How to create a mobile application for your restaurant

Home delivery and takeaway (click and collect) are now firmly entrenched in consumer habits. For restaurants, they represent an additional source of revenue and help improve profitability. As more and more people use their phones to order food and make reservations, restaurateurs who have launched their own mobile apps have become more competitive and seen their sales increase. Restaurant apps can be downloaded and installed directly onto mobile devices, offering faster and easier access for users. But while there are marketplaces that host several restaurants, it's more advantageous for a restaurant to invest in its own app. But why? How do you launch a mobile application for your restaurant? Here's how. 

Restaurant application: an online ordering tool for your restaurant

Having an online presence is now essential for any company wishing to attract new customers and maintain or develop its business. But why create an app for your restaurant? Well, for all these reasons: 

• 92.1% of users access the Internet via their mobile. (Source: Blog du modérateur)
• Cell phones account for an ever-increasing share of global web traffic. They now account for 59.7% of traffic, compared with 38% for laptops and desktop computers (Source: Blog du modérateur).
• Applications account for 89% of time spent on a smartphone. (Source: France Num)
• 37.4 million French people access the Internet every day on their cell phone, compared with 22.6 million on a computer and 11.4 million on a tablet (Source: Médiamétrie).
• By 2030, mobile applications, high-speed access and the ability to place orders via intelligent home automation systems will be the 3 main factors for strengthening customer loyalty and building strong, fruitful relationships (Source: France Num).

These figures show that the future of the Internet lies with mobiles. Indeed, thanks to mobile phones, consumers can quickly access the information they need, wherever they are.

And unlike online ordering platforms, which sometimes charge very high commissions, the app takes no commission on sales made through your restaurant's app. All payments received through the app are yours.

Having your own mobile app for your restaurant gives you the opportunity to design it according to your restaurant'sbrand identity. Concept, logo, graphic charter, colors... You choose the design and content of your app according to your tastes and preferences. Your customers won't be lost, and you'll benefit from an effective tool to set yourself apart from the competition.

Your restaurant's app can be designed with different objectives in mind: displaying your menu, highlighting dishes or your current special offers, promoting events, offering discounts, displaying photos, proposing recipes, offering Click and Collect or home delivery... A multitude of choices are open to you, since you're in control! 

👉 Going further: 9 reasons to do without delivery platforms

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Why do restaurateurs need a mobile application for their restaurant?

Recent statistics clearly illustrate that mobile has become an essential part of communication, digital marketing and online sales strategies, particularly in the foodservice sector. It is essential for commercial foodservice operators to integrate mobile applications into their digital transformation strategies. This investment is essential to remain competitive and adapt to new market trends.

Many ambitious restaurateurs(like Anthony and Floriane from Ankka) have already chosen to develop their own direct online sales solution. This is an advantageous option that enables them to :

• a better presentation of your offer (templates, fonts, colors 100% customizable to your image);
• total freedom over your delivery terms and pricing policy (promotions, price adjustments);
• collect the entire sale. You don't have to pay a fee on each order, as is the case with platforms like Deliveroo and Uber Eats ;
• collect data on your customers to better target their expectations and make personalized offers (rather than leaving them to the big delivery platforms that "capture" a large customer database).
• improve the customer experience by avoiding queues and allowing them to order food directly from home or the office. 

How does it work? Customers place their order via their mobile by clicking on your restaurant app. Once your customers have selected their menus and validated their basket, the order is instantly transmitted to you. If you've opted for an omnichannel digital solution, then you can manage and modify the status of each order at the click of a button: pending, processed, delivered or even cancelled. The order is transmitted directly to the kitchen, and your customers are also notified of any change in order status. Simple and efficient!

So don't wait any longer to give your restaurant a new dimension by offering an online ordering application!

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How much money do you need to create a mobile application for your restaurant?

Indeed, launching an app for your restaurant requires a significant financial investment. But it's a particularly interesting choice for strengthening your brand, especially if you already have a loyal clientele.

And, as already mentioned, developing your own appavoids the commissions of delivery platforms such as Deliveroo or Uber Eat, which vary between 10% and (more often) 30%.

In general, the cost of developing a mobile application can vary from a few hundred euros to tens of thousands of euros, depending on various factors such as: the technology developed, functionalities, extensions, storage capacity, and so on. It's advisable to consult several developers, publishers or agencies to obtain precise quotes based on your needs. 

Keep in mind that a mobile app can bring in new sources of revenue through monetization of the app itself, or via in-app offers or targeted advertising. This can be an effective way of generating additional revenue for your restaurant.

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How do you create a restaurant app?

In France, you can find several solutions for creating a mobile app for a restaurant that can tailor an app to your needs. The Goodbarber platform makes it easy for restaurants to create their own mobile app for online ordering, delivery and order management. Créer-application is an editor enabling you to develop your own Android or iOs app at low cost, with step-by-step guidance. For franchisees, there's also Dishop, available on iOS & Android. Alternatively, Innovorder supports restaurateurs on a daily basis with an online ordering solution.

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Easier than an app: an online ordering site

If you're not ready to create your own mobile application for your restaurant, you can start by creating your own online ordering site. This is what most restaurant owners do.

What are the advantages? 

1. It will cost you less

2. Your online order will be accessible on both mobile and PC devices

3. Your menu and prices will be updated more quickly

4. Your ordering site will be easier to access because your customers won't need to download an application.

And that's just what Innovorder offers. With us, you :

• increase your average shopping basket by 43%,
• create an online ordering site 100% in your image,
• allow your orders to be sent directly to the cashier and then to the kitchen,
• give your customers the choice of click & collect or delivery.

👉 Going further: 7 reasons to create a website for your fast food restaurant

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Did you like these tips? Don't hesitate to consult our other articles on our blog to help you develop your business!

Innovorder is the leader in digital solutions for commercial and institutional foodservice. Our team supports restaurateurs in their digital transformation with a complete ecosystem (kiosk, KDS, online ordering, checkout).