performance. The present day structure however belongs to cloud computation and automation.

The culture of cloud computing and automation has been receiving constant attention for a while. Across a variety of industries, the adoption of automation and cloud-based software has been increased dramatically, and the restaurant business is no exception. Cloud-based restaurant POS systems have become increasingly popular as they are easy to install, remotely workable and one time investment for long.

Restaurant technology relies on a network of computers or remote servers that are hosted on the world wide web to manage, store, and process data. It’s not only convenient but secure and tamper-proof too.

5 Revolutionary Technologies Bringing a Change in the Restaurant Industry

The world is changing every second and businesses need to adapt to a new era of customers – the ones who find something good and the next second, they own it. From the smart refrigerator in the kitchen to the invoice machine at the dashboard, restaurants are also greatly impacted by technological changes. Here’s a list of five technologies that are changing the restaurant industry completely:

1. Self-Ordering Tablets

After such long anticipation, the truly server-less restaurant experience is finally here. The self-ordering tablets have proved that there’s no place for human servers in a technologically-modern restaurant. Brands like McDonalds and Panera Bread have integrated self-ordering kiosks in many of their well-known locations. 

This AI-based restaurant focused technology allows consumers to browse the food menu and choose their favorite dish without involving any employee.

2. Contactless Payments

As the pandemic invaded the world, the availability of contactless payment became an indispensable part of the dining experience. According to a survey, 34% of guests believe that mobile payment options are a crucial part of their dining experience. 

With this technology, you can help your guests remain secure and safe by paying through the dip, tap, or swipe. This entirely eliminates the need for physical contact between staff and guests, especially at these unprecedented times.

3. Bluetooth Temperature Sensors

If you’re a restaurant owner, you already know that following food safety guidelines by HACCP is a task in itself. To make sure they abide by all rules, a lot of restaurants are using Bluetooth temperature sensing to preserve a par level quality of their equipment and food. Restaurants have the ability to measure the temperature of their important assets, either manually or automatically, with the help of fixed probes and sensors.

4. Reordering With Facial Recognition

There are a few restaurants that are conducting facial recognition trial experiments that’ll allow consumers to reorder previous meals at self-service kiosks with the help of facial recognition. The trial was specifically conducted on restaurants that offer a menu with numerous optional customization layers. With such a great variety of choices, the simple way to reorder encourages the customer to think about coming back.  

This technology can also be integrated with facial recognition to help establish loyalty and make business-customer relationships lasting by providing customers a way to reorder their favorite meals quickly.

5. Handheld Entertainment

The tablets in restaurants are more than just a way to make quick orders and pay. There are numerous companies like Buzz Time that provide tablets with entertaining trivia and games to restaurants. It also allows consumers to join nationally conducted competitions 15 hours a day and seven days a week. 

These tablets can also be used to organize a live poker or trivia tournament in the restaurant. With this technology, restaurants can attract a plethora of customers at their place.

Like every other industry, the impact of technology on the restaurant industry is more than a tool for restaurants. Using technology in restaurants or the way you harness this tool will determine whether it works for your benefit or loss. As of now, everything seems to be on the positive side of the track.

Ways Restaurant Technology is Transforming the Industry 

1. Supplier and Employee Onboarding

With the constant progress in virtual reality, AI, and augmented reality, the HR leaders in restaurants have gained a lot of benefits through technology. It allows new joiners, suppliers, and trainers to take a tour of the facility virtually with the help of software and headset without any additional costs.

This also allows trainees to complete their training without visiting the restaurant physically. They can even visit the employees in real-time and keep their learning going without even smelling or touching the food.

With such great progress in employee and supplier onboarding, your restaurant business can enjoy the freedom out of monotonous tasks. This also allows you to focus on numerous other important aspects of your business such as customer engagement and employee productivity.

2. Material Handling

If your business deals with a wide range of fresh and raw products, you might be aware of the significance of maintaining their freshness without incurring any losses in revenue. Several tech interventions offer material handling in the restaurant business.

These technologies use a variety of digital tools to reduce and prevent food wastage in restaurants by more than half. They’re also very helpful in connecting commercial kitchens with the cloud-kitchens and analyze the volume of food being wasted every day.

Moreover, with detailed real-time data, chefs can tweak their production process and make required improvements for reduced food wastage and make their kitchen even more profitable. They can also be integrated into POS to keep a regular track of the inventory.

3. Reservation Management

When it comes to the most long-lasting category of restaurant technology trends, nothing can beat the competency of reservation management tools. Several restaurant app development services allow people to book a reservation for dining on vacation and special occasions through your restaurant.

