How To Build An Efficient On-Demand Food Catering Application?

Food ordering has become a habit with the introduction of an on-demand food catering app, we can order food online through our smartphones. With a few taps, you can order your favorite food from your favorite restaurants without any hassles.

With the help of a food delivery app, you have plenty of cuisines to select from. This has resulted in massive growth in the on-demand sector. The urban population has accepted this concept wholeheartedly.

Hence, a lot of businesses already using apps in this industry have gained success. Some of the established brands in the on-demand food catering business are Swiggy, UberEats, Zomato, etc. These apps have been delivering food to their customers at their doorsteps successfully.

If you are inspired by the idea of food delivery apps and want to start your venture or want to expand your existing food catering business, then this blog would help you know about why invest in food catering app development solutions, its benefits to your restaurant, costs, tech-stack, and features, etc

On-Demand Food Delivery App- What is it all about and how does it work?

The on-demand food delivery apps connect food catering businesses and customers under one roof. It is an online service that helps users to order food and get it delivered to their preferred location.

All you need to do is download the on-demand food catering app, register/sign in, browse through your favorite restaurants or meals, place the order, choose from different payment methods and place the order. The simple process helps you get food delivered right to your doorstep.

These food catering apps help you get instant services almost anywhere

The on-demand apps help save a lot of effort and time for the customers.

The food catering apps allows customers to call or send email to raise complaints or ask queries.

Why opt for Online Food Ordering App for Your food delivery business?

There are plenty of reasons why an online food order app can help you gain profits for your food delivery business. Here are some of them.

  • Offers convenience and saves time
  • Hassle-free food ordering and delivery
  • Round-the-clock food ordering services are available
  • Real-time tracking of location
  • Simple online menu
  • Comes with social media integrations

The business model for the on-demand food catering app

When it comes to business models that can be considered for online food ordering apps, there are 2 of them that are adopted by big brands.

Aggregator

It is one of the common models used by food delivering apps wherein the firm helps restaurants and users communicate on a secure platform. The firm will not help the restaurants with deliveries.

Delivery support

This model is a complete delivery-centric model wherein the restaurants get delivery support to serve their end-users. Here both restaurants and users get complete support on the app from the app owner.

Monetization models for on-demand food catering app

Some of the big players earn ample money through food delivery apps. Here are the monetization models they follow to get maximum profits.

Advertising

This model is about generating income through advertisements. The app owners can help restaurants promote their business by placing ads on the app. The app owner charges a certain fee from restaurants to display their ads.

Registration Fee

The app owner can charge a registration fee to the users. Most online food delivery apps charge a certain amount from catering businesses and restaurants for registering their brand on the app.

Subscription Fee

The app owners can earn through subscriptions. This is one of the common revenue streams wherein the users can buy subscriptions to avail of different services on the app.

In-App Purchases

Most apps allow the users to access limited content only on their app. In case users want to access the premium features, they can access them through In-App purchases.

Vital Features for an on-demand food Catering App

There are 4 main panels in the food delivery app and each panel has a unique set of features.

User Panel

  • Login/ signup
  • Wishlist
  • Search Menu
  • Cart
  • Track orders
  • Re-order option
  • Payment options
  • Feedback and reviews
  • View history & payouts
  • Offers and discount
  • Customer support

Admin panel

  • Restaurant location management
  • Manage User, Delivery, and Merchant
  • Promote offers & discounts via advertisement
  • Manage transaction
  • Area-wise Map Location
  • Application Security
  • History & Notification
  • Manage Claim Restaurant
  • Refund/Order cancellation
  • Backup & Restore option

Merchant Panel

  • Manage delivery
  • Receive order & booking
  • View daily/weekly/monthly/and yearly graph
  • Various offers & discounts
  • Download report
  • Push notifications
  • Upload food menu
  • Manage geolocation
  • Manage payouts

Delivery panel

  • Receive orders
  • Get approval from the admin
  • Accept/reject the orders
  • View total earning
  • Complete booking & earn more

Advanced features for an on-demand food Catering App

  • Social media integrations
  • Chatbots
  • Loyalty programs
  • Gamification

Step-by-Step Guide for On-Demand Food Catering App Development

It is important to ensure that you make a robust and efficient app so that you can succeed in the long run. It is not just about getting a replica of the features found in popular food ordering apps, but you need to have something unique in your app to stand out from the rest. Let us have a look at the steps to follow for a successful app development process.

1. Check out for the latest trends in the food delivery sector

If you want to beat the competition, you should be aware of the latest trends in the food delivery sector. So, find out the latest delivery channels as well. To accomplish this task, you should focus on the latest trends in Chatbots, social media, etc

2. Select the relevant Food Delivery Model

At this stage, you should select a relevant food delivery model that matches your business goals. You can select from the two common models Order Only Model and the Order and Delivery Model.

3. Conduct market research

It is important to know your target audience and target market to build a robust food delivery app. This will help you know who are the ones who will be buying your products. It helps create an app that meets the needs of the target audience.

4. Pick the right features for your food delivery app

While building any mobile app, you need to focus on some common and vital features like

  • Order tracking
  • Order checkout
  • Registration
  • Search
  • Review & ratings
  • Payment options
  • Order placing

5. Choose the right tech stack

Based on the business model you select for your food catering app, you need to pick the suitable technologies.

Team Members to develop a Food Catering App

Certainly, a dedicated team with expert members can help you build an amazing food catering app.

  • QA engineer
  • UI/UX Designer
  • Project Manager
  • Business Analyst

Technology Stack required to develop a Food Catering App

  • iOS – Objective C, Fabric iOS, Laravel, Swift
  • Android- Android SDK, Kotlin, React, Node JS, Ruby on Rails, Codeigniter
  • Database – Redis, Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL
  • Cloud Storage – Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS
  • Payment – Stripe, PayPal, Braintree
  • Real-Time Analytics – Spark, Google Analytics
  • Push Notifications – Twilio, MAP

Cost of on-demand Food Delivery app development

Some of the basic features mentioned above are vital for your app, but apart from these basic features, you may need to integrate some advanced or additional features. It would directly increase the development cost. Let us learn about other factors that can increase the cost

  • Basic features
  • Advanced features
  • Complex features
  • Size of the development team
  • Platform

The cost also depends on whether you choose custom or white label food catering app development solutions

Conclusion

Before you launch an on-demand food catering app, make sure you find the details of every aspect related to the food delivery industry. The above blog has details of features, revenue, business models, tech stack, cost, etc. The information will help you move in the right direction.

Apart from gathering detailed information you need to seek help from a professional on-demand food app development company to build a scalable app. Apps on Demand, a reliable mobile development company helps start-ups, and businesses launch their online food delivery business with the help of expert developers. We aim to offer you the best app development solutions. Hence, we deliver both custom and White label Food Catering Apps to meet your business goals. Let us connect to discuss your app idea to let you launch a profitable online food delivery app.