All businesses were hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restaurant business is no exception. Social distancing measures mean less number of people are dining out.
A great number of restaurants were already offering food delivery services. While some of them started after the pandemic to survive in the market. There are two options to do that.
First, partner with third-party delivery services like UberEats or build your own restaurant business app. One may think that partnering with delivery services is an easier choice.
After all, developing your mobile app for a restaurant requires some extra effort and investment.
What if we tell you that no extra effort is necessary from your end? Yes! If you partner with a reputable mobile app development agency, the process will not feel like a hassle.
In this article, we will discuss the top reasons to build your own restaurant mobile application. But before that, let us tell you why third-party delivery services are not the right choice.
Why Third-Party Food Delivery Services Are Not The Right Choice?
An important fact that restaurant owners ignore is that these platforms aim to earn their profits. They are not here to take care of your profits too.
The additional commission is just one element. Here are a few more reasons to not opt for third party food delivery services:
☛ High Commission
For a restaurant to be visible on UberEats, the owner needs to pay $350 as a one-time activation fee. Next is a 15% service fee for every order that the restaurant gets.
Here, the restaurant delivers on its own. If a restaurant wants UberEats couriers, then there is an additional 15% delivery fee on each order.
When the final earnings on each order are calculated, a restaurant mobile app will seem more profitable.
☛ Small Margin
Third-party meal delivery services have strict policies when it comes to pricing. The cost of the dishes should be the same as on the offline menu.
Therefore, a restaurant gets 15-30% less margin in such a partnership.
☛ Questionable Delivery
There are so many instances of delivery personnel not delivering the parcel safely. There is either damaged or in some cases, food items were opened and tasted on the way.
So, paying a 15% delivery fee doesn’t make any sense. Instead, a mobile app for restaurants will allow you to monitor all the factors related to customer service.
☛ Lack of Control
Third-party food delivery services bring more customers. But it is not necessary that they order from your restaurant regularly.
Usually, restaurant owners carry out their marketing activities with the help of customer data. In the case of delivery services, that data is owned by them.
When you go for your own restaurant mobile app development, the data will be yours. In a way, a restaurant app will give you more control over all business activities.
6 Reasons You Need A Restaurant Business App:
Here are 6 reasons which make it clear why you need a mobile app for your restaurant.
1. Leverage location-specific marketing with food restaurant apps
Today, smartphones use iBeacon Technology to search for signals nearby. As a restaurant owner, you can use this to your own advantage.
Local restaurant apps send push notifications to customers who have downloaded the app. In this way, customers get to know of any special offers going on.
As well, the push notifications serve as a reminder that the restaurant is nearby. You can send push notifications when the customers are in a certain radius of the restaurant.
In a way, the push notifications will speed up the decision-making process for the customer. It may even tempt them to order if they were not planning to.
The “Book-a-table” app is using beacon-based technologies and sets up a 50-meter radius for one of the restaurants. The app is getting more traffic than their previous average count.
2. Loyalty & Referral Programs
More and more customers will prefer a food joint where they earn some sort of points for every transaction. These are called loyalty programs.
They are turning out to be a great way of promoting a business. Applications for restaurants let the customers know their current points as well as offers during the holiday season.
When a restaurant mobile app runs a loyalty program, it is obviously personalized. This will give customers a push to participate in the program.
Moreover, if your restaurant business app is new, you can introduce referral points too.
As per research, about 65% of customers will download the app if they get exclusive deals and offers. Also, about 80% of them will return to the restaurant to claim those benefits.
3. Easier Internal Order Management
Apart from making money, a mobile app will also make it easier for owners to manage their orders. Instead of having staff go to the customers, take up orders, and pass into the kitchen, this is a simpler option.
Everyone has a mobile device today. So, customers can simply open the app and place an order. Apps for restaurant owners help avoid any sort of miscommunication and the online payment option is a benefit too.
Hire an Android app developer to add all the necessary integrations and make the user experience seamless.
Taco Bell allows its customers to customize their orders directly from the app. Customers don’t need to explain their preferences and the chefs can directly see the specific requirements.
4. Appease the Younger Generation
Right now, Millennials and Gen Z make up the largest market share. So, this is the population you need to attract with your restaurant business app.
It is mostly the millennials and Gen Z who order food online. So, while choosing mobile app development for restaurants, keep this audience in mind.
As per Food Tech Connect, 98% of the Gen Z population who pays through a mobile app will do it again.
If we look at restaurants’ app Android beyond payment, then 35% of the younger generation will prefer to place an order using smartphones/tablets.
Hence, keeping their demands in mind, ask your team of restaurant mobile app developers to include the necessary features.
5. More Table Reservations
People want convenience over everything else. When customers are given a choice, they will pick an online solution rather than an offline one.
Here goes another reason to develop restaurant applications for iPhone/Android. A mobile application will give your customers to make a reservation during busy times like the holiday season or weekends.
Is any day a better experience for customers to make their bookings without a busy line or having to go to the restaurant? On average, reservations made through mobile apps in a month are 100,000.
If we do the math, let’s say a restaurant earns $5,500 on a Friday night. If the reservations increase by even 10% due to the app, then additional income is $550 for a single night. Now, calculate this for every Friday and holiday season too.
6. Better In-premise Food Services
Restaurant iPhone applications are mostly improving the overall customer experience. But what if we tell you, it can improve the in-premise services too? Well, yes that is possible.
Almost every restaurant gives the option of takeaway to its customers. This is manageable on regular days, but what about the peak times or holiday season?
There are chances that the place becomes too cramped up and the experience for all customers will be a negative one. Plus the waiting time will increase too. In such a situation, a restaurant business app can come to your rescue.
Customers can check out the E-menu and place an order for pickup. When the restaurant staff receives the order, it can pack and keep everything ready.
As a result, app users spend only a few minutes in the restaurant. No waiting time means a pleasant experience for both types of customers.
Final Thoughts
All of the advantages stated here are the primary ones. There are additional advantages to developing Android/iPhone restaurant applications.
For instance, customers can leave a review, or share the food pictures on their social media handles. Of course, to make all this possible, you will require a mobile app development team.
Imagine the word-of-mouth publicity the restaurant will get through the app and social media.
We don’t think you need any more reasons to develop a mobile app for your restaurant. Hire an iOS app developer or an Android one as per your project requirements.
There is also a third option for developers who can build cross-platform applications. Keep in mind, the technical team is crucial for the success of your restaurant business app.
Hence, hire a development team and decide on the app functionalities after in-depth research.
Don’t have a mobile app for your restaurant yet? Did the pandemic affect your restaurant business negatively? Consult our expert developers on [email protected] to know more about creating your own app!
