The global online food delivery market is experiencing remarkable growth, with projections indicating revenues reaching $1.85 trillion by 2029.
In the last few years, working with restaurants, I’ve witnessed how essential it is for restaurants to tap into this growing demand.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the nine key steps to building your own food delivery app, which will make online ordering and food delivery service easier for your clients.
Key Takeaways
- Two Development Options: You can build a restaurant app using a restaurant app builder for a low monthly fee or hire an agency for custom development, which can cost $30,000 or more.
- Use an App Builder: I recommend using a restaurant app builder and paying a monthly fee of around $100.
- Reduce High Commissions with Your Own App: Third-party delivery platforms like UberEats and DoorDash charge up to 30% per order, significantly cutting into your profits. Building your own branded food delivery mobile app allows you to retain customers, boost loyalty, and maximize average restaurant revenue.
- Focus on Key Features: Ensure your app includes online ordering, real-time order tracking, secure payments, push notifications, loyalty programs, and driver management for a seamless experience.
- Keep Full Control Over Customer Data: Third-party apps like UberEats own customer data, limiting your ability to market effectively. With your own restaurant mobile app, you can collect and analyze data on customer behavior, send targeted promotions, and build long-term relationships.
- Seamless POS & Website Integration: A fully integrated system allows you to sync your online ordering, restaurant POS, and website to streamline operations, reduce errors, and improve efficiency.
- Offer Delivery & Pickup Options: Provide flexible fulfillment choices—in-house delivery, curbside pickup, or scheduled orders—to cater to customer preferences and optimize operational costs.
- Branded Customer Experience: Unlike generic delivery apps, your own app allows for a fully branded experience, from custom visuals and loyalty rewards to personalized recommendations, reinforcing your identity.
How Does a Delivery App Work?
A delivery app typically works by connecting customers, restaurants, and delivery drivers in a streamlined process.
Here’s a simplified breakdown showing how food delivery apps work.
- Customer Browsing: The customer opens the app, browses the available restaurants or food options, and selects items to add to their cart.
- Order Placement: Once the customer finalizes their order, they proceed to checkout, where they provide delivery details, select payment methods, and place the order.
- Restaurant Notification: The restaurant receives the order in real time, prepares the food, and notifies the delivery driver when it’s ready.
- Driver Assignment: The app assigns a nearby delivery driver (or the customer can select their preferred driver) based on location and availability.
- Food Pickup: The delivery driver picks up the food from the restaurant and follows the app’s navigation to deliver it to the customer’s specified location.
- Tracking: Both the customer and restaurant can track the delivery in real time via the app, allowing for updates on the delivery’s status.
- Delivery & Payment: Once the food is delivered, the app processes payment, which typically includes the food price, a delivery fee, and a tip for the driver.
- Feedback/Rating: After the delivery, customers can rate the food and service, providing valuable feedback for both the restaurant and the delivery driver.
Why Your Restaurant Needs a Branded Food Delivery App
If delivery apps like Uber Eats already exist, then why do restaurants need their own branded food delivery applications? The answer is simple – to save money with their own logistics network and have more control over their food delivery business.
In the article on Uber Eats commissions, I compared the fees and features of Uber Eats to other food delivery apps in the restaurant industry.
Unlike third-party food delivery services like Uber Eats, a branded food ordering app gives you access to your customers’ data, allows you to update order status, control everything up to the delivery process, and lets you run marketing activities independently. This increases revenue and improves the restaurant customer experience.
Below, I’ve created a table comparing using a third-party app (like Uber Eats) vs. your branded app (like UpMenu).
| Building Your App | Third-party app (like UberEats) | Your own branded app (like UpMenu) |
|---|---|---|
| Your own branding | ||
| Ownership of customer data | ||
| Flat fee | ||
| Commission | Ranging on average 15-30% | No commission fees |
Source: Uber Eats Pricing
Third-party online food delivery apps like Uber Eats charge a delivery fee for the delivery agent and a 15% to 30% commission fee on each order. This doesn’t include payment processing and marketing fees.
