Can you imagine your restaurant without a mobile app? 85% of Americans now expect restaurants to offer digital ordering options, with the mobile food ordering market worth over $450 billion in 2025. The stakes have never been higher—the global online food delivery market is projected to reach an astounding $1.40 trillion by 2025, growing at 7.79% annually through 2029.

Digital transformation in the restaurant industry has accelerated dramatically, with over 60% of restaurant orders now placed through mobile apps. This isn't just a pandemic-driven trend—it's a permanent shift in consumer behavior. For restaurant owners, the question is no longer whether to adopt mobile ordering technology, but how quickly you can implement a solution that meets evolving customer expectations.

Today's digital-first diners, particularly Gen Z (84% of whom prefer app-based ordering), expect seamless mobile experiences as standard. With 67% of an average restaurant's revenue now coming from online or phone orders and 75% of QSR sales flowing through digital channels, establishments without robust mobile ordering infrastructure are leaving significant revenue on the table.

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A custom mobile app not only provides a platform to order conveniently but also works as your one-stop solution for increasing customer engagement. A mobile app can provide additional value to your customers which will help you rank above the competition. So what are the other benefits if mobile ordering app that you’ve been missing out on? Let’s find out in this article below:

👉Also Read: How much does it cost to have a mobile ordering app?

What is a Mobile Ordering App?

A mobile ordering app is a specialized software application designed for smartphones and tablets that allows customers to browse menus, customize orders, make payments, and arrange for pickup or delivery—all without speaking to restaurant staff. Unlike traditional ordering methods, mobile apps create a direct digital connection between restaurants and their customers, eliminating third-party commissions while gathering valuable customer data.

Modern mobile ordering apps integrate seamlessly with restaurant operations through:

• Menu management systems that sync with your POS to display current offerings and prices

• Order processing workflows that route orders directly to kitchen display systems

• Payment gateways that securely process transactions within the app

• Customer profiles that store ordering history, preferences, and payment methods

• Loyalty programs that reward repeat customers and drive engagement

• Push notifications that alert customers about order status and promotions

The key difference between mobile apps and other online ordering systems is ownership—your branded app creates a direct relationship with customers rather than routing them through third-party marketplaces that charge commissions on every order.

7  ways in which mobile apps will  help your restaurant to outrank your competition

It is Customer Friendly

Online ordering has enabled many restaurants to manage their peak business hours very effectively. Thanks to online ordering many people manage to prevent the painful experience of wasting time in a long queue. With the option to order their meals from a mobile app, they can easily place an order when they are stuck in traffic or on the way to pick up the kids.

Mobile apps provide the freedom to order from any place at any time without pausing everything and making a call to the restaurant. The food experience has come a long way it has become a much more hassle-free experience for the customers. And if you can vouch for such an experience then the customers will definitely come your way.

Recent data shows that app users spend 25% more on off-premise orders compared to traditional ordering methods. Starbucks has mastered this benefit with their mobile app, which now processes over 25% of all their transactions in the US. To maximize this benefit, ensure your app includes features like saved favorites, reorder functionality, and estimated pickup times to enhance the customer experience.

Mobile apps bring you much closer to M-Commerce

Research shows that customers are more likely to make a purchase if you provide them with a favorable cashless experience. The lesser you deal in cash more convenient the experience becomes. Mobile apps help you to achieve that very easily. A good restaurant ordering app will have options to accept payment from a variety of gateways. In this way, the customer can choose the most convenient option.

Easier to attract new customers

Mobile apps are great tools for customer engagement. But the real question is: What value can you provide that makes your customer download your restaurant’s app and use it regularly? For that, you need to provide the right mix of content on your app. Too much content and your app will look cluttered. Reward your customers when they order via the app. Mobile apps have a lot of inbuilt options to keep up engagement levels. Keep your customers tuned to your restaurant by using new offers.

Now bring in an app-based loyalty program, and you can provide extra value to your customers. Whenever they make a purchase through the app, you should provide some value back. This value keeps them coming back to you.

💡Pro Tip: To keep your app less cluttered it is a good idea to provide the popular selection of your menu on the app.

