Guide: How to create an app for food delivery

Food delivery apps have long been part of our daily lives. We've all faced situations where we want to eat good food but don't have the time or desire to leave home. This is where apps like this come in.

• Convenience and accessibility. And so If you want to create a food delivery app, your key advantage will be convenience and affordability.

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• Fast and simple. Another important advantage is speed. Forget about long phone calls with operators or waiting in line. You can place an order through the app in minutes.

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• Comfort and time savings. Comfort is another big plus of food delivery apps. You no longer need to go to a restaurant, look for a parking lot and wait for the dish to be prepared.

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• Variety of food. The key factor that makes food delivery apps so popular is the variety of choices. In one app, you can find restaurants of various cuisines, from Italian to Japanese.

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• Convenient payment methods. In addition to convenience and other benefits, such applications often offer various payment methods. You can pay by card, cash upon receipt, or through electronic payment systems like Apple Pay.

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Why it's important for business

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For businesses, food delivery apps are a way not only to increase sales, but also to improve communication with customers. For example, the app makes it easier to make personalized offers and get feedback. This helps businesses adapt to customer needs and offer them better conditions.

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According to statistics, those who use apps order food more often and remain more loyal.

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Apps make shopping more convenient, and customers, in turn, come back more often because they love the process itself — it's easy, fast, and effortless.

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Let's give examples of increasing profits in the food delivery industry:

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In the food delivery industry, it is important to build strategies that motivate customers to use the company's services again and again. One of the successful examples on the market is Yandex.Eda. The company has implemented a unique loyalty system that has significantly increased their profits and strengthened their leadership positions.

The system is based on three main elements:

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Shopping bonuses. For each order, the customer receives bonuses that can be used to pay for further purchases or redeemed for discounts. For example, we spent 1,000 rubles and received 100 bonuses to our account. All charges are displayed in your personal account.

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Referral system. Invite friends and get bonuses! The program encourages the acquisition of new users. If a new user signs up using your link and makes their first order, you will receive rewards in the form of bonuses.

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Personalized offers. The program takes into account your preferences. Do you love pizza? Get special discounts on your favorite meals. Algorithms analyze your order history to offer exactly what you need.

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This loyalty system helps the company retain customers, increase the frequency of purchases and attract new ones through referral links. Personalization shows care for each user, increases trust and strengths long-term relationships. The result? An increase in the average check and the company's total profit.

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Other successful examples of increasing profits

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Scooter. The Scooter app has become a real hit due to its ability to fit perfectly into the rhythm of modern life.

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The main advantage is fast delivery: it takes only 15-30 minutes from order to door.

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‍In a world where every minute counts is a real salvation. But speed is only part of the formula. The service offers an impressive range of more than 5,000 products, from fresh produce to household items. Add to this the convenience of payment — cash, cards, e-wallets — and regular promotions with bonuses. Buying is convenient, profitable and pleasant.

‍Vkusville. The mobile application helped VkusVill become an e-grocery leader.

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If in 2018, grocery delivery was just an experiment implemented through third party services, by 2020, VKusVill had confidently led the e-grocery market in Russia, increasing the share of online sales from 1% to 25%.

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The secret is that the app has become a real Swiss knife for customers: delivery, pickup, online returns, and even in-game achievements. It is especially important that during the pandemic in 2020, VKusVill was able to quickly restructure its internal processes. Now an order placed through the app is instantly processed by a smart checkout, and goods are picked up and delivered as quickly as possible.

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The result? In-house delivery brought the company almost 15 billion rubles in revenue in 2020, and the app itself was recognized as the most functional among Russian retailers.

Statistics say that the food delivery market is worth billions of dollars. Wow, that sounds impressive! But how exactly does this work? How can the app generate a stable income? Let's figure it out.

Restaurant Commission

Restaurants pay for every delivery made through the app. For example, you order a burger through Delivery Club, and the restaurant charges a percentage of the order amount. Everyone wins: the restaurant has more customers, the app gets its commission, and you enjoy a hot burger. This is a classic model: you benefit everyone — and you get paid for it.

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Shipping Fee

You pay not only to the courier, but also to the app that organized the process. For example, you decided to treat yourself to sushi, opened the app, made an order — and in the meantime, it added a small percentage to the total amount. Is it convenient? More like that. Delivery works, the app earns money, sushi comes to you.

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Paid promotion

Everyone wants their restaurant to be visible. And apps offer restaurants the opportunity to be at the top of the list or show great deals. This is a kind of advertisement that restaurants pay for. Meanwhile, customers choose establishments from the first positions and enjoy discounts.

