Many third-party apps have been taking undue advantage of restaurants; thus, technology has given the leverage of restaurant ordering apps to help restaurants build business. They can handle orders and staff and manage delivery without seeking the help of third-party apps. Moreover, their customers will not have to pay platform fees to the partners, and it will be direct dealing between customers and businesses.
So, if you have plans to start your own online food ordering and delivery business, you should know what features will kickstart your business and your online ordering app.
Features for Restaurant Owners
- Managing Staff: The restaurant ordering app helps hire the top staff and schedule and monitor their work performance. To manage and generate reports on their schedules, shift swap requests, pay checks, days off, and overtime.
- Menu Management: With this feature, restaurant apps can control the menu that employees and other restaurant personnel can view. It generates tools for categorizing, adding, and describing menu items. Possibility of creating digital menus that are viewable on the app or website and are updated in real-time. Easily manage item availability and prices with real-time updates.
- Kitchen management: Order tracking and prioritization for the kitchen staff in real time. Creating databases for storing ingredient lists, recipe instructions, and serving sizes. Tools for monitoring stock levels, reorder requirements, and ingredient usage. Orders are shown on digital screens in the kitchen, saving paper tickets and improving workflow.
- Social Media Integration: This feature uses specific advantages and draws users to your restaurant app. Your clients will always be informed about new recipes, locations, and other details with the social networking tool. Customers and you can directly reply to reviews, messages, and comments from the app.
- Personalization: With this feature, the restaurant ordering app monitors, evaluates, and recommends relevant products, services, special offers, and promotions in response to the user’s behaviours and conduct. This restaurant app feature makes interacting with customers and developing relationships easier. The app will send out automated reminders and exclusive deals for customers’ birthdays and anniversaries.
- Restaurant Reviews: With the help of food review apps, users can discover and share the best foods and beverages in the area by taking pictures, mentioning the place and location, and sharing them on the app and other social media platforms. This increases the visibility and traffic on the restaurant app.
Features for Users
The app is being made so that customers can get what they want. Hence, the app should be user-friendly and updated with relevant information. Here are some important features to be added for users in the restaurant ordering app:
- Push Notifications: Customers can use this function to remain informed about recent announcements, special offers, discounts, and other pertinent restaurant information. For instance, order confirmations, preparation progress updates, out-of-delivery alerts, and order-delivered notifications. Information on upcoming events, newly added menu items, restaurant openings, alerts regarding active sales, discounts, and exclusive deals, among many other things.
- In-app Online Ordering: Customers can use the in-app to place online orders directly from Google search results for delivery or pickup. Users may order meals, pay for them, earn discounts, and receive offers within the restaurant ordering app. Customers can easily navigate the restaurant’s online ordering app and place online orders.
- Payment system: This is the most crucial feature that allows customers to pay for their orders online easily and securely. Build a robust payment system that strengthens trust and transparency between both parties. They can securely add their bank account details, which will remain confidential and encrypted. They should also be able to use any other payment gateway for easy payment methods.
- Chatbots: This is the most important function in the restaurant ordering app since it enables customers to contact customer service with any problems or questions. For instance, automated chat assistance can help clients with questions or issues. Assist users with placing orders, making changes, and making payments. Helped customers make bookings for tables and informed them of availability.
- Customer Feedback: This page should be important in any restaurant online ordering app. This helps you find out what and how you can make things better. Remember, there is always scope for improvement and to make things better. Analysing the feedback and reviews customers upload on this page will help identify better.
Features for Admin
Any business can flourish when a separate department handles all the crucial databases. These databases can:
- Manage metrics like orders placed, overall sales, active users, and trends.
- Quick buttons for menu updates, order management, and listing new items.
- Important updates include low stock, fresh orders, and issues with payments.
- Updates on the progress of open orders in real-time.
- Thorough information on sales on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
- Information on stock waste, replenishing, and inventory.
- Information about expenses, profit margins, and revenue.
- Combine several payment gateways and offer alternatives for digital wallets, credit/debit cards, and Cash on Delivery (COD). Every transaction is fully documented, including payments, refunds, and unsuccessful payment attempts.
- Characteristics like PCI compliance, fraud detection, and encryption.
- Rearrange categories using the drag-and-drop feature to improve visibility.
- Give each category a thorough description and some pictures.
Conclusion
Online restaurant app features should be advanced and meet all the criteria that can help a business flourish. Develop a simple online ordering app and then release it into the market. Try upgrading it to match the increasing trends and demands in the market. Slowly updating the app can keep your business visible and talk of the town