With the help of the solution you’ll find it easier to fill the empty seats of your restaurant at any point in time. Talking about efficiency, the technology in food service industry is lightyears ahead of the traditional practice of waiting for the reserved seats to fill without a proper plan for it.

4. Food and Beverages

To make sure your restaurant maintains a healthy bottom line, you need to keep a keen eye on the volume of your food and beverages. There is a large variety of food management systems that make the complete process easier by providing automated inventory counts and invoices.

They can also connect with your POS system and suppliers to view sales data and track orders. This allows you to prevent your food inventory from getting empty and keep your operations running around the clock.

5. Quality Control

After the outbreak of coronavirus, the quality of food has become a serious concern for restaurant businesses. It’s not only about maintaining the proper safety of your food supply chain but also about the assurance of quality that goes along with the transparency throughout the premises.

A survey revealed that 94% of restaurant food consumers are likely to be more loyal to businesses that provide complete transparency with their processes. Even though it’s pretty easy to say, implementation takes years.

Digital transformation in restaurant industry and technological interventions such as IoT sensors are a great way to detect and solve issues in food warehouses before they become a significant concern. They’re also necessary to monitor the temperature fluctuations in the warehouse.

Innovation in Food Industry

It turns out that the technology trends in restaurant industry was silent progress that came into existence after consumers changed their behavior because of economic and social factors. Now, it’s more of an experience-based model than a hospitality business. Future of restaurant technology trends can be seen in the restaurant industry that is using robots in their setup to take orders from customers and serve them. People are making use of restaurant mobile app development services to build apps that provide innovation strategies in restaurant business.

Today, technology in the food industry is the most sought-after ingredient in our diet charts! Food industry has opened its doorway to new technologies and mobile application based services which led to an immense transformation in how the food industry operates. The recipe of food and technology has given birth to food technology.

A validation of it can be found in the growth of the investment that the food tech industry is witnessing.

“Technology is not its own industry anymore; it’s a part of every other industry, so it’s natural for tech investors to find that intersection.”

 ~ Greg Golkin, Managing Partner, Kitchen Fund

If you are wondering, what is food tech, then here is the answer. As per Wikipedia, food technology is a branch of food science that deals with the production, preservation, quality control, and research and development of food products.

Changing Food Trends Statistics

• As per Statista, due to advancing technologies within the food industry, as well as a demand for healthier, cheaper, and safer food products, the market is forecast to exceed 342 billion U.S. dollars by 2027.
  
  
• According to AgFunder’s Farm Tech Investment Report, Farm Tech investing soared to $7.9 billion in 2020, topping 2019 investments by $2.3 trillion.
  
  
• According to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Industry Report, 2021 sales are projected to climb 10.2%, after a steep low during the pandemic.
  
  
• As per CB Insights, while a record-setting global food tech investment of $13.5 billion was seen in the first quarter of 2021, dollar investments fell to $8.9 billion in the second quarter and the deal count has increased by over 10% (from 369 to 409) in Q2’21.

Elements Driving Food Tech Investments

According to Ernst and Young, the spending trends of consumers show that they are ready and willing to pay for food tech innovations that can meet their increasing needs of convenience, health, and low environmental impact. This opportunity in food technology companies is a good time for food innovators to capitalize on these market demands and grow rapidly.

The rising investments have led to innovation in food industry. In the midst of new consumer demographics that encompasses the young, urban dwelling, working professionals; the focus has shifted on sustainability, health, and freshness of the products. However, the future food tech companies and industries are evolving accordingly. 

The sector is aiming to familiarize itself with the changing times and provide healthier, more suitable food habits and avoid fraud in food products.

Technologies Propelling the Food Tech Industry

1.  Blockchain

Blockchain based mobile application can strengthen food management by tracing and recording transactions to maintain the safety and quality of the food industry. Blockchain technology also helps in providing brand transparency and managing big data.

Let’s discuss a few examples to help you understand how blockchain technology and food are shaping the new ecosystem

• IBM partnered with Raw SeaFoods to track sea foods via blockchain. They are working towards the goal of offering an opportunity for tracking food – from farm to stores. It has not just prevented food-related frauds but also guarantees higher security in the F&B domain.
• Mobile applications are using blockchain technology to deal with fake milk products. A China-based startup is working on the development of its radio-frequency identification (RFID) based anti-counterfeit label. Powered by blockchain, the label would make sure that the customers have all the necessary information to know the validity of the product’s authenticity and trustworthiness.
  

