In just under a decade, the way we order food has undergone a revolutionary change. Take Melissa's case in point. This Vancouver resident has been a fan of Nook, an Italian takeout in Kitsilano. But it wasn't always possible for her to dine in the restaurant. The pandemic's onset meant that she had to look for ways to get piping hot food to come to her, rather than going to the restaurant.
This action is now easily possible through the various food delivery apps, where Nook is listed as a restaurant nearby. Not just Nook, but she can now easily access other nearby joints like Raisu and Maenam in Kitsilano. All this has been made possible with the help of technology.
More specifically, it is the food delivery apps that have made food ordering more convenient than it was a few years back. Here are some top food mobile app development companies list we have curated for you to check out.
The rise and rise of food delivery apps
By now, almost every other person who uses a smartphone, knows about online shopping; and food ordering no different either. Perhaps, this explains why the impact of food apps is growing on a daily basis.
The onset of COVID-19 has simply cemented the importance of these apps in our daily lives. The outbreak caused an unusual stir in ordinary life, resulting in the practice of social distancing and isolation.
But who says that when a person is staying away from his loved ones, he/she will need to stay away from sumptuous food? Food delivery apps make these basic necessities available at all times for us.
If you are into the food industry or offer delivery services, then having a food delivery application can assist your business. It also brings immense convenience to your customers. They can satisfy their need for lip-smacking cuisines without stepping a foot out of their home or office.
What do the stats say about the online food delivery market?
The fall 2020 consumer survey conducted by Vividata stated that one out of five Canadian adults used a food delivery service in the month of September. These individuals spent an average of $32 on each order.
A Statista report says that the Online Food Delivery's overall revenue in Canada is expected to reach around US$2,499 mn within this year. The annual growth rate of this domain will be 8.6% Y-o-Y, meaning the market volume will be US$3,472 mn by 2024.
And when it comes to Restaurant-to-Consumer delivery, Statista stated that in this year (2020), the market volume would be US$1610 mn, which will increase by US$2,107mn by the year 2024.
These statistics clearly suggest that the Online Food Delivery market will keep on rising in the coming years.
Top 10 Food Delivery Applications
#1. DoorDash
DoorDash has become a popular name among many foodies. It was first launched in San Francisco, California, in the year 2013. Now, DoorDash manages to offer its services in more than 4000 cities across the U.S, Australia, and Canada.
In fact, DoorDash is considered the best food delivery app in Canada. It serves right from Toronto, Edmonton, Regina, Charlottetown to Winnipeg, Ottawa, and many other regions. And if we talk about the stats, then according to Crunchbase, DoorDash has received a total funding of $2.1 bn.
- Ratings on Apple store: 4.8
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.4
- Overall downloads: 10,000,000+
Benefits of using DoorDash
- The consumers can easily pick up their order just by scheduling it in advance.
- The consumers get a chance of tracking their order in real-time
- The consumers can easily select their favourite cuisine from any local specialties.
- The application offers an easy and fast payment option.
#2. Instacart
The next on the list is Instacart. This American born company offers grocery delivery and pickup services. Launched in 2012, Instacart managed to spread its wings in more than 5000 cities of the U.S and Canada too.
Recently, in the month of March and April, Instacart ended up hiring extra 300,000 workers to meet the high demand for groceries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the distancing measures got severe, the daily download of the application increased by 218%.
In fact, Instacart has managed to introduce various new services as per COVID-19 regulations, such as contactless delivery and many other benefits for its workers.
- Ratings on Apple store: 4.8
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.3
Benefits of using Instacart
- The services offered by Instacart are very convenient for people who cannot get out of the house to purchase essential food items.
- Consumers can order the items from beyond the supermarkets.
- You can download the application or use the website to make a purchase.
- Comprehensive selection, similar to what you can find in-store.
#3. SkipTheDishes
SkipTheDishes is based here in Winnipeg, Canada, and was founded in the year 2012. In the initial days, SkipTheDishes offered its services mainly in Canada but later managed to expand its services in the U.S. and few other countries too.