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Subscription for customers

A paid subscription is a goldmine for those who like to order frequently. For a fee, you can get free delivery or exclusive discounts. For those who order meals several times a week, this is a great way to save money. And for the app, it means a stable income from subscribers.

All of these revenue models work individually or in combination to create a sustainable ecosystem where all participants benefit: restaurants get customers, users get convenience, and apps get money.

Modern food delivery apps are more than just a way to order lunch. This is a convenient tool that connects customers, couriers and restaurants into a single ecosystem. Let's look at what features the application should have in order for every user to be satisfied.

For customers

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Register

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Easy entry is the key to success. Why is this important? The user's first step in the app is authorization. In delivery services, this process should be as simple and fast as possible. Just enter a phone number or log in through one of the popular social networks.

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Restaurant search, food search and filters

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The app's homepage usually shows only selected restaurants. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In order for users to be able to discover all the variety of establishments and find a specific dish or cuisine, it is important to introduce a convenient search. Without this, the app loses some of its appeal and convenience.

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View menus and change orders

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To encourage users to order food, offer them the opportunity to view menus, read food descriptions, and make some changes. For example, let them choose supplements or change their regular appliances to Chinese sticks when ordering sushi.

Payment variability

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Credit card payments are a key feature of any application. To implement it, you need to connect payment gateways. They come in two forms:

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• Classic ones. They are suitable for large companies and require opening a trading account with a bank.
• Modern ones. They work with a regular bank account, but charge higher fees.

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Choose delivery time and address

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Let users choose a convenient time for delivery and save addresses. Imagine how great it is to order a pizza on your way home and get it as soon as you step in!

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Geolocation

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To automatically determine the user's location, you can set up integration with Google or Yandex maps.

Real-time order tracking

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Let users follow their orders in real time. This way they will be sure that everything is under control and the delivery process will be transparent. And to make the waiting process more fun, you can add a fun timekiller so they can have fun instead of just refreshing the screen while waiting for their order.

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Push notifications

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So that the user is always aware of changes in the status of their order and knows what stage of delivery is at, you can introduce pushes. In addition, push notifications can be used to send personalized promotions and special offers.

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Chat with a courier

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A chat with a courier is needed so that the user can quickly find out why delivery is delayed, or say that he will pick up the order right at the entrance. This helps to avoid unforeseen situations and disappointing support calls.

Ratings and reviews

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Reviews are beneficial to everyone: restaurants get feedback, users are easier to navigate their choices, and those who leave reviews feel that their voice really matters — especially when their opinion is really appreciated.

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Promotions and discounts

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Share great deals with users — this will increase their interest and make orders more frequent. They will be constantly checking to see if there are any new promotions. And vivid photos of food on the homepage will help you keep your attention, even if you don't have discounts right now.

Helpdesk

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To help users in disputes, you can offer various support methods. Chatbots are perfect for simple questions, and if the problem is more complicated, you can always contact the operator.

For restaurants

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Control panel

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The dashboard is a place where restaurant staff can quickly see all new orders and start processing them. Make it as simple and convenient as possible so that the restaurant can easily track orders, manage deliveries, and communicate with customers.

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Edit menus‍

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It is necessary to prevent users from ordering dishes that cannot be prepared now due to lack of ingredients, or vice versa, to add new items. This tool allows you to edit everything. You can also update photos and food descriptions here.

Order management

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All so that everything goes smoothly. Restaurants see orders and can accept or reject them if they are too busy right now.

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Notifications

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Notifications will help restaurants get real-time updates. They will be immediately aware of new orders and will be able to process them quickly. Also, if there are changes to an order that has already been placed, restaurants will be able to respond to them quickly.

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Inventory and inventory management

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Let restaurants update their in-app availability. This way they will not take orders for unavailable items and will always be able to deliver only fresh and tasty food.

Delivery zone and settings‍

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Restaurants must choose for themselves how far they will deliver orders. This way they can guarantee timely delivery and avoid problems with couriers.

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Order analytics and reports

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Restaurants will be able to track the number of orders, the most popular dishes and load peaks. This will help them make informed decisions and improve customer service.

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Engaging with customers

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Interacting with customers is an important part of how restaurants work. It allows you to chat directly with guests, receive feedback and ratings, and respond to comments. This is a great way to show that a restaurant values its customers and cares about their opinions.

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Special offers for customers‍

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Let restaurants create and customize promotions and discounts. This will help them attract new customers and make your app even more popular.

