Essential Food Delivery App Features: A Comprehensive Guide

Food delivery apps have gained much popularity in the past few years, especially after the world got hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Food delivery apps offer users a convenient and efficient way to order food from their favorite restaurants and deliver it to their doorstep. But now, the food delivery app is not restricted to just homes and offices; you can get the food delivered to activity places and relaxing spots such as beaches. The purpose of these apps is to simplify the food ordering process, allowing customers to browse menus from a vast range of restaurants quickly, select their favorite dishes and pay for the order from comfort. With the app, you will not be getting disturbed while having fun with family and friends or even if you are relaxing at the beach. 

And a well-known fact, with the rise of smartphone technology and increased demand for fast and convenient services, food delivery apps have become a go-to solution for many people who want to save time and spend it with their loved ones. These apps also help restaurants to expand their customer base and increase their revenue by reaching to new customers who may have yet to visit their establishment. 

The food delivery apps has skyrocketed in recent years, with companies such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates leading the market. These apps have completely changed the food delivery industry by offering a wide range of cuisines, fast and reliable delivery, and real-time tracking of orders. As a result, food delivery apps have become an integral part of food industry and have transformed the way people order food and enjoy their meals from anywhere. 

This article talks about the top food delivery app features, how they have transformed the food industry and why they have become so popular. By examining these features, you will be able to gain a better understanding on the benefits of using food delivery apps and how they can enhance the overall user experience. 

Statistics on Online Ordering and Delivery

If you are planning to own an online food delivery app but need help figuring out where to start from and it is worth the spending? So we have made it easy for you, here are some of the data from expert market research (EMR) to help you understand and get a clear overview of the spending:

  • As of 2022 by far, the worldwide online food delivery market reached to $130.8 billion. 
  • The revenue is expected to grow at an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 13.2%, resulting in a projected growth volume to approximately USD 275.22 billion by 2028.
  • As per Statista, in 2024 the revenue of the eServices Online Food Delivery segment Platform-to-Consumer Delivery worldwide would be approximately 97 million USD.

As you can see, the above stats show the demand for online food delivery apps is high, so why miss the golden opportunity of not having one for yourself? But before you begin with your food delivery app, you must have a clear understanding of what features an online food ordering app must-have. Therefore, we came up with an article that talks in detail about the must-have food delivery app features.

Following are the Must-have Food Delivery App Features

When you plan to proceed with food delivery development, you must know some of the most trending features. In this article, we have covered some essential elements that can help you develop an outstanding app for your food business. The very first thing you need to know about food delivery app development is to pen down your primary users/customers. 

So, it’s simple, you have:

  • The customer
  • The admin and 
  • The delivery person or valet 

Now, its important to study their patterns, tastes, preferences, needs and requirements. It’s amazing to have features that best suit these customers. So it’s better if you consider three different kinds of food-ordering mobile apps for your platforms. These are:

  • The customer side of the app
  • The admin panel 
  • The courier or valet person app

The user-customized features help to make your food delivery app more useful. Below is a list of key features for each food-ordering app with an example.

User-Specific App

Your customers will fluently be using the food delivery app, so it would be helpful if it is user-friendly. The customer app must allow them to find the right restaurant or dish they are willing to order. After ordering the food, the payment process should also be as smooth as placing the order. For instance, consider the beach grub app both for Android and iOS users to have a better understanding of the user-specific application.

 

 

User Registration, Profile Creation and Authentication

The registration process is the very first step of the customer’s interaction with the app. It should be hassle-free and fast. You may also include for customers not to continue the process if the process is complicated. Therefore it is advised to make the registration feature simple, and minimalistic and allow users to finish the registration via the OTP received on their phone number or email account, or they can use social media accounts. Later the user can customize the profile by adding additional information such as profile picture, gender, email Id, and a short bio. The profile management feature must be supported with a secure and robust back-end to secure user details. 

Restaurant Search, Menu Browsing and Selection

The core feature of the food delivery app is searching the food from the restaurant. After completing the sign-up and registration process, the user is logged in successfully and ready to place the first order. When the user gets what they are looking for the order is placed fast. Adding a smart restaurant list to the app is highly advised. The facet can organize restaurants and cuisines by location, food preferences (gluten-free, nutrient-rich, vegan, non-vegan, desserts) and type of food (gourmet food or fast-food) and cuisine from diverse nationalities. You can research the food preferences and make suggestions as well for users to select the desired dishes. For instance, Grubhub lists almost every city restaurant, giving the app users vast options. 

