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“95% of smartphone users use their device to conduct restaurant searches and 60% of those convert within an hour”, says The Nilson report, a world renowned and trusted resource for its global news about the payment industry.
With the dependency on smartphones and mobile devices increasing rapidly, food tech app development in iOS, Android and all available platforms have seen a hand-in-hand increase as consumers use these applications for accessing a variety of restaurant services right from locating a restaurant place to dining and everything in-between.
On a broader classification, these applications fall into categories namely aggregator apps, on-demand food apps, food delivery app and develop native mobile apps developed exclusively for restaurants.
Well the question is how these apps let consumers find their desired restaurant service.
Table of Contents
Food aggregator apps – Providing food choices in abundance
A Food aggregator app works as a link that connects customers to popular food destinations. However, now the scenario has undergone a change as these applications are evolving with an aim to provide better facilities for users while searching for their favorite dishes.
Let’s chip into some of the food aggregator apps that are setting benchmark in terms of customer experience.
Zomato – Operating in Operating in 22 countries, Zomato is a popular on-demand restaurant search and discovery service available in iOS and Android. The app is built to facilitate on-demand food ordering and simultaneous cab booking facility easier for customers through a tie-up with Uber.
Foodpanda – Food Panda has launched a corporate programme through which companies which provide free meal services can control and manage budget by setting allowances, order frequencies etc.,
Considering these emerging trends we could say that aggregator apps, instead of providing a plethora of services under one roof, have become more specific in their services like delivery, table reservations etc. Such transitions have provided choices of consumers to go for apps which suit their frequent mode or style of dining.
Food on demand apps – More than just restaurant cooked food
Food-on-demand applications basically bring freshly prepared food to your home. Collaborating with the best chefs from global cuisines to prepare fresh food these applications serve you professionally prepared fresh and hot food to the doorsteps of consumers.
Faasos is a restaurant app which operates in 12 major cities in India. It is popular for its sumptuous choice of on-demand dishes that span right from breakfast to dinner.
Zupermeal is yet another food aggregator app which lists home-cooked meals prepared by homemakers on its app and delivers it to their customers.
Food delivery apps – More than just bring prompt
Having food delivery app make it easy for users to access their favorite dishes easily and quickly. These apps favor most those who want food to be delivered right at their door step, that too within the shortest time.
Swiggy is one such popular food delivery app with greater fan base in Bangalore. The app is built to help customers place orders at their favorite local food joints without any minimum order value restrictions. Much to the delight of foodies using iOS and Android devices, the app assures delivery within 15 to 20 minutes of placing the order.
Custom-made restaurant apps – Being exclusive and specific
The main purpose of building a restaurant app is to make available all of the restaurant’s services and facilities at customer fingertips. Moreover, there is a need to create a marketing mechanism to promote their brand which will keep customers coming back. This adds more responsibility while developing a branded restaurant app.
Actions typically performed by users while using restaurant apps as of February 2015
The above statistics show that these features are essential to build a restaurant app that will appeal to present day customers.
Checklist of features to be considered while developing a food tech app
- Loyalty Program – Retain your loyal customers by rewarding them with loyalty points
- Discounts – Discounts and deals to stir buying interest
- Push Notifications – Delivering deals and discounts on time to your customer base
- Images and Videos – Engage with images and videos while customers access your restaurant menu
- Location Navigation – Navigate the way to your restaurant
- Online Payments – Provide a secured payment mechanism for ensuring safe transactions
- Online Ordering – Online ordering system to choose and order desired delicacies on the go
- Social Media – Create social channels for customers to share connect and engage
- Cab Booking – Cab booking provision for providing transportation to customers
- Order Tracking – Keep customers informed about the status of their orders
How a food tech app that houses the above discussed features would be?
Lansdowne pub, a native restaurant app built on iOS and Android platforms for a Boston-based chain of restaurants and pubs has a plethora of mechanisms which serves its customers in all angles.
Interactive technologies like augmented reality, location-based technologies like geo-fencing have been used along with push notifications to build a mechanism that keeps users glued to the application and informed about the latest deals and happenings of the restaurant.
Customer Retention – Pub scanner based on augmented reality technology that reveals discounts while scanning pub related logos and signs
Menu – Access to restaurant and pub menu
Pub Services – Cab booking, table reservation, party booking, ticket reservations for live events
Deal Deposits – A deals saving feature for customers to save and use deals as per their convenience
Push Notification – Notification pushes for deals and discounts
Geo-Fencing – Geo-fencing limited areas located near pub to push notification
Social Channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Spotify social channels for the restaurant customer base to engage, interact, share and form a community
Pub Facts – Interesting facts and tidbits on the legacy and achievements of the restaurant
To sum it up, there is plenty of scope for building mobile apps for restaurants with a wide range of options. In the future, they can again be upgraded to maintain consistency with technological advancements. Foodies will always reasons to cheer as long as restaurants continue to launch mobile based food apps.