SkipTheDishes has its association with more than 16000 restaurants around the world. It employs over 2000 staff who work harder to make SkipTheDishes one of the top Canadian Online Food delivery apps. And as per Crunchbase, SkipTheDishes has received a total funding of CA$8.5 mn.
- Ratings on Apple store: 4.6
- Ratings on Google play store: 3.9
- Overall Downloads: 1,000,000+
Benefits of using SkipTheDishes
- The consumers can track the order in real-time and through GPS.
- The consumers can easily filter the restaurants based on delivery fees to opt for a $0 delivery fee.
- The user can even re-order the same dish using the order history.
- The application has the option to save the address for future convenience.
#4. Foodora
The fourth online food delivery app is Foodora. This company is situated in Berlin, Germany, and was launched in 2014. Foodora then managed to expand its wings in the Canadian market. As of now, Foodora has partnered with over 9000 restaurants across the globe. In Canada, Foodora falls under the top food delivery apps that serve all the larger cities across the nation.
- Ratings on Apple store: 4.6
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.1
- Overall downloads: 1,000,000+
Benefits of using Foodora
- The consumers can easily schedule their order two days in advance.
- The application has the option for tracking the food order in real-time.
- The consumers can choose their favourite meals from around the local restaurants and diners.
#5. Uber Eats
Uber has been a popular ridesharing application for years before it launched an Online Food Delivery service in the name of Uber Eats. Founded in 2014, Uber Eats garnered widespread popularity among the foodies due to its lower delivery fees ranging from $2 to $8.
Apart from ordering food for takeaways or even home delivery, Uber Eats also provides services to pre-book the tables before visiting the restaurants. Uber Eats is available in many Canadian cities like Edmonton, Vancouver, Red Deer, Saskatoon, Montreal, Toronto, and many others.
- Ratings on Apple store: 4.7
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.4
- Overall downloads: 10,000,000+
Benefits of using Uber Eats
- The application is available for both Android and iOS users. The consumer can also use the website to place the order.
- Has an easy-to-use interface to read the menus and offer ratings and reviews to restaurants.
- Users can even tip the delivery person easily.
#6. Little Caesars
Little Caesars is one of the most famous pizza places ever. It was established in 1959, Michigan, United States. Even though the app came out only in 2018, it has garnered extensive accolades from many foodies. The reason behind its popularity is the unique functionality of the application. The customers get TouchID/FaceID and fingerprint login option.
- Ratings on Apple app store: 4.8
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.7
- Overall downloads: 1,000,000+
Benefits of using Little Caesars
- The consumers can easily make custom orders through the application to get custom-made pizzas.
- The consumers can pre-order up to six days in advance.
- Offers an option to track the order in real-time
- Intuitive Interface that offers many new features
#7. Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons is a famous restaurant chain founded in 1964. Now, the restaurant has outlets at over 4500 locations. They have been serving mouth-watering donuts and coffee for almost five decades but decided to included technology just a few years ago, that is, in 2017, with their online food ordering system.
Tim Hortons serves almost every major and smaller city across Canada. As per Statista, in 2019, Canadian quick service restaurant (QSR) chain Tim Hortons generated revenue of approximately $3.34 bn, up from $3.29 bn the previous year.
- Ratings on Apple store: 3.8
- Ratings on Google play store: 4.4
- Overall Downloads: 1,000,000+
Benefits of using Tim Hortons
- The consumers can easily re-order form the order history or customize a new order with just a few clicks
- The consumers can even earn rewards with digital loyalty while ordering food
- The consumers can select a pickup method like doorstep delivery or takeaway
#8. Chanmao (CMEOW):
Chanmao is every Chinese food lover's favourite app to fulfill their Chinese food cravings anytime. Also known as CMEOW, Chanmao offers simple and convenient services so that your favourite restaurants reach your doorstep. They have over 1000 restaurant partners in Canada, meaning you can easily browse through various Asian cuisines without leaving the convenience of your home.
Chanmao charges a minimal delivery fee ranging from $3 to $8 based on distance, and they have almost every type of payment method available on their app.