2.   Augmented reality and virtual reality

With the introduction of AR and VR in the food industry, creative food images have become less important. Transparency in food is now the most important thing that there is. The calorie intake of a consumer is now attached to what cuisine they are ordering with the help of AR and VR. Technology is also helping the consumers by filling in the gap between different cultures. 

For example: If you want to try different cuisines, AR and VR will help smooth the process and make you understand how to embrace new dishes. The technologies help you get acquainted with the ingredients that went into the dish, how they are grown, supplied. In fact, they can go up to be as immersive as giving people a peek into how the dishes are consumed. This will result in consumers who are more inclined towards giving new things a shot!

3.  AI-based chatbots

Food mobile applications are using AI based chatbots to connect with their consumers. They send food recommendations based on their eating behavior and mannerisms. Not only this, but the support via chatbots are available 24*7. The future food tech is directed towards becoming more intelligent and personalized at the back of predictive analytics and machine learning technologies.

That being said, divisions like personal chefs, on-demand meals, grocery and food delivery are becoming more popular day by day resulting in a huge number of startups and investors joining the race for market share.

 “Food has always been a technology; it’s just that it wasn’t branded like a technology.”

~David Lee, Impossible Foods COO and CFO

4. Robo Chefs

As exciting as this sounds, the robo chef technology in food industry will not be cheap with estimates of every robot chef expert costing $15,000 at first – however, in case you are a benefactor at a Michelin Star Restaurant, this may seem like a deal.

For example, Moley, a UK-based robotics organization, has released the world’s first robotic kitchen. The organization asserts the roof-mounted gadget, known as the Moley Robotics Kitchen, will actually be able to cook more than 5,000 plans and surprisingly tidy up after it’s done with its set.

It comprises of a couple of completely automated robot arms that can, for all expectation and reason, repeat the movement of human arms and hands. The organization believes that their robotic chef has the same degree of skill as that of any human – particularly with regards to speed and affectability.

Also Read: Food automation – How AI and Robotics are transforming the future of the industry

This technology-driven food industry is going beyond personal consumption.

Did you know the most recent years have been the most significant for food tech innovation? The funding in agrifood tech skyrocketed to $19.8 Billion in 2019.

The future of food tech companies is really bright because they are going to be the answers to these mind-boggling questions like:

• How to feed a population that is set to hit 9 billion by 2025?
• How to create more efficient agricultural practices?
• How can technology reduce $1.2 trillion in food waste each year?

Let’s have a look at the numbers where global agrifood tech startups raised $19.8 billion in 2019.

Future of Food Tech

Let’s discuss the key areas which are driven by food tech innovations and investments that have completely delivered a new narrative along the value chain.

1.  Consumer food tech

It is a division within food technology investment that revolves around the development of new and existing technologies that are mainly promoted towards the consumers. Consumer food tech is concentrated on nutrition based technology which aims to fulfill the consumer demands.

For example: Going organic became a food trend. People started focusing on plant based, meatless, animal-free products. Keeping all the food trends in mind, food tech companies like McDonald’s via Beyond Meat came up with meatless burgers and started serving them on their menus.

2.  Industrial food tech

Industrial food technology is a subdivision of food tech that takes care of the business model. Just focusing on food would not be enough, some companies will have to focus on how to process, package, and deliver healthy and innovative food.

For example: Companies like Hazel Technologies are into the genre of food preservation technology. They are focusing on how to increase shelf life and reduce waste by improving produce quality during packaging and transportation.

3.  Consumer awareness and tracking

It is very important to increase food traceability because of the rapidly growing awareness about food fraud. This will lead to innovation in the food supply and procurement subdivision of food technology companies. A fully aware consumer will prefer quality and gourmet food products which has made restaurants reinvent their delivery models.

4. 3D Food Printing

With the massed multiplication of 3D printing throughout the last recent couple of years, this advancement was presumably a certainty.

This technology will fill in as you expect – by building the end product layer by minute layer. This arrangement will offer unlimited opportunities for the shape, surface, composition, and at last, taste of food products later on in the future.

The future of food creation looks quite intriguing. Additionally, 3D printing will enormously decrease the waste produced from regular cooking and could be utilized to promote healthy innovative food and totally rethink how we produce ‘recipes’.

Can Food Tech Be a Good Business Model for Serial Entrepreneurs?

If you want to invest in a food delivery app development company in US or any other state/ country, or establish a food tech startup, then now is the time! 