With your custom on-demand delivery app, you simply pay the delivery person. The rest of the money you make goes right into your pocket.
Benefits of Having Your Own Food Delivery App
The food delivery app market increased from USD 6.06 billion in 2023 to USD 6.82 billion in 2024. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.96%, reaching USD 14.24 billion by 2030.
According to Persistence Market Research, mobile apps are expected to become the leading channel in the online food delivery segment by 2030. Their growth is driven by features like ease of use, accessibility, personalized recommendations, real-time tracking, and secure payments, all enhancing the user experience and fostering customer loyalty.
Owning your food delivery platform comes with several benefits for your restaurant. Below, I’ve briefly described these benefits.
- Protecting your margin from third-party delivery services: Your food delivery application eliminates the need to pay commission fees to third-party delivery services and additional marketing fees that can eat up your profit margins.
- You own the customer data: With your custom food delivery mobile app, you own all of your clients’ data, including their contact details, order history, and other information.
- More orders: As shown by the statistics, customers prefer to order food directly from their favorite restaurants, rather than through a third-party system that charges hefty delivery fees and additional costs. This means you can expect more orders.
- Boost customer loyalty: With your own food delivery app, you can improve customer loyalty via the loyalty program. Automatically reward food delivery app users for their purchases and improve communication and restaurant feedback.
- Control delivery: With your own delivery app, you control the delivery process and choose who delivers outgoing food orders.
- More customer reviews: With your own branded food delivery application, customers are more likely to leave reviews, as the process is quick and easy.
- In 2023, 13% of customers used third-party apps or websites to place a delivery or takeout order, while 40% preferred to order through the restaurant’s app or website. This highlights the importance of a restaurant owning its own digital experience, as reported by Restaurant Technology News.
- According to the 2025 Commerce Experience Report by NCR Voyix, the majority (58%) of customers prefer ordering delivery through a restaurant’s app or website. Key reasons for ordering directly include convenience (65%), ease of customization (50%), and earning loyalty points (36%).
- According to Paytronix, mobile apps account for 34% of digital orders, and users of mobile apps have a 45% higher customer lifetime value (CLV) compared to web users.
What Do You Need to Know to Create a Food Delivery App?
Start by defining your goals—what is your food delivery app idea? Do you want a simple app for ordering food from your restaurant, or are you more interested in a complex platform with additional features?
Look at apps like Uber Eats or DoorDash, see their features. Do you want to compete with them directly by offering a portal with many restaurants, or launch an app enabling customers to order directly from your restaurant? The food delivery app development process will vary depending on the features you choose to include.
A reliable food delivery app isn’t just about placing online orders—it’s only one of many features a dependable system should offer. Here’s a list of features your restaurant can’t afford to overlook:
With this option, clients can place their food orders directly through the app without having to call you.
A digital restaurant menu in your online food delivery app lets clients view all of your menu items, and you’re able to edit the prices, layout, and colors to fit your branding.
A reliable food delivery app must have a payment option. Clients should be able to easily select payment options in the delivery app.
A loyalty program allows a food business to turn one-time clients into returning regulars by awarding them redeemable points for their purchases, which can be used to pick up various rewards, like discounts and even free meals.
An order-taking app allows restaurant and food chain owners alike to accept and manage online food orders directly on their phones.
Restaurant owners use this tool to communicate with their clients directly. This is useful for sending information on the latest offers and promotions.
With this app functionality, you’re in control of the development process. Use the simple no-code restaurant app builder to design your app your way, without having to pay for additional development costs.
Stand out from nearby restaurants by collecting restaurant feedback from your branded app and share it directly onto your website.
This feature allows you to generate your own coupon codes and offer them to customers as incentives to repeat orders.
Restaurant App Builder vs. Software Development Company
To build a food delivery app, you have two options.