- Ratings on Google play store: 2.6
Benefits of using Chanmao
- The consumers can easily navigate through various Asian cuisines to select their dish
- The application also features a loyalty reward model for the users
- Order easily with higher convenience.
#9. Eat Click
Eat Click offers daily lunch delivery services to condos and offices around Canadian cities. The application offers a wide variety of restaurants that you choose from easily. Eat Click also provides a handpicked daily menu from the top local restaurants and spots so you can satisfy your hunger needs in minutes.
The consumer can easily sign up through the website to place the order. They even offer an option to place an order through text.
Benefits of using Eat Click
- The application is highly convenient to use
- Offers a huge variety of cuisines from around the local restaurants and caterers.
- No membership fee or delivery charges
- No line and accurate delivery times.
#10. PostMates
PostMates launched in 2011 in the U.S. Just recently, the company managed to open shop in Canada and serves Ontario as of now. But, when it comes to the U.S., PostMates manages to offer its services in all 50 states, meaning the potential of serving better to the consumers is higher.
PostMates is an effective example of an on-demand company. It was set up by tech companies to fulfil users demands in terms of goods and services within a minimal period.
Benefits of using PostMates
- The consumers enjoy quick delivery services.
- The consumers can buy anything from anywhere like groceries, flowers, alcohol, and much more.
- PostMates features around 600,000 restaurants, making it the prime option for a variety of things.
Well, these were our top picks of famous online Food Delivery services. Now, it is time to give you a few reasons why you need a food delivery application.
Why does your restaurant need a mobile application?
From the business side, your restaurant gets many advantages when it gets an app developed. It can dramatically improve its outreach to the maximum number of food lovers. A well-designed mobile app for food delivery ranks well on app stores. This further elevates the restaurant’s visibility. More and more people who might not have known about the restaurant will discover fantastic options nearby and won’t hesitate to order through these apps.
Let’s take a look at a few benefits that you can get by investing in developing an on-demand mobile application for your restaurant/food service.
#1. Better ROI
Having a mobile application has many perks, one of which is better ROI. You can use push notifications to offer the consumers information on new combos and dishes. This way you can acquire good sales on weekends and impressive sales even on weekdays.
By sending notifications of new deals in the morning itself, the customers become attracted towards mouth-watering treats as soon as they start their day. And trust us, when you instil the idea in your consumer’s mind at the right time, the chances of them visiting your app become higher. Plus, with the right features, deals, and prices, you increase the chance of conversion, thus impacting the ROI positively.
#2. Entice customers with photos
The best thing about websites and mobile applications is that it contains photographs and videos. The customers get an impulsive desire to order things when you invoke their senses through these pictures. The tastier the food looks, the hungrier your consumer will feel while surfing through the mobile application.
Not just that, with the mobile application, you no longer will require to describe the foods and drinks to your customer. Just the pictures are enough to let them know your food quality is supreme in every way.
#3. Better reviews and ranking
If you know your services are better, then it is time that other people know about it too. Even though word-of-mouth is reliable in many aspects, there are customers who prefer online ratings more than what their families have to say.
Also, even if you have got few reviews on yelp or app store, you can use push notifications to your customers asking them to leave reviews. In fact, this option will work in your favour; a few happy reviews from customers can turn your ratings in no time.
You can even boost your rankings by offering exceptional services like loyalty programs. Offer discounts like a complimentary cup of tea with breakfast, buy two get one, or meal at half price, etc., for application users.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become challenging for many people to dine in at their favourite restaurants so when you offer services like contactless delivery, free delivery, etc., you will immediately become one of the best service providers, thus, impacting customer experience, resulting in better reviews and site rankings.
#4. Attract the millennial
A recent study claimed that the people between the age group of 18 to 35 years prefer to use mobile applications for quicker services, especially to find a nearby hotel, book reservations, or to order food online. In fact, 25% of the total respondents have at least one food ordering application installed on their device. So, if you catch up with this trend, then you can offer better services to existing customers and amplify your reach to new and young consumers.
Well, we aren’t saying having the best mobile application is enough. You will require to work around your service providing techniques and even food quality to enhance your profits.