According to a Statista report revenue in the online food delivery segment is projected to reach US$136,431m in 2020. Also, about online food delivery, restaurant-to-consumer is by far the leading global category but platform-to-consumer delivery is growing faster.  

Here are some steps to keep in mind while developing a food app development company:

• Research the market
• Know your audience and competitors
• Figure out features of your restaurant app development company
• Research and figure out how much it will cost you to create an on-demand food delivery app like UberEats, GrubHub, and Zomato
• Hire the right people as you food delivery app developers who design, develop, test and manage the application
• App maintenance

During the food delivery app development process, you need to know which market niche you want to target and be prepared for the challenges you might face. Make sure that the restaurant app development services that you provide are user friendly and work efficiently for restaurant owners.

Appinventiv is a leading mobile app development company with vast experience in restaurant mobile app development for clients all over the globe. Do feel free to reach out to us, we can bring your ideas to life!

Since the numbers have already said it all, we just want you to know that technology will play a crucial role in how the food we eat is produced, packed, and delivered. From delivering food using droids to serving using robots to packaging through machines, food ordering app development company are doing their best to serve the client and customers with the best of food technology and innovation. Not only this, but the future food tech will also focus on its nutrition value, quality, taste, freshness, and sustainability. As they say, we are what we eat!

But there is another side of the story as well. There are a number of restaurant apps that have failed – massively. 

The reason behind this unignorable downfall of the restaurant apps is what Ben Gray summarized in his study titled ‘The Best and Worst restaurant Apps in 2016‘ – “The unfortunate reality is that most restaurant chains have not yet risen to the expectations of their mobile customers”. 

Now the state of the number of restaurateurs not understanding the expectations of the customers in terms of app experience is the same now as much as it held true in 2016 when the study was released. 

Let us take you over the things that you can do to answer how to optimize a restaurant app performance. Factors that would revolve around a range of different sections of the application aimed to increase user engagement.

Now before we take the step towards dissecting the different ways of enhancing your restaurant app you will have to pay attention to give your application a makeover and make it successful, it is important to understand what makes a restaurant app click. Because only then you will be able to understand how mobile app is the best solution to increase ROI for a restaurant business.

What do users do inside a restaurant application a.k.a what drives restaurant app’s user engagement? 

As you read, there are in fact multiple actions that users intend to perform inside an application, which is not simply restricted to food ordering. 

Well knowing the actions is not enough. It is also of primal importance to know the role that technology plays in it all – something that your partnered restaurant app development agency can help with. And to know what role your app is destined to play in the lives of the customers using your app. For only then you will be able to answer how to optimize a restaurant app performance. The answer to which is similar to how to optimize apps – irrespective of the industry: a better customer experience.

The statistics that you just saw while must have given you a fair idea of the role that your app is bound to play in users’ and your restaurant staff’s life, let us still summarize it in something as clear as this –

Your customers – ones who mainly use the restaurant apps to order food – are millennials. And millennials have technology very near their heart. They believe that technology is equal to convenience – a comfort that they need in every realm of their life. The same one which can improve app performance from its core.

So, technically while you can still stay in business by not making an appearance on mobile or making a sub-par one, the situation is bound to change very soon. Soon you will find yourself looking for an answer to how to optimize a restaurant app performance?

The time to come will make it mandate for you to partner with a restaurant app development company.  

Well, assuming that you are on-board to bringing changes in your current mobile app offering and see it become a money-making machine through the optimize app efforts, let us help you with the practical changes you can bring along. 

Let us attend to everything that you should consider when building a restaurant mobile app stage by stage as and when it happens in the way the customer moves inside the app. 

But before that, let us give you a general overview of the elements which when optimized can result in a powerful restaurant mobile application that promises impeccable app experience.

1. POS Integration – The secret to making the payment process in-restaurant optimized and efficient lies in the integration of a POS system. By the mode of a QR code and contactless payment functionality the payment process not just becomes simplified but also extremely efficient. Additionally, it can bridge the gap between apps and brick and mortar restaurants by aligning mobile app integration with POS integration in restaurants. 
2. Loyalty Programs – Everybody loves offers and discounts. The same applies for a restaurant ordering system using mobile applications. Irrespective of which business model you are looking to explore, having a loyalty discount program can play a huge role in increasing your sales and retaining the customers. 
3. Pop-up Messages – An efficient push-notification system can play a huge role in customer retention and in turn rise in sales number. By sending the notification at the right time in the right platform, you can guarantee greater user engagement inside your application. 
4. Social Engagement – Bringing your restaurant on social media can be a great way to market it and help popularize it among a wide audience. To start with, you can ask your diners and users to click a photo of the dish and post it on social media tagging your brand. You can also start a promotion campaign where you ask your users to tag their friends in return of a discount. 
5. Employ Immersive Technologies – Incorporate technologies like augmented reality and chatbots to offer an interactive experience to your users. Chatbots can help you remain connected with your users 24*7. While AR experience can give users a peek into how the dish is made, where the ingredients originate from – basically, everything needed to make the experience immersive. 

