Idea Maker

Idea Maker

Orange County Web and Mobile App Development

5 Best Reasons Why You Need a Custom Restaurant App

By Jennifer Chonillo

November 2, 2020

A server holding two delicious dishes with Text: 5 Best Reasons Why You Need a Custom Restaurant App

A hand holding a mobile device with customers at a restaurant in the back

In this world of social distancing, we have turned to restaurants and ordering out to save us from having to think of yet another iteration of the same dinner. While some locations have reopened for in-person service, others remain curbside only.

What would you do if there was a way to leverage the digital customer base for when we are back to normal? Here are the five best reasons why you need a custom app for your restaurant.

 

1. Increase Customer Loyalty

People at a restaurant talking with text: 59% of loyal customers will recommend your restaurant to others.

Users are familiar with trying new restaurants they find on apps like DoorDash and UberEats, but what if they really enjoy one restaurant’s offerings? This is where it is beneficial to have a custom app for your restaurant

Research done by YotPo in 2019 found that 9 out of 10 Americans are loyal to certain brands and that this leads to being more likely to refer others to the brand (59 percent of responders) and choose that brand over others offering similar products (39 percent). It pays to have loyal customers.

 

2. Entice Customers to Visit Often

A happy hour sign with text: You can use push notifications for your custom restaurant app to entice customers to your happy hour specials.

If customers have your custom app downloaded to their smartphone, there are options for persuading them to visit your location. If you have a new deal or if the customer is a certain distance from your establishment, you can have your app send out a push notification.

These notifications can serve to alert customers of reasons to visit (such as costume contests, non-traditional happy hour days, and other special events).

 

3. Offer Personalized Experiences to Customers

A fancy dining table at a restaurant with text: 83% of customers are willing to share their data with you if it impacts their experience in a positive way.

What makes customers come back to a specific brand? Personalization. Customers are willing to go to lengths for a personalized experience, including sharing data. In a 2018 study by Accenture, where 8,000 customers were surveyed, 83 percent of respondents stated they would be willing to share personal data with a company if it was clear how the data would impact their experience.

You can leverage the data collected to inform new menu creations, and promotions. Getting to know your customers will only increase their positive view of your brand.

 

4. Improve the Ordering Process

A man ordering at a restaurant using a custom restaurant app with text: 45% of Millenials and Gen-Z customers prefer the ease and simplicity of digital apps as part of their restaurant experience.

Today’s users look to digital apps to simplify their interactions and maximize how they spend their time. You can use a custom restaurant app to help them achieve both of these goals. In a study done by BRP and Windstream Enterprise, 45 percent of Millennials and Gen-Z-ers value ease of ordering and payment.

In the same study, Millennials were 32 percent more likely than other age groups to pre-order their food before entering an establishment. With the ability to order ahead, customers will be free to enjoy their meal, and your restaurant will be less congested.

 

5. Increase Overall Sales

Customers standing in line outside of a packed bar with text: You stand to increase sales by at least 16% by having a custom restaurant app.

Having an app gives you a lot of customization options. If you have a steady client base, have built a brand, and are looking for a way to potentially increase sales, offering mobile-pay may just be the solution.

Back in 2015, Starbucks tested mobile pay in Oregon. It paid off to the tune of 16 percent of total sales in the first quarter of 2015. Just think of what integrating mobile ordering and paying in a custom app can do for your business.
Running a restaurant can be hard, improve your bottom line by adding a custom restaurant app built by Idea Maker, a top Orange County mobile app developer. Click the link to get started today.

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