Studies show that 70% of consumers prefer ordering directly through restaurant apps rather than third-party platforms. Chipotle has successfully attracted new customers by offering app-exclusive menu items and promotions, growing their digital sales to over $3 billion annually. To maximize new customer acquisition, implement a referral program within your app that rewards existing customers for bringing in new users.

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Running a highly specific marketing campaign

Have you thought of running a campaign for each individual customer?

You might think this is a time-consuming and laborious task which is next to impossible. But with a mobile app, you can! You can run customized promotions for your customers. With an online ordering system, you will have the crucial advantage of data. This data will provide crucial inputs on the items your customer likes to order together, the time he usually prefers to order, and several other metrics that can help you to constantly improve your business and eventually increase revenue.

If a customer hasn’t visited you in a very long time, you can send a special discount on their favorite item. They are either going to visit the store or most likely place an online order through the app or website and they are definitely going to order other items from the menu.

Studies indicate that restaurants using personalized marketing outperform those using generic promotions—improvements in conversion could be in the double-digit range. For example, Domino’s has leveraged its app and digital channels to deliver targeted offers based on customer behaviour (app customers yielding higher order frequency and spend). To implement this effectively, segment your customer base by ordering patterns and preferences, and craft targeted promotions tailored for each segment.

💡Pro Tip: You can run discounts on combo items and sell a less popular item by pairing it with a popular item. There are several ideas which can be implemented which we will cover in another article.

👉Also Read: Say 'NO' To Discounts For Continued Growth Of Your Restaurants

Lesser mistakes and lesser problems

Even the most experienced server can make a mistake when taking an order. Good thin is that you can now deliver zero-error orders using the available restaurant technologies such as a well rounded online ordering system for restaurants.

By incorporating online ordering into day-to-day operations, your team can leave the monotonous tasks like taking orders, sending orders to the kitchen and communicating special requests to the software and concentrate on better things like promoting the brand-new mobile app.  

Digital ordering reduces order errors by up to 90% compared to phone orders, according to industry research. Panera Bread implemented digital ordering that reduced errors significantly while increasing order accuracy to over 99%. To maximize this benefit, ensure your app includes clear customization options with visual confirmations and implement a quality check system that verifies orders before they reach the kitchen.

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Streamlining the action of Ordering- Processing- Delivery

With the expanding delivery market and third-party delivery platforms, small restaurants have the option to leverage a sector that was only available to large chains with their delivery fleets. A branded mobile app acts as your virtual storefront which enables customers to place an order, see it while it is being processed, and track its location when it is out for delivery. This special feature of mobile apps boosts customer engagement to greater levels.

Restaurants with integrated ordering systems process orders up to 30% faster than those with disconnected systems. Sweetgreen has leveraged this with their streamlined app-to-kitchen workflow, reducing wait times by 50% and increasing throughput. For implementation, ensure your mobile app integrates directly with your kitchen display system and POS to eliminate manual order entry steps.

Online Presence, Reviews, and Ratings  

A mobile app will help your restaurant to rank better on various ranking sites. Customers prefer to place their orders on their mobile devices. A seamless mobile experience will promote a positive interest in your business which can be further promoted by using reviews and ratings from the customers. Reward your customers for providing positive feedback and rectify the problem when you receive negative feedback. Most of these negative feedbacks can be easily resolved by a prompt response.

Studies show that many consumers read online reviews before placing food orders — for instance, research indicates that up to 93% of consumers say reviews influence their purchase decisions. To support this in practice, a chain like Five Guys works to encourage app users to leave feedback and maintains strong ratings across channels. According to public data, Five Guys currently averages around 4.3 stars across U.S. locations.

👉Also Read: Restaurant Guide: How to keep customers happy

Mobile ordering is a complete package, not only it helps in bringing more orders but it also takes care of other things like scheduling events, and reducing errors, and food wastage. A mobile app is a direct channel to reach your local customers through push notifications.  

To learn more about Restolabs, or book a free demo to speak with one of our online ordering specialists today!

With the increased smartphone usage and availability of a wide array of mobile apps, it is important for restaurants to capitalize on this technology so they can increase their margins and also be better equipped for the future.

For any queries or suggestions, you can reach us at info@restolabs.com.

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