Having an app for your restaurant is now a must to grow your eatery business. In 2020, over 110 million people ordered food via restaurant apps in the US alone! This shows that an app is a vital pillar of any modern food business.
But you might be wondering what to put on a restaurant app and what the benefits of an app could be.
This article is here to explore the features to include in restaurant apps. We cover 5 ideas on how to make a restaurant app, including queue management and loyalty programs.
1. Add Your Menu and Prices
Having your menu and prices available through your app will help drive sales. It is convenient for people to look at your menu, without even having to go inside your restaurant.
Large food chains such as Taco Bell have proven the effectiveness of featuring their menu on an app. Their application was downloaded 2 million times in the first four months of release.
When designing your app menu, make sure to include easy-to-navigate categories. You should also include pictures of the food where possible.
Make sure that you include all nutritional and ingredient content. Also, consider a separate menu with allergy or special diet information.
2. Reservations and Queue Management
During peak times, restaurants often become overcrowded or have long wait times. Having a waitlist app that allows people to book in advance or take a place in a virtual queue is essential. Being able to see table availability or their place in the queue will reduce customer stress.
3. Integrate a Loyalty Program
Did you know that 72% of US adults belong to at least one loyalty scheme? Loyalty schemes help create a sense of reward for regular customers. Adding incentives like discounts or free food is a sure way to get people coming back for more.
Traditional loyalty schemes like stamp cards are good. But you could also try alternatives to make things more fun.
A lot of companies are now creating games or lottery-style loyalty programs in their apps. This makes the experience more engaging and exciting for customers.
4. Food Ordering Capabilities
Now that most people own a smartphone, people want quick and convenient ways of ordering food. It is also ideal for increasing sales. This is because you can fulfill more orders, both with take-outs and customers dining in. Also, having order capabilities reduces wait times and frees up staff for other tasks.
Many people now feel more comfortable with contactless ordering, due to COVID-19.
5. Take Phone Payments
Having the option to make phone payments is a convenient way for customers to settle their bills. Many people now have E-wallets that can integrate into your restaurant app.
It also reduces customer frustration of waiting for a server in a busy restaurant to ask for the bill.
Build the Best Restaurant App
Building a restaurant app is now a must-have for any growing business. It will improve your customer’s experience and will increase sales and customer engagement.
If you found this article helpful, check out our technology and business sections. There you can find lots of helpful blogs to boost your restaurant business!
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