How to Make a Food Delivery App for a Restaurant in 5 Steps?

Want to build the next big food delivery app in 2025? The growing online food delivery market is expected to reach $505.50 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. There’s never been a better time to turn your idea into reality. 

Whether you’re a restaurant owner aiming to boost direct orders or an entrepreneur ready to compete with platforms like UberEats and DoorDash, creating a food delivery app can provide you with huge revenue streams. 

In this blog, we break down the essential steps, must-have features, estimated costs, and expert tips to help you build a successful food delivery app from scratch. 

So, let’s start. 

Benefits of “Create Your Own Food Delivery App”

Why create a food delivery app?

Below are the benefits of creating your own food delivery app for your food business.

Customer Loyalty

Creating your food delivery app can improve customer loyalty through a loyalty program. With the help of this program, you can build a loyal customer base. The customers get rewards and incentives for their purchases.

Customization

You can easily customize the app according to your needs. By creating your own food delivery app, you can create a user-friendly interface and add the features of your choice, which can lead to higher user satisfaction and retention.

Data Security

Customer data privacy is important in the food delivery industry. You can easily save your customer information, like payment details, addresses, etc., in a more secure way by creating your own food delivery app.

Get More Orders

Customers prefer ordering directly from their favorite restaurant, not third-party apps. Through this, the restaurants get more orders and save on the fees associated with third-party delivery platforms.  

Control Delivery

With the food delivery app builder, you fully control the delivery process and provide a better customer experience.  

Key Features of a Successful Food Delivery Application 

Before the food app development, you must know the main features that should be included in your food delivery app. 

Login

This will allow users to log in to your app using email or social network profiles. You will also need their phone number so you can make a verification of the order placed.

Search

Search should be available so users can easily find their favorite restaurants. Also, filtering options should be available, for example, if the user wants to find vegetarian or Chinese restaurants in their area. It also includes a map option so users can check restaurants near themselves as well on the platform.

Order Placing

Order placement is a must-have feature. When an order is placed, the users want a quick update and get a notification when the order status changes. The user is also notified when the order should not take more than 45 minutes.

Order Checkout and Payment

Users should be able to pay using multiple channels. It can be PayPal, Credit Card, Debit Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Cash on delivery.

Notifications

Through push notifications or SMS, users need to be informed about new deals, promotions, and discounts.

Order Tracking

Showing live tracking of the rider increases the user experience. They need to be informed about where their order is; they can be informed by seeing a live update on a Google map.

User Reviews

To see reviews of restaurants is very important. Based on those reviews, customers can make intelligent decisions that make restaurants accountable for giving the best services.

Steps to Build a Food Delivery App

Creating a food delivery app similar to Uber Eats needs a few essential steps. It requires proper planning. So, you can create a great app that satisfies your customers’ needs. 

Below are some steps to help you in the “how to create a food delivery app” phase.

1. Start Research

First, you must start your market research and understand the food delivery industry. In this phase, you can do these things:

• Know your competitors.
• Analyze them and know what they do and where they lack.
• Know your target audience by prioritizing gender, age, income, and nationality. 
• Understand the food delivery business model.

This information should be used to develop a strategy that differentiates your app from other market solutions. 

2. Choose your Key App Features

Your features will drive the entire online food ordering app development lifecycle. Select the app’s key features that you need to include. For example, you can add basic features like login and registration in your app. Other key features included in your app are:

• Search 
• Order tracking
• Reviews and ratings
• Payment notifications
• Order history
• In-app chat 
• Customize orders and more

To make the whole delivery system work, you need to have multiple apps talking to one another so the whole app can work correctly. For a customer app, you need a dashboard to store restaurant data for users and riders. The dashboard should also give you an overview of your whole project. 

A restaurant needs a separate app to change the status of the order details of the order, and proper notifications are necessary so the restaurant knows about its orders. Some features, such as printing invoices, taxation, etc, are also included. 