- Hiring a Software Development Company: Such a company can create a custom food delivery app that is made to order. However, once they develop food delivery app features, you can only make changes with their assistance. Additionally, food delivery app development can be very expensive, especially if you need advanced features or custom integrations.
- Using a Restaurant App Builder: Alternatively, you can build the app yourself using a restaurant app builder, which is a tool that allows you to create a custom app without coding skills. This option is typically more affordable and quicker, offering pre-designed templates and features. Using an app builder is a great option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly, fast solution without the need for extensive technical resources.
Below, I have prepared a table where you can compare both solutions.
| Building Your app | Restaurant App Builder | Software Development Company |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds the app? | You via an app builder | A hired development team |
| How much does it cost to build a food delivery app? | Prices start from $49 per month | From $15,000 to $30,000, on average $25,000 |
| How long does it take to design? | ~1 Hour | UX design is completed in 2–3 weeks, while UI design takes 3–4 weeks |
| How long does it take to create? | ~1 Hour + Publishing the App on Google Play and App Store (usually around 2 weeks) | 3-4 months for a basic app, 6-9 months for an advanced app |
| Customization Options | Limited customization (depending on the builder) | Full customization, tailored to your specific needs |
| Ongoing Maintenance | Usually maintenance is included in a monthly subscription fee | Ongoing maintenance costs, could be higher |
| Technical Expertise Required | No technical skills required | Requires experienced developers and project managers |
Sources: RipenApps Technologies, Apptunix, Uptech, Medium
A software development company is a better option if you own a restaurant franchise business model and require heavily customized features for your delivery app.
If you need an easy-to-use solution, go with a restaurant delivery app builder.
How to Make a Food Delivery App in 9 Steps
If you’re running a restaurant and wondering how to create your own food delivery app, I’ve outlined the process in a few simple steps below.
Step 1: Register for a Restaurant App Builder
Create an UpMenu account to get started. UpMenu is an easy-to-use restaurant app builder that offers customizable options to help you create an impressive app without coding.
Once you’ve signed up to UpMenu, input your information and go through the onboarding process.
Step 2: Create your Digital Menu
Select the Menus icon from the panel to create your online menu.
Begin by creating menu categories and adding items to each category. For every menu item, include its name, description, and price.
Take clear, well-lit photos of each item and upload them for each dish to make the menu more visually appealing and enticing to customers
Remember to group your menu items into menu categories, making viewing the online menu quick and easy for your clients on both the website and the app.
Step 3: Provide restaurant details
Under the Settings icon on the toolbar, you’ll find the“Address and Contact” and “Working Hours” sections.
In the “Address and Contact” section, input your restaurant’s location so customers know where to find you for dine-in or pickup orders.
In the “Working Hours” section, you can add your business hours so customers know exactly when you’re open.
Step 4: Set up your delivery zones
Under the Online ordering button on the toolbar, select the “Delivery Zones” button. Here, you can draw your delivery zones in proximity to your restaurant.
Doing so lets customers know where delivery workers are able to deliver orders and at what price.
Delivery zones and delivery costs are visible to your customers in the restaurant app and are calculated automatically based on the customer’s address.
Step 5: Enable online payments
Under the Online ordering button, select “Payment methods” and in the “Online Payments” section, tap the button “Complete setup” to configure Stripe Connect. Doing so creates a secure payment gateway, allowing clients to pay online for pickup or delivery orders.
Instead of enabling Stripe, you can also enable PayPal payments or Adyen payments.
Step 6: Implement a Loyalty Program (optional)
A restaurant loyalty program is designed to increase customer retention by up to 63%.
For each purchase clients make, they’re rewarded with stamps and points, which can be redeemed for a free meal, discount, or any special reward you come up with.
To implement a loyalty program, under the “Marketing” button, select “Loyalty program.”
Step 7: Customize your Food Delivery App
Once you’ve added your restaurant menu, contact details, working hours, delivery zones, and set up online payments, you can customize your app.
Click the “Mobile App” button to design your delivery app to fit your restaurant branding.
