On-demand food delivery apps have been gaining popularity in recent years as it blends two things on one platform – convenience and food. These apps are not just popular among users but they also have gained the attention of businesses and restaurant owners. 

As you have decided to take a shot in the food-delivery industry, this article will help you gain knowledge on how to create a food delivery app to grow your restaurant chain business.

Before you know how to create your own food delivery app, it is a wise move to take a tour around the market. 

A Few Interesting Stats and Factors

The convenience of dining with just a few taps has encouraged users to install the food delivery app on their smartphones. Global instals of these apps increased by 30% in 2020-21 as subsequent lockdowns due to Covid-19 caused many restaurants to close. 

Data reveals that the food-delivery market is all set to grow by 10 % and the global revenue of the industry is expected to reach $182 million by 2024. 

Decide on What Food Delivery Business Model you Need

The food delivery sector is full of many big players like UberEats, Zomato, Swiggy conquering different regions. These market players present various business models. Take a look at the most popular models of food delivery app development;

Aggregator Model

The first business model introduced in the market was the Aggregator model. As per this model, the primary function of the food delivery app is ordering. The basic concept of this model is order-only which means restaurants can view and complete the order without any delivery support and customers can explore various restaurants, check reviews, choose menus, and place an order. Zomato and FoodBoss are popular apps that work on this business model. 

The Order and Delivery Model

This type of model implies the ordering and delivery of food to customers. Restaurants like this business model as it brings them more orders. After the order is placed, it is picked up by the delivery persons and then delivered to the customers. Some of the most popular apps of this type are UberEats, DoorDash.

The Fully-Integrated Model

Collaborating with these types of apps means that users can get complete food delivery from the comfort of their homes. The model implies the integration of all the stages from cooking to order processing to charge. In this model, the app consists of three interconnected apps – for the courier, restaurant, and the user. 

First of all, the customer places an order and moves automatically to the restaurant. Then the order is processed and delivered to the delivery person. The restaurant makes sure that the food is delivered successfully to the customer. This app design model meets the demand of all parties.

Must-Have Features of a Food-Delivery App

The basic features of the app vary depending on the user’s role. Here is the list of major features for the user panel, admin panel, and courier app. 

Admin Panel

The admin panel is utilised by the authorised persons of the restaurant or food delivery business. The core functions of this panel include accepting customer orders, dispatching and tracking orders, processing payments, and building logistics. Businesses have full control over the whole process – from updating restaurant information to tracking the feedback channels. 

Features of the admin app include:

• Registration
• User-Profile Management
• Application Management
• Order Management
• Content Management
• Payment Management
• Discount, Coupons, and Offers
• Technical Assistance

Customer Side  

The demand for a food ordering app is driven by the need for convenience dining. Users want to get their food delivered at their doorstep with the same quality they get at restaurants. Therefore, the customer app should provide a variety of food outlets as feasible. 

The basic features of this app include;

• Registration or Social Login via Facebook, Gmail, or other social media platforms.
• User Profile Management
• Search Option
• Order Placement
• Seamless Payment Gateway 
• Order Checkout
• Real-Time Tracking
• Rewards, Promo Codes, and Special offers
• Push Notifications
• Customer Support

Courier App

The idea of building a courier app is to help delivery persons receive more delivery requests. This kind of app offers independent couriers easy track of orders and makes it easy for them to accept couriers that are located nearby. It ensures the fastest delivery and instant payment processing. 

The basic features of this app include;

• Registration 
• Profile management
• Order Management
• Option to Update Order Status 
• Earning reports

Food Delivery App Design 

Businesses should focus on the UI/UX design of apps to offer an excellent user experience and grab customers’ attention. The food delivery app design turns out to be a maker or breaker for businesses. The primary visual aspect is the app design that makes it worth the user’s attention. Make sure to keep the design and the functionality of the app simple and elegant. It would help users get hooked on the user experience. 

The best-case scenario is to discuss the small details with the professional web designing company whether you need appealing visuals or complex design elements to support your app’s feature set for flawless functionality. 

Food Delivery App Development Stage

The most important stage to create a food delivery app is its development. The mobile app development stage includes backend and frontend. The front-end is what you see on your mobile screens while the back-end includes API integration, servers, modules, and databases. The technology stack of the food ordering app is defined in the development stage. The tech stack is designed based on the business model you choose for your project, feature-set, user roles, and app functionality. Take a look at the list of technologies, tools, and APIs below:

Technology Stack

Front-end development

• iOS – Swift
• Android – Java
• Cross-platform – React Native
• Web – Angular, ReactJS

Back-end development

• Laravel
• Firebase/AWS
• Node.js
• Phyton
• WebSockets for chats

Payment gateway

• PayPal API
• Stripe API

Push notifications 

• Amazon SNS
• Firebase Cloud Messaging
• Twilio

Location search and tracking

• Core Location Framework
• Google Places API
• MapKit framework for iOS
• Google Maps SDK

Registration and authorization

Social login via Google, Twitter APIs, Facebook Mobile SDKs

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

The total cost of building a food delivery app depends on several factors – its feature set, technology stack, functionality, app design, or any specific requirements you want in your app. When calculating the total development cost, keep in mind that on average every system panel of the app including the customer part, restaurant part, courier part, admin panel, and the backend need at least 1000+ hours of work. 

Other factors that contribute to the food delivery app development cost include;

• The platform you choose for your app development.
• The rate set for hiring a mobile app development company.
• Features that you want to add to your app.
• Technology stack for the project
• The central user role

How does a food delivery app generate revenue?

Businesses can turn their food ordering app into a money-maker in several ways. Here are a few ways they can financially benefit from the app:

• Fixed commission rates
• Restaurant promotion
• Delivery fee

The Final Verdict 

This article gives you a brief understanding of the basic features and the development cost of the food ordering app. The food industry is already crowded by major players like Zomato, DoorDash who are pioneers in their individual domain. Still, new businesses can make a foothold in the industry by targeting specific audiences and offering something that other players don’t. 

If you’re thinking of building a food delivery app, then a food app development company like iapp Technologies can help you.