#5. Easy to take orders
Most of the times it becomes daunting for both the consumer and customer care representative to place and take the orders over the phone because of network issues. But when you have a mobile application, you no longer require a customer rep to attend the calls for orders (although you may require them for clearing queries). Instead, the consumer can directly place a custom order from his/her mobile device.
If you offer in-house dining services, then with a mobile application, you can take pre-orders so that the customers can avoid waiting time when they arrive. Plus, your customers can check their order history to re-order, thus, saving both time and effort.
#6. Offer effective takeaway option
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone wants to stay away from crowded places and that means many people are ordering takeaways or doorstep services. Your consumer can pre-book the custom order and stop by at your restaurant to collect the same and avoid waiting time. In fact, offering takeaway feature will work a lot in your favour due to COVID-19, as more and more consumers are opting to eat fresh, healthy, yet delicious meals at their homes.
#7. Social Media Integration
One of the best ways to organically achieve business goals is through social media channels. If your app is integrated with social media, then it allows the customer to login or register into your app with just one click through their social media accounts. Also, if they like your services, then they may share your app on their social media account which will result in increased app downloads.
Top features to integrate with online food services amid COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 has affected every business, especially the food business, due to rising health concerns. However, many restaurants and diners have slowly resumed business post lockdown. If you are into food delivery business, then here are a few features that you must integrate with your food service so that the customers can trust your service even during the pandemic.
#1. Contactless drop-offs
Your customer’s well-being is in your hands, so as a food ordering or delivery startup, you will require to take contactless drop-offs into consideration. So you should integrate contactless drop off service into your app. Your delivery personnel can call and let the customers know about the parcel being dropped at their doorstep. Or while delivering the orders, make sure there is a designated pickup zone already established to maintain social distancing.
#2. Eliminate/reduce delivery charges
We understand that COVID-19 has impacted businesses greatly which means reducing/cutting off delivery charges may lead to losses but it will encourage customers to place more orders online so they can continue practicing social distancing but in turn positively impact your ROI. You can encourage the customers to tip the delivery personnel instead.
#3. Scheduled meal kits
The sound way to stay engaged with your customers during the flu season is by meeting the demand-supply chain. For instance, you can create meal kits in your app that contain staple food items that the customers can instantly order instead of going through single food items. This can be done through weekly or monthly subscription, so it saves the time and effort of ordering on a daily basis. The perk of this option is that it will allow you to manage the inventory well in advance and satisfy your customers within time.
#4. Manage the services at the restaurant
Ensure to follow key steps of food safety that is clean, separate, cook and chill. See to it that the kitchen team washes, rinses, and sanitizes everything used for preparing food and the surfaces where the food was made.
If possible, discontinue certain foods if you have a Diner open, like buffets, salad bars, or beverage stations, as customers tend to touch the same utensils. Offer proper training to the food employees and ask them to follow the safety guidelines 24/7.
#5. Manage Employee hygiene
Emphasize certain rules with the staffs, like:
- Washing hands for a minimum of 20 seconds after using the washroom, coughing, sneezing and performing personal hygiene
- Ask them to use hand sanitizer every few minutes.
- Prevent them from touching their nose, mouth and eyes.
- Ask them to cover their mouth with a tissue while sneezing or coughing and discard the tissue properly.
- Avoid them from handling exposed, unwrapped or ready-to-eat foods without gloves
- Ask them to wash their hands thoroughly before eating food for their general safety.
#6. Handle food and delivery carefully
There is no possible evidence of coronavirus transmitting through food packaging or food. It’s mostly transferred through the customer to the delivery person or vice versa. But, it is better to be fully-aware while offering delivery service and handling food. See to it that the food safety guidelines like cleaning hands, time and temperature control, no sick workers, avoiding cross-contamination are practiced at all times.
Amplify the frequency of disinfecting and cleaning high-touch and traffic areas like doorknobs, countertops, and the delivery vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, now that you know the benefits, we are sure that you must have a few questions before starting with the process of developing the application.
So, to your aid, here is a list of a few FAQs that may give you a clear insight into mobile apps for food delivery.