Food ecstasy has led the restaurant businesses to evolve with the technology. And why won’t it, when it is an ever-demanding need for the people? Just when food delivery services became prominent within one call, food apps became one of the top money-making app ideas that are still trending to opt for.
Customers’ cravings and ease of getting food at the doorstep have been supported all thanks to emerging on-demand food delivery mobile apps. Along with that, having multiple options for food dishes and payment led to quick changes in the consumers’ mindsets.
That is why popularly known food apps like Uber Eats, FoodPanda, Postmates, and other platforms have achieved this feat through mobile app development services. They have gained the highest user base across the world.
In this blog, we will explore food delivery apps, their features, advantages for customers, the workflow of on-demand food delivery, and ways of making profits from online food order platforms.
What Are Food Delivery Apps?
As the name suggests, food delivery apps are online platforms that are built solely for food preparation and delivery from available restaurants. The online food order application allows customers to fulfill their cravings within a few minutes!
It is expected that the industry will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.4% till 2028.
Ordering food online has aided customers with on-demand food delivery solutions as it acts like a food service provider to the users. Since it saves both time and costs, we could see a spike in people’s ordering norms. The application filters are embedded as the businesses hire dedicated developers for this function. It showcases all kinds of food as per their cuisine to make browsing the dish more quick and convenient.
Most importantly, people feel frenzied over the delivery time given that filling the appetite is an essential tendency. So to check the order status, the food delivery mobile app enables the users to track the delivery process constantly. In this way, they will get an idea of their food preparation and delivery man’s navigation when the package is out.
Types of Food Delivery Apps
Franchise Food Delivery Mobile App
It is a link to the service provision between restaurants and customers. This app accepts online food orders from users and then forwards them to the restaurant’s system. However, the app does not have a third-party delivery agent. It becomes the restaurant’s responsibility to deliver the food, which is why the app can be integrated by large-scale restaurants only.
On-Demand Food Delivery Services
This is the most common food delivery app in current trends. The on-demand food delivery platform provides all services in one place to the customer. It compiles with the third-party delivery subordinate and multiple restaurants which is beneficial even for small businesses to grow their revenue in a short time.
So to pay for the services, the app applies delivery charges to the total bill. But, to make it properly designed, you need to approach a mobile app development company for this app model.
Franchise Support App
Such apps are built for a particular brand that has extensive branches in a number of places. For example, Domino’s is a worldwide brand so it has its own online food order app for quick order placement and offers. The app enables the franchises to cook, package, and deliver the food through their system’s order database. It also helps in retaining customer loyalty.
Meal Kits Delivery
The food delivery model is a quick-fix solution for people like employees or working people who cannot spend time cooking for themselves. Such a food service provider app offers meal combos with specific dishes in one order as it is time-saving. It has two main options: heat and eat, cook and eat.
Grocery App
In today’s scenario, some people cannot afford to travel some distance or do not have time to purchase needed groceries. So to buy them, many businesses have built separate grocery delivery apps or integrated one such domain into their existing food delivery mobile app. One of the popular examples is BigBasket.
Cloud Kitchen Food Delivery App
A number of selective restaurants operate in cloud kitchen models without any designed ambiance or seating arrangement. Their only service is food preparation and customization. So the online food order application integrates with third-party delivery agencies through custom mobile app development services.
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8 Essential Features of Food Delivery Mobile App
Sign-in and Personalized Profile
Any food delivery mobile app cannot track the right user location unless they have all their required details stored. For that reason, the site asks for user information such as phone number, e-mail ID, and address with correct home number so that the delivery goes uncomplicated.
Sorted Menu
There are thousands of restaurants in the customer’s city place. So how are they going to identify their favorite cuisine from one of them? It becomes time-consuming to keep scrolling over just to find that one dish. This is why the application has an in-built search bar and food catalog to redirect to the restaurant options.
Food-Oriented Restaurants
As a possibility, an area of any city can have more than ten restaurants with similar cuisine and menus. So to easily pick the favorite, the application showcases eateries from top-rated to even small stalls.
Food Customization
Besides food ordering, the customers can also customize their personal favorite dishes as per their preferences, whether they want it spicy or a little salty. The online food order sites display drop-down options below a few selective foods. For instance, Subways need customized sauces and toppings with additional instructions.