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For couriers

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Register

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We need the system to understand who is delivering orders. Usually a phone number is enough to sign in.

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Order list

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Here you will see all available orders, including the name of the restaurant, the distance to it and the time for delivery. This will help the courier choose the order that is most convenient for him to complete and get it to work right away.

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Order delivery status

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The status is updated every time the courier performances an action—taking the order to work, waiting for food to be prepared at the restaurant, driving to you, or handing over a package. All these changes are immediately reflected in the app so you always know what stage your order is at.

Order history

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To easily keep track of the number of completed tasks.

As a result, you get a set of solutions for all participants in the process. Hooray! Well-implemented functionality makes the application convenient and popular. Customers receive delicious food on time, restaurants increase profits, and couriers work in comfort.

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All this is implemented through two applications — one for customers and couriers, and one for administrators. Each of them is configured for maximum simplicity and convenience, ensuring effective interaction between all parties.

Let's move on to the guide, where we've written down the steps you can follow to develop a mobile food delivery app. You need to go through these important steps, they will help you take into account all the details and make the product convenient and functional for users.

Step 1. Identify your target audience

Ask yourself this question: Who exactly are you developing the app for? How old are they, what are their interests, lifestyle and eating habits?

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For example, millennials aged 25-35 are active users of technology who often order food at home. Consider how to make the app as useful as possible for this group — maybe it's a convenient menu filter system, personalized recommendations, or suggestions for vegetables, foodies, or health watchers.

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Step 2. Analyze your competitors
Before developing, be sure to research apps that are already on the market. What do the big players offer? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

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For example, one app may deliver food quickly but have an awkward interface, while another app may offer good discounts but have a limited selection of meals. By studying your competitors, you will be able to understand what can be improved and how your product will differ from others.

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Step 3. Define the functionality and draw up the terms of reference
Once you've deal with your target audience and competitors, it's time to get down to the details. Consider what features the app should have.

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This could be searching and filtering meals, paying via mobile wallets, a loyalty system, or the ability to track an order in real time. This may require several applications: one for customers, one for couriers, and one for administrators.

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After that, draw up a technical specification that will describe the project goals, functional requirements, interface features, and use cases. This is an important document that will guide the entire team and help them clearly understand what needs to be created.

Step 4. UX/UI design‍

Design plays a key role in digital products, especially in food delivery. The visual component of the application is the first thing a user sees, and this determines the perception of the service. It is important not only to create an attractive interface, but also to consider its functionality.

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At the first stage, colors, fonts and style are selected. For example, when using dark background tones, the text should be contrasting for easy reading. Navigation is also important: the app must be intuitive.

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Good navigation is like a route in an unfamiliar city: everything you need should be at hand. In the restaurant app, you should pay attention to menus and food searches so that users can quickly find the information they need. The easier and faster the search, the higher the user loyalty.

Step 5. Functionality development

At this point, it's important to clearly define what users will do in the app. For example, will they be able to search for restaurants by filters, view price menus, order food, and pay for orders directly through the app? Or maybe they'll monitor the delivery status?

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It is important to provide all these features to make it convenient and understandable for the user. Also, do not forget about security: the protection of personal data is a prerequal.

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Step 6. Testing

And here it is — the moment when the product is ready to launch! Developers finish writing the code, connect the necessary external services, and then the testing phase begins. The most important thing is to check the application for errors and bugs. If they exist, they must be eliminated. Only then can the app be safely launched into the store.

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Step 7. Release and store and promotion

After the final tests, the application is published on sites. Launch your delivery app and actively promote it through various channels. Don't forget about SMM and referral programs to increase the number of users.

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Step 8. App development and support

But that's not all! Once all development stages are successfully completed, the app is ready for release. But this is only the beginning!

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Development does not stand still, and it is important to continue maintaining and updating the application so that it always meets the changing needs of users. Regular updates and active attention to reviews help improve the product and maintain customer loyalty.

The question of how to create a food delivery app is becoming increasingly relevant in the world of fast food. Developing a mobile app for food delivery is not just about creating functionality, but also about complex work that includes designing, testing and implementing a user-friendly interface.

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Developing a quality product requires a professional approach, and Beetrail is ready to become your reliable partner at all stages. We create solutions that help businesses grow, adapting to changing market requirements and audience demands.

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Beetrail knows how to turn your idea into a successful app. We are engaged in turnkey development: from concept to publication and support.

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Take a look at our projects and submit a request in the form below. We will be happy to discuss your needs and help you calculate the cost.

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We care about your app!