The driver app is important as well. It makes it easier for riders to change the order status when the food has been delivered to customers. Also, they communicate with the customers with an in-app feature. 

3. Select the Technology stack

To develop the food ordering app, select the technology stack. For example, if you need to add a payment feature to your app, you can use different payment gateways such as Stripe, PayPal, etc. In addition, you can decide the technology stack according to whether to build an app for iOS or Android.

4.  Start the Food Delivery App Development 

After selecting the features and technology stack, start the on demand food delivery app development. However, if you don’t have expertise, hire the development team or work with app development experts to create a food delivery website or app. 

The food delivery application development step can be divided into two phases:

App Design / Front-end: Design the UX design user-friendly that is attention-grabbing for the customers. Also, create a unique logo for the brand.   

Back-end: Work on the back-end and implement all the app features.

5. Testing the App

Test the app before deployment. Remove all the errors and make it bug-free. Check all the features and run the app on different platforms to ensure that it provides the users with a seamless experience. 

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Food Delivery App?

The cost of developing the food delivery platform depends on various factors, which include:

• App features
• Complexity
• Technology stack
• Development method 
• Marketing cost
• Number of integrations
• Number of platforms 

Typically, the best food ordering app for restaurant development costs $5000 per month to $100,000+. However, this price depends on the factors that are mentioned above. 

Look at the table below and understand the estimated costs of building a food delivery system, ranging from basic to advanced features. 

Tips to Make Your Own Food Delivery App Like a Pro 

Below are some tips to help you create a food delivery app that gives you success in the food delivery industry. 

• Create a proper business plan that you follow throughout the entire food app development phase. 
• Define the unique selling proposition (USP) that helps you stand out from the competitors. 
• Know your target market and competitors. It will help you create a great app and offer features that are missing in the competitor’s app. 
• Understand your audience’s needs and keep them in mind when selecting the app features.   
• Create a proper budget plan and stick to it. 

FAQs

1. Which is the best app to order food?

Uber Eats is the is the best app for ordering food online from various restaurants. You can get a wide range of restaurants to deliver the food on time.

2. How do I set up an online food delivery service?

Below are steps that will help you create an online food delivery service.

• Make a plan
• Decide on your budget
• Research the market
• Plan your business model

3. Do food delivery apps make money?

Yes, food delivery apps do make money through several revenue streams, such as: 

Commission Fees: They typically charge restaurants a commission on each order placed through the app. This can range from 15% to as much as 30%.

Delivery Fees: Customers are charged a delivery fee, which varies based on distance, time, and other factors.
Advertising: Many apps offer advertising space for restaurants and businesses, allowing them to promote their offerings directly on the platform.

Subscriptions: Some apps provide subscription services to customers, offering benefits like reduced delivery fees or exclusive deals for a monthly fee.

Partnerships and Promotions: Apps may partner with brands or run promotional campaigns that generate additional revenue.

4. How long does it take to create a delivery app?

Building a delivery app can take between 5-6 months. However, it can vary and depend on your app features, complexity, timeline, and selection of platform. 

5. How do I start my food delivery service?

Below are some steps to help you start your food delivery service. 

• Do market research 
• Select the business model 
• Set the budget
• Get the necessary licenses and permits
• Set up your kitchen 
• Build a website or use a third-party platform
• Launch and promote your business 

6. Which food delivery app is worth it?

DoorDash and Uber Eats offer a wide selection and frequent promotions, making them worth considering.

7. How much does it cost to develop the DoorDash app?

Developing an app like DoorDash can cost between $100,000 to $500,000 or more, depending on features, platforms, and development complexity. Factors like design, backend infrastructure, and payment integration also influence the total cost.

8. Are any food delivery apps profitable?

Yes, some food delivery apps are profitable, particularly those that have scaled operations effectively and optimized delivery logistics. DoorDash and Uber Eats have reported profitability in certain quarters, but the industry overall often faces challenges with margins.