Restaurant Profile Reviewing 

Sometimes, while placing the order, customers might want to look at the restaurant profile so its important to have a restaurant profile. The customer should check location, food availability with the restaurant, ratings, reviews and pricing. The feature helps to conclude the order process, so is a kind of mandatory feature to your app. 

Food to the Cart and Scheduling Orders

When customers find food that they want to have, it’s time to add items to the cart, and users may want to order from different locations. So make the cart feature handy so that the user can easily place the orders at one go, without placing multiple orders from more than one place. Another crucial feature is to schedule orders. Imagine some of your pals visiting you after work and you don’t have enough time to cook a meal. 

Ordering food and having it delivered on time would help. The convenience of food ordering and getting it delivered at the right time hence makes the food delivery app feature valuable. 

Payment and Checkout

As a business owner, payments are important to your food delivery business. When you make the payment procedure simple and secure, it supports you for a better future business expansion. What can be done at your end? You can choose to incorporate all payment gateways or mobile wallet app services into your app. Services you can avail from several payment systems such as PayPal, iOS Wallet, Stripe etc. All payment options offer a wide range of options to customers. You can also offer loyalty points, vouchers and discount codes from admin that excite customers to place orders asap. It’s important to ensure the online payment information is safe and highly secured. Any compromises in security might thwart your reputation.

Delivery Tracking Information

Once the customer has placed the order and confirmed the payment it’s time to give the user the delivery or valet details for smooth delivery of the parcel. The feature helps the user in reaching out to the delivery person and track down the order. For instance, postmates users can easily track the delivery boy’s location after the order is placed.

Real-Time Tracking 

The user will not only get the time estimate of the delivery boy, but they can also track the progress in real-time. The cool feature reduces the anxiety of waiting for the delivery guy to reach the location, as the user can get the correct estimate. For instance, the average time taken by the Deliveroo delivery guy is approximately 32 times. 

Reviewing Order History

Suppose the user wants to order something from the previously placed order. It’s easy to place orders from the past. What can be done about this? Well, you can add the history feature allowing users to revisit and place the order from the history. Users can click to repeat the order and eliminate the process of searching for meals and restaurants. 

Review and Rating

Customers love to give feedback and rate the restaurant and food. Therefore get an incredible reviewing and rating feature for users so that they can tell other users how their experience was with the restaurant and food and give them stars.

Offers, Promos, and Push Notifications

The additional features of offers and promos are important for your food ordering app. It plays an influential role in customer retention and winning brand loyalty. Who doesn’t like food for a discounted price? When users get attractive promos and offers, they are more likely to take advantage of them and place orders more frequently. For instance, Deliveroo has remunerative promo codes and deals, especially for first-time customers. With many vast food delivery businesses, you need to be creative, create visibility and stand out from the competitors. 

Sending push notifications lets you stay in close to the existing customers and brings more as well. You can reach to your users and help with information such as discounts, offers, etc. These additional features are an incredible way to keep customers engaged.

Admin-Specific App

Admin is an individual person’s account responsible for handling orders, determining prices, and maintaining efficient service. The admin app feature plays an important role to make sure the services are running smoothly and efficiently. Some of the features that can come in handy for the food ordering app builder are written down below. To have a better understanding, you can take a look at the beach grub Android and iOS features of the restaurant app that manages all the admin responsibilities.

 

features of a food delivery application

 

Registration and Managing Profile 

For all three food delivery apps, the registration process is alike. Logically the admin will need to complete the registration process. Note: For the aggregator model that list different restaurants for the customers, you may need this feature. 

Restaurants will register for your service, and share profiles such as name and address, menu offerings, prices, etc. After the registration is complete, restaurants can start getting orders from customers.

Assigning orders 

The must-have feature for assigning orders. With this feature, you or the restaurant can use the admin panel and allocate order requests to delivery personnel. 

Dashboard 

Another prominent feature to run services efficiently and manage your restaurants better. What’s more? You can get a quick view of the orders, deliveries and payments on the dashboard. The feature helps to manage your business much more efficiently. 

Managing-Content and Order

Your business’s essence lies in its content. Offering customers up-to-date information allows them to access restaurant details smoothly. To enhance the user experience, it is imperative to have optimized content available on the admin panel. In the case of the aggregator model, its the restaurant owners who can manage the information, such as name, address, menus, working hours, etc. Hence, the user can assure of getting the latest and updated information from the delivery platform. Another terrific feature is order management, restaurants can easily handle orders, manage payments, order history etc, using the admin panel.

