Whether you are determined to make a business grow, our only question is, will it be yours? If you are a cafe, restaurant, coffee shop, Quick Service or Fast Casual Restaurant, then you are losing the equivalent of at least 10% sales revenue every year if you do not have an app. Today, 77% of all adults and 94% of adults under 30 now own smartphones. Having said this, 72% of online searches for restaurants are done on smartphones and this implies that consumers are making dining decisions on the go. Also, 6.6% of restaurant orders are now booked with smartphones instead of calling and speaking to someone to actually order. With all these data in hand, this means having an app for a restaurant is a decision that is definitely needed to be considered. 

Why the Rise of Smartphone Use in Ordering Food? 

It’s probably because the nature of online ordering allows for easy customization without the stress of emphasizing your order to an actual human being. The process has become automated.  And the great feeling of the power of customization at your fingertips is already a winning trend for millennial customers. This  is supported through the structure of the app ordering system itself.

Will an App Work for My Restaurant?

Twenty five percent (25%) of smartphone users have at least one restaurant app on their phones so why not jump on the bandwagon and take advantage of this? Because the road to restaurant app dominance is not easy. It works for already established QSRs. But SMEs lack something they already have: a widespread audience. Restaurant apps, in general, service an existing customer base, and not create it. App distribution and word of mouth don’t work the same way. You can spread the news that you have an app but the number of the people that will install it will vary.  

According to some research, in order to become a popular restaurant app, your restaurant’s app would have to become so popular that it is downloaded more often than the millions of other apps available, just to get other users attention. Trying to compete for attention in this field is cut-throat but it doesn’t stop there. The development of apps is pretty expensive. And if you don’t have a tech team that can develop this for you, then you have to consider seeking experts. 

Alternatives for Now?

We don’t want you to dismiss the idea of restaurant apps! It’s a great idea that gives great traction. Restaurant apps have proven to encourage long-term loyalty and repeat visits for QSRs that have adopted this tech. It is the combination of an easy check-out platform that rewards re-orders with incentives, even gamifying it. Adding to that is the ability to push offers based on the consumption patterns of the app owner is a colossal advantage and inspires customers that establishments are really listening to what they want. But if the costs of apps and the daunting task of getting it promoted on app stores is detrimental, then consider having a responsive website.