People have been having food delivered for some time now. How to Implement a Restaurant Delivery App Pizza Hut started the online ordering craze in 1994 when it first offered internet purchases. The smartphone accelerated this craze, and many restaurants today benefit.
However, the COVID-19 outbreak took restaurant delivery to a new level. How to Implement a Restaurant Delivery App People couldn’t walk into their favorite restaurant and get takeout. Their only option was to order online and have contactless delivery.
Grubhub and DoorDash remain two of the best-known food delivery apps today. However, restaurant owners wonder if they are the best choices. Those services can be expensive, and owners have had some disputes with the companies recently. As a result, they are looking at other options today.
Consider a restaurant-specific app if you offer restaurant delivery. Why is this option increasing in popularity today?
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Third-Party Delivery App Issues
Restaurants were excited to see third-party food delivery apps introduced. Restaurant owners saw this as an opportunity to expand their businesses and generate more revenue. The delivery provider would bear many of the expenses, including payment processing, and the restaurant would see a boost in sales. However, these same owners quickly began to discover there were problems with this delivery option.
Delivery providers ate up a large chunk of each sale, charging as much as 30 percent of the bill. Margins remain thin in the restaurant industry, and owners found the use of these services was actually hurting them.
In addition, customers became loyal to the delivery provider rather than the restaurant. The restaurant didn’t see branding benefits when using this option. Finally, the providers were known to raise their rates without warning.
Yum Brands learned this the hard way. It is currently in a legal battle with Grubhub over changes made to the original agreement. Fighting this battle will cost the company and cut further into the brand’s profits.
Why Create a Restaurant-Specific Delivery App?
Restaurant owners wonder why they should invest in a restaurant-specific delivery app. As mentioned previously, third-party providers often take a large fee for providing the service. This cuts into the restaurant’s profits. However, this is only one reason to develop a restaurant-specific app.
Sense360 reported in 2020 that customers prefer to place their order directly with a restaurant as opposed to a third-party site. Only 18 percent said they would prefer to use a third-party provider.
When choosing how to place an order, consumers take into consideration any fee charged. A restaurant doesn’t need to add additional fees to account for the fees charged by a third-party provider. This helps to keep costs low for the restaurant and the person placing the order.
The Benefits of a Restaurant-Specific App
Business owners appreciate being able to customize the app to meet their specific needs. They can integrate the ordering platform with existing software to provide a seamless customer experience.
In addition, the business owner chooses which payment options are offered. They may not be able to do so with a third-party provider. This could hurt the business if the third-party provider doesn’t offer the customer’s desired payment method.
A restaurant-specific app allows the owner to automate certain tasks. For example, when a customer places an order, the order goes directly into the queue. An employee won’t need to add it manually.
The owner may also choose to incorporate a chatbot into the ordering platform or have the system remove menu options when the ingredients aren’t available. These are only a few of several ways the app can be customized so the restaurant benefits from automation.
With a dedicated app, a restaurant can increase sales and thrive. Food delivery remains popular today, and customers want to work directly with restaurants when placing an order. A restaurant-specific app allows them to do so with ease. Learn more today about the benefits of this option to see if they are right for a restaurant.
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