Additional Features to Admin Panel

The other added features in the admin panel are food delivery portal development. 

  • The admin app should have the functionality of managing and editing payments and financial accounts. 
  • The admin side should be able to send out notifications to the users. The push notification center can notify users of offers and discounts. The center is also eligible to analyze the user’s order history.
  • From time to time, the admin panel should be able to create loyalty campaigns and new offers. 
  • Analytics plays an important role in the food delivery business. With this feature, you can get a quick picture of the number of customers, the orders you are getting daily and etc.

Delivery or Valet-Specific App

Another important food ordering app feature- is the valet or delivery person. Your app must include features for the delivery guy as to make the order in time. For instance, the beach grub valet app, both for Android and iOS, includes all the important features needed by the app to run successfully. 

 

Features of food delivery app

 

Registering and Customizing Profile

The very first step for the delivery guy is to register himself and complete the process as soon as possible. The person can customize the profile as or whenever want to do so. The restaurant and food delivery service can assist to complete the verification process. After this the personnel can start receiving orders and delivering them rightly. For example, DoorDash has its own delivery guys known as dashers. Note: Profile creation and verification are important to avoid any kind of criminal intent and protect customers from any fraud.

Handling Orders

Food delivery app feature to efficiently check out the order requests so they can quickly accept or reject new calls. Hence making it convenient for them to manage all orders. 

Tracking GPS and Navigation

For the delivery guy its an important to get the accurate delivery location. Navigation and GPS tracking plays an imperative role here. The personnel with this feature assistance can deliver the order at the right time.

Status Update

It’s important for customers as well to know where their order reached. It’s an amazing feeling to know the status of the placed order when it comes to food especially. The delivery person will be responsible for updating the order status, such as progress, delayed or delivered. The customer receives a push notification and keeps them engaged. 

Handling Payments via Wallet Feature

We commend that the delivery guy receives payments and commissions online.The wallet feature allows the person to receive and manage payments from the app and the restaurant. They can check the amount they have in their wallet and withdraw as needed or asked to do.

Delivery History 

The delivery personnel may want to check out their deliveries and payments. This feature is useful for the delivery guy or valet to check all the previous deliveries and payment details. 

Conclusion to Features of Food Delivery App

You cannot achieve success in any industry, especially in food delivery, through pre-made solutions or hidden tricks for staying ahead of competitors. Delivery Management Software is essential for comprehending your customer’s unique requirements and having a food delivery app that fulfills their needs effectively. Customers highly aim for on-demand food delivery apps and customize the app to their advantage. This is an ideal time to invest in on-demand user-friendly food delivery mobile app development and transform your business vision into a reality.

 

Connect to discuss the food delivery app features.

 

Agicent Assistance to Develop a Successful On-Demand Food Delivery App 

Even the most encouraging food delivery app project with an advanced tech stack will not go without technical expertise. In case you are not sure about your technical abilities, it’s better to outsource the food delivery application development team. The food delivery industry is experiencing significant growth, making it an opportune time to embark on the journey of developing a food delivery app and making an impact in the mobile app market.

If you are looking for reliable partners to assist you with the food delivery app, Agicent is happy to help. You are most welcome to explore our works, including Beach Grub, which is changing how people can order food to their spot without leaving the beach. The app offers food delivery services in Toms River, NJ and surrounding areas when you are hungry or craving a juicy cheeseburger. Use the beach grub applications for a smooth experience in food ordering when at Toms River, NJ and nearby places.

We comprehend the unique requirements of each business and help them in developing a successful on-demand food delivery app. Our experienced app developers will be delighted to assist you in the process of making the meal delivery app a huge success for you. Why delay more? Let’s talk

Frequently Asked Questions

 

To select the right technical expertise for a food delivery app, you need to look for developers who have relevant experience in building similar apps, strong technical skills and the ability to integrate software and hardware systems, and a track record of delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget. Technical expertise that uses few technology stacks that are mostly used in such applications:

Depending on the food delivery app features complexity, the number of features, the platforms it will be available on, and the development team's hourly rate the cost can range from $30,000-$150,000.

The duration to build a food-ordering app depends on the app's feature complexity. A simple or basic app for customers and admin functionality will take approximately 3-4 months, but the same app with advanced features such as payment processing or geo-tracing can go to 8- 9 months.

Some of the advanced features of the meal delivery app are real-time tracking, in-app messaging with valet or delivery guy, order customization and integration with other applications.



Sudeep Bhatnagar
Co-founder & Director of Business
Sudeep Bhatnagar

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