Stage 1: Make Parts of Your Present Online Ordering Process Real-Time

The first step of your revamping strategy should look into the online ordering of food after all a food ordering app for the restaurant industry is what the users first choice is. 

The whole process of your customer finding what they wish to eat and the price that they are willing to pay, along with the time that it would take for the order to reach them, should be extremely convenient and easy to work around. 

While your main focus at this stage should be on giving your users a clear help when it comes to selecting food from the menu, there are other things as well that should be considered when developing an online booking system. 

There are a few actions that should happen in real-time – The order should be fed into the restaurant side of the app, it should be passed to the kitchen team, the customer should be notified that the order has been accepted. 

Besides these actions, the one thing that you will have to give a special focus to is your users getting a visible address detail. They should know where they are ordering from. They should be given the facility of a map, which they can click on to see the distance and decide whether they are willing to wait that long or if they want the food so soon. 

Also, your online booking system should show the real ETA estimate – one that is decided upon by keeping the peak time scenario into consideration.

Stage 2: Automate Table Booking 

There are a number of instances where the users interact with your app to reserve a table at your restaurant, thus giving customers the provision to book a table is one of the main features your restaurant app needs. 

Now, there are normally two ways they will go about it. Either they will call you to book a table or they would use your messaging service to book a table. You will have to be prepared for both. 

One efficient way to optimize app is by making the process automated. Have a dial-up service to make it easy for the customers to choose what they want to do and have a chatbot integrated into your messaging functionality. The idea is to be available to your customers at all times, no matter wherever you are occupied. 

The next thing that comes here is a real-time connection between what information customers have asked for and what is fed in the backend. Seats should be automatically booked in their chosen time and name, there should be an incident of discrepancy when they physically arrive at your restaurant to dine-in. 

Stage 3: Integrate Multiple Payment Mechanisms In Addition to Your Current Payment System

When we talk about the payment method, there is a very little difference between diners eating at your restaurant and ones ordering in through the app. 

The simple fundamental of this particular restaurant app development strategy is that you will have to give them the provision to choose from multiple payment methods – Cash, Card, Digital Payment, and In-App Payment. You will though have to factor in the fact that over 40% transactions that happen on mobile are done through in-app purchase. 

The next thing when talking about the payment mechanism is the receipt. One of the main ways that restaurant order taking apps improve.  

Now, there should be one tab in your app where all the receipts are stored. And if the customer gets in touch with your restaurant through the app – whether to dine-in or order the food, they should be sent the receipt. 

Stage 4: Connect All Your Siloed Stakeholders at the Delivery Stage

The next user scenario that usually happens in the case of every restaurant mobile app solution is food delivery. 

While the outcome is mainly dependent on the packaging that you do and the quality of the food, there are a few things that you can do on the mobile app development front to make the experience worthwhile. 

The first being giving your customers the facility to track the order online in real-time in terms of where it has reached. While at the backend, your admin dashboard should get updated on the time that is quoted to the customers and your drivers should be given the ETA as well, to ensure that they know when latest they have to deliver. 

The next thing that you will have to keep into consideration when following the restaurant app performance optimization best practices is the right integration of map. It should not be difficult for your users to add and edit addresses when at the last stage of their app interaction. And for your drivers to reach the address with zero wrong turns.

Stage 5: Make Ratings and Reviews Social 

Normally, the last stage of interaction that users have with a restaurant application is with the rating and review section. 

You will have to give your customers the provision to rate the food they have had and the delivery they have received. All the while they should be given the facility to see the reviews that other customers have made so that they are able to make a calculated decision. 

One way you can create an edge here is by making it possible for your customers to share their reviews online in their social media.

Once you are through with these stages and the respective work that has to be done on them, you will arrive at a stage when it is time to work on the engagement of your application. A step that would make up for a whole article that we have worked on.

Finding the methods to increase ROI for a Restaurant Business too much work? Let us handle it for you. 

Fill in the contact form below to get in touch with our team of restaurant mobile app developers and get the answer to how to optimize a restaurant app performance.