Payment Options
In digitalized payment methods, people don’t need to necessarily pay through cash only. They will be able to link their bank accounts, credit cards, Internet banking, and even e-wallet to redirect their payment to the eatery.
However, each mobile system has different integration methods. If the app requires Android integration, businesses need to hire an Android app development company.
Delivery Tracking
Users generally do not like to wait much for their food when hunger kicks in. For that reason, many food delivery apps have navigational tracking function that showcases the time taken and route tracking of the delivery personnel. It also displays the exact time customer’s food will arrive at their doorstep.
Push Notifications
Aside from food delivery status, isn’t it exciting to see discounts and offers on your favorite pick? Push notifications enable displaying coupons, cashback offers, and other marketing gimmicks to attract customers easily.
Customer Support
Now, with the integration of AI, people can directly ask the chatbot about the issues faced or any complaint registration. If the customer does not receive a satisfactory response, they can directly contact the customer care executive from the helpline as well.
How Does the Food Delivery Mobile App Work?
User-Interface
The food app has a home screen with front-page features like restaurant feed, menus, offers and discounts, account management, and a search bar.
Restaurant Database Updation
Each restaurant’s system is connected to the app server. It constantly updates its database with time. The data showcases the menu and new food dishes introduced into the menu with accurate pricing.
APIs Integration
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable the app to draw out information about the restaurant and its food catalog. Hence, APIs are a mediator to handle interactions between the app and the server.
However, it needs to be integrated while compiled with the operations system. For instance, to integrate it with Android, you need to hire Android app developers for suitable APIs.
Payment Gateway Integration
For an easy checkout process, the food application is connected to several P2P payment apps and even banking sites. It enables secured transactions through a two-way authentication method and a range of payment options.
Restaurant-side server
Here, the restaurant interface is connected to the food application that receives orders or past orders in an ascending manner for accuracy and timely delivery fulfillment. The portal also showcases available inventory, delivery partner, and location of the consumer.
Delivery Agent
Many delivery personnel are registered on the food delivery platform. One of the agents accepts the delivery request to collect the packaged food prepared by the restaurant. They use on-app GPS location for tracking the customer’s address.
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Ways of Monetizing Food Delivery App
Extra Delivery Charges
The majority of the eateries do not include delivery services, especially small businesses. And so, the delivery charges are additional by these food spots in return for providing you with food delivery options.
This infamous strategy has been adopted by the on-demand food delivery mobile apps as well. They charge a percentage of delivery services in addition to your total bill.
Demand-based Pricing
Just like any other demand and supply pricing strategy, the free food apps have their rating methods. Once the customers have a higher preference for an online food order, the food’s price increases as its demand gets higher.
Advertisements and Online Banners
The best way to grab the customer’s attention has been through banners and image glimpses in advertisements. The best-rated restaurants or a slideshow of lip-smacking food images can be showcased on the top feed of the user’s home page. From there, you can expect a higher conversion and click-through rate.
Commission
This is the most preferred and money-making idea for food delivery mobile apps. The food app owner charges a specific amount from associated restaurants on every single order made on the site. In this manner, revenue generation can become a straightforward method to earn you considerable profit.
Examples of Top Food Delivery App Brands
GrubHub
UberEats
Postmates
DoorDash
ChowNow
Caviar
Bottom Line
With the consistent need for food consumerism, on-demand food delivery platforms will remain an ever-changing game. This will undoubtedly benefit the new businesses who want to start from a beneficial base with a long-term vision.
Nevertheless, it needs a properly structured application that has a workflow implemented across the restaurant servers and database. To do so, opt for custom mobile app development services to integrate well with the restaurants synchronously.
However, iOS has interchanging functions over some time which requires maintenance and services. So for that, hire an iPhone app developer with expert knowledge of the system’s functionality.
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FAQs
Are food delivery apps profitable?
As restaurants are generating considerable money through online orders, it can be assumed that the consumerism rate is higher than foreseen. Hence, the demand for food delivery apps keeps getting higher with the passing of time.
How do food delivery apps make money?
Generally, the application’s revenue is profited through commissions and extra delivery charges. So once a restaurant is selling food on the app, they charge a little as a mediator for providing services via the food app. Through these models, the app can gain profit in no time.
How much do the food delivery app costs?
It varies from each mobile app development service you approach. However, in general terms, it would cost in range between $30,000 – $150,000 or even higher. Some additional services would cost additional charges as well.