Build a branded food tech app and elevate your customer experience
I want to launch my on-demand food delivery app, should i go with eCommerce website in mobile friendly format?
I won’t suggest going for a ecommerce website with responsive designing (mobile friendly). It will be ideal if you build a food tech app with ecommerce features. I will recommend opting for a readymade script since it makes things easier even for those who have not much command in technical stuff. The mobile app can be embedded with a wide range of features that are beneficial for both you as an admin and for users.
I own a restaurant in San fransico. And I am looking to develop food ordering app for my restaurant with internal chat enabled feature for our patrons. Is it possible to build in that way?
Yes of course. A real-time chat mechanism can be bolted into your app so that your customers (those you have your food app downloaded) can discuss, share/get opinions and recommend about food preferences and dining experiences.
Is there any customizable restaurant apps on both iPhone / Android for my restaurant business?
Yup, Contus M-comm. A readymade restaurant app building solution. You can get a native app built on iOS and Android, integrate 3rd party APIs and go for any level of customizations. Contus M-Comm welcoming toward technology integrations as well.
How much would it cost to build a food ordering app?
At a basic level, with just the booking mechanism being incorporated, it would take around 3000$ approximately. Customizations, feature and technology additions will cost you more depending on the nature, size and complexities involved.
Zomato is restaurant app, Dine out is table booking app, Halfteaspoon is a recipe app, MeDine is deal or coupon method. I want to develop a app with has all these mechanisms in it. Is that possible?
Yes certainly possible..
Perfect blog Ramanathan, great job. Yes food ordering apps are now became popular among general public as it is simple , fast, reliable.
Will online menu ordering app change the regular restaurant industry?
Yes they have. In our opinion, online food ordering is preferred by those who prefer dining at the convenience of their home, who make last minute eating decisions or those who are unable to travel to dine. These apps are exclusively meant for them.
Restaurants are now prepared to address this demand by coming up with their food ordering app or getting them listed in a food aggregator app.
Can i make some changes in my existing features?
Definitely. Revisions can be executed immediately as and when you wish. We also take care in implementing app revisions to make it abreast with the latest UI trends.
How do I create food delivery apps that are free of pricing issues?
While building food tech apps, try to integrate your back-end POS systems to your apps. This will ensure that the app prices are also updated promptly when menu rates are changed in your POS systems.
I am a restaurant owner. I plan to build a food on demand app for repeat customers. How can I better optimize a food tech app?
You can try using push notifications to alert your repeat customers about current offers and deals. Further, you can also make the ordering process hassle-free for repeat customers by giving them an option to create favorite dishes in the app itself. Social media sharing, trivia on dishes and facilities to connect with in-house kitchens will also prove beneficial.
Is it possible to make food delivery to customers easier using apps?
Yes. Apps which have the provision to collect exact GPS location of the customer at the time of taking order can facilitate quicker deliveries. The delivery personnel also will be able to spot the location without further loss of time.
I wonder if these food tech apps will help track my diet plans. Are they customizable?
Absolutely. These food tech apps are built keeping in mind the needs of a modern day user. Some of them even provide nutritional data based on recipes that the user downloads from the Internet.
Are you add deep linking & buddies talk features in this app?
Of course yes. Unlike most mobile app development companies, we integrate deep linking and buddies talk as an essential component of our food tech apps. They come as default features without even you asking for it. Reach us @ bd@contus.in to find out how our extra features will benefit your mobile app.
Which languages does food tech support?
Your food tech app can be made to support any language or domestic or international flavor. The app can be customized in any language of your choice and can also be translated into other languages by users using the app settings.
I want to launch food on-demand app, Should I go with an eCommerce website?
Food delivery app differs from an eCommerce mobile app. Go for a readymade framework that could catalyze your app building process but make sure it is native. Native frameworks promise performance and can be customized to any level. Updates, technology integrations, downsizing and tweaks can be done easily.
I want do some customization, how it ll be cost?
Any kind of customization can be made to your app. However, the costs can be ascertained only after gaining a ground understanding of the requirement. Please get in touch with us at bd@contus.in for further discussion.
Hello. I’m looking for a services (cleaning or repairing) and products (food) delivery app. Whay do you recommend me? Where can i have it developed? Thanks.
Hi Daniel,
I am submit your query to my Business Development team. They will reach you.
Can i build a food tech app without having websites?
Of course you can. In fact, the current trend in the industry is to build mobile apps directly without have any underlying website connection. Mobile apps have the flexibility for customization and integration that websites do not offer always. Drop us a mail at bd@contus.in to know how Contus can help you build the perfect food tech app.
nice blog thanks for sharing
Here i listed top 10 food app development list. It can be useful for your customers. https://www.techinasia.com/talk/served-hot-top-food-delivery-apps-order-2017
Nice post!
Impressive list of food delivery apps.Really, every self-respecting institution strives to build a small beautifully designed custom mobile apps for restaurants that support communication with customers.