Restaurant app builder: Features, processes, development costs, and more

A restaurant without an application is like a programmer without a computer.

While restaurant applications were getting constant growth on their own, the pandemic made them even more popular. Digital menus, deliveries, support, and many other features showed people why this option is very convenient.

We shall cover everything related to a restaurant app builder: main features, steps to create your own software, costs, and other details.

Main features of a restaurant app

If you want to create a restaurant app, it is mandatory that you know which features are a must-have for this type of software. Some of them will be covered below.

We are confident that we have what it takes to help you get your platform from the idea throughout design and development phases, all the way to successful deployment in a production environment!

1. Registration

This feature is not required for applications that only focus on a menu. You could add the possibility to create an account but make it not required for the comfort of your customers.

Account registration is required for clients to order food delivery, create wishlists, leave feedback, participate in promotions, and many other things that you may implement.

Make sure that this isn’t just another “must-do” step for your client. There should always be a benefit for the consumer. Otherwise, it will only bring negative emotions.

2. Menu and remote orders

Any restaurant application must show the available meals and everything that is served at the cafe. Also, there must be a feature that lets people place orders without actually being at the restaurant.

Yes, this could bring many unwanted orders. That is why it is necessary that you make it necessary that the meals are paid in advance when requests are placed in advance.

However, the account feature could show you the user’s history and “reputation”. For instance, if a client had many previous orders that were successful, they could have the benefit of placing remote requests without prepayment.

3. Payment options

It is always convenient when your customers can pay immediately from within the application. The more payment options are available, the better it is for your clients. We recommend adding the following methods:

Bank cards;
PayPal;
Google, Apple, Samsung Pay.

There recently was a trend to add cryptocurrencies as a payment method in cafes and restaurants. However, it isn’t a very safe option because of the high volatility that is inherent to cryptocurrencies.

4. Intuitive design

Probably, the design is one of the major parts when it comes to mobile app development for restaurants. It isn’t just about how cool the animation and pictures are. The design should make things simple and easy. If your grandma understands everything, then you’ve truly achieved your goal.

5. Food delivery

This feature got increased demand especially after the beginning of the pandemic.

Food delivery is a must-have feature for most cafes and restaurants because this:

broadens the number of customers
improves client loyalty
makes things easier for the consumer.

You must figure out how the delivery will be made: via Uber Eats, taxi, or another service. Do not forget that these are additional expenses for the client, so try to find the most reasonable option.

Development costs and expenses

A restaurant app builder will cost quite a lot. The expenses vary a lot and everything depends on the complexity of the project.

Usually, the price starts from $1,000 and goes up to $50,000+. The range is huge and, as you can see, giving a proper estimate without any specification is a very difficult task.

Also, it would take about 160 hours to create a pretty basic app, while a complex application could take more than 9 months.

3 steps to build a restaurant app

Although there are many things that must be done, the whole creation process may be divided into three parts.

1. Idea

First of all, you must understand the purpose of your application and which issues it will solve. Some types of restaurant apps include:

Digital menus
Food delivery
Promotions
Reservations
Loyalty programs.

The list is unlimited, there can be as many options as you can think of.

2. Development

During this stage, you hire a professional development team, like the Global Cloud Team. The developers plan all the processes and proceed to the creation of your app.

This is when a prototype and a full version will be created. This is where all the stuff like design, features, and others are added to the application.

After it, the quality assurance team has to spend some time analyzing the software and ensuring it’s bug-free. This takes less time than development. However, it still might take a week or more.

3. Deployment and promotion

Finally, the software is ready, and it is time to upload it to Play Market and App Store. Additionally, some funds must be invested in advertising the software so the world would know about your creation. Do not neglect this step because it may determine the future popularity of the app.