1. Add Your Delivery App Name
Your app name allows customers to find your branded app in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, so make sure to use the name of your restaurant.
2. Upload Your Delivery App Icon
Your logo works as your app icon, so ensure it’s the right size and that your clients can quickly identify it.
When uploading your icon, make sure it is in .png format. The suggested resolution is 1024 by 1024 pixels.
3. Add Your Colors
Choose your main and complementary colors, and decide whether to use light or dark tones.
Ensure your app’s color scheme matches your restaurant’s branding. That way, when clients download your app, they can be sure it’s the right one.
Plus, an ordering app that matches your restaurant’s branding makes your business look more professional.
4. Add Background Image
Last but not least, upload the background image. Make sure the format is *.png or *.jpg. The suggested image size is 1242 by 600 pixels.
Once you’ve done this, click on “Preview app on your phone” to see how the app will look.
Step 8: Publish Your App
After you’ve customized your online food delivery app, the last step is to click on the “Publish app” button to publish it onto the App Store and Google Play Store.
Doing so puts your business in front of your target audience and allows them to download your app for quick food delivery services.
Step 9: Promote Your Food Delivery App
Once your app is available to download, you need to get the word out about it to your target audience. Doing so gets them to download your app, which increases your number of food orders.
Below I shared three great ways to promote your food delivery app.
1. Print QR codes
QR codes are the perfect way to get your in-house clients to download your app for online ordering.
In your online ordering system’s QR Code Menu & Tableside ordering section, you can select a QR code template, choose background color, text color, and write the description to customize a QR code.
Once you print it, display it in your restaurant, on a window or door, so food delivery app users can easily keep your restaurant right on their phones.
2. Add an App Page to Your Restaurant Website
Turn website visitors into customers by adding a page promoting your app.
Include links to the app stores and images of what it looks like so that clients are more likely to download it.
3. Send an Email & SMS Campaign
Reach your clients and inform them about your new online ordering app. Use restaurant email marketing software or send an SMS, informing them how quick and easy it is to use the app to order delivery now.
It will encourage customers to place orders directly from their phones, making the process more convenient and efficient, which in turn increases customer satisfaction.
You can also promote your app through a restaurant newsletter, offering updates and special offers to encourage its use.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How much does it cost to create a delivery app?
The cost of building a delivery app ranges from $15,000 to $30,000, with an average cost of $25,000. The price depends on the app’s complexity and required features. If you choose to create a delivery app using a restaurant app builder, the cost starts at $49.
How do I start my own food delivery service?
To start your own food delivery service:
- Research the Market: Analyze competitors and identify a niche.
- Create a Business Plan: Define your business model, pricing, and budget.
- Build Your Brand: Develop a name, logo, and website/app.
- Get Necessary Licenses: Ensure compliance with local regulations and obtain required permits.
- Choose a Delivery Model: Decide whether to hire in-house drivers or use third-party delivery services.
- Partner with Restaurants: Build relationships and offer technology solutions.
- Set Up Payment Systems: Integrate secure payment methods.
- Market Your Service: Use promotions, local advertising, and SEO to attract customers.
- Test and Launch: Run a beta test, gather feedback, and refine the service.
- Focus on Customer Service: Ensure timely deliveries and responsive support.
Read more about how to start a food delivery business.
Can I create an app like DoorDash?
Yes, you can create an app similar to DoorDash. You’ll need to collaborate with a software development company to do so. Follow these steps to create an app like DoorDash:
- Market Research: Analyze competitors and identify your target niche.
- Define Features: Include a user app, restaurant portal, driver app, and admin panel.
- Choose Development: Work with a software development company for custom development or use an app builder.
- Design & UI/UX: Create a user-friendly interface for all users.
- Develop & Integrate: Implement payment gateways, GPS, and a secure database.
- Test: Conduct thorough testing before launch.
- Launch & Market: Launch in your target area and use effective marketing.
- Maintain: Update and maintain the app regularly.
