How Much Does a Restaurant App Cost? Custom vs Third-Party Platforms
You're paying 30% commissions to DoorDash and Toast while your customers forget your brand exists. A custom restaurant app costs $10K-$50K upfront but eliminates ongoing fees, builds customer loyalty, and typically pays for itself in 6-12 months through recovered margins and increased repeat orders.
Benefits
Stop Bleeding 30% Per Order
DoorDash, UberEats, and Toast charge 15-30% commission on every transaction. A $100 order costs you $30. Over 1,000 orders monthly, that's $36,000/year in fees that could be reinvested in your business or passed to customers as lower prices.
Own Your Customer Relationships
Third-party platforms own the customer data. You can't email them, run targeted promotions, or build loyalty programs. With a custom app, you control the entire relationship and can increase repeat orders through push notifications, rewards, and personalized offers.
Build Brand Loyalty, Not Platform Dependence
Customers who download your app order 2.3x more frequently and spend 31% more per order on average. They're also 4x more likely to recommend you to friends. DoorDash customers are DoorDash customers, not yours.
Full Control Over Pricing and Promotions
Run flash sales, bundle deals, or happy hour specials without platform restrictions or additional fees. Adjust menu items in real-time, manage inventory across locations, and test pricing strategies without asking permission from a third party.
What We Deliver
What You Get with a Custom Restaurant App
- Online ordering system — Full menu customization, custom fields for special requests, order scheduling for pickup and delivery
- Customer accounts and loyalty — Saved addresses, order history, points-based rewards, birthday bonuses
- Push notifications — Promote daily specials, announce new menu items, re-engage inactive customers
- Analytics dashboard — Track best-sellers, peak ordering times, customer lifetime value, conversion funnels
- Payment processing — Stripe integration with 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction (vs 30% to DoorDash)
- Multi-location support — Manage multiple restaurants from one dashboard with location-specific menus
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a basic restaurant app cost?
A single-location restaurant app with online ordering, customer accounts, and basic analytics typically costs $10K-$20K and launches in 4-6 weeks. This includes iOS and Android apps, admin dashboard, payment integration, and 30 days of post-launch support.
What about multi-location or franchise apps?
Multi-location restaurant apps with centralized menu management, location-specific promotions, and franchisee dashboards typically range from $25K-$50K and take 6-10 weeks. This is our Growth Engine tier and includes everything from the Launchpad tier plus advanced features.
How does this compare to DoorDash or Toast costs?
DoorDash charges 15-30% commission per order plus setup fees. Toast requires $100-300/month per terminal plus transaction fees. For a restaurant doing $50K/month in online orders, DoorDash fees total $15K-$30K/month. A custom app pays for itself in 6-12 months and then saves you that amount annually.
Can I integrate with my existing POS system?
Yes. We integrate with Square, Toast, Clover, Micros, and custom POS systems via API. Orders flow directly from your app into your POS, eliminating double entry and keeping inventory synchronized across all channels.
What about ongoing maintenance costs?
After the initial build, you'll need a maintenance plan starting at $500/month for updates, security patches, and support. This is 10-20x cheaper than third-party platform fees and gives you full control over your digital presence.
How long does it take to see ROI?
Most restaurants see ROI within 6-12 months. Our case study with Lefty's Cheesesteaks showed a 4.2x increase in online orders within 3 months of launching their custom app, while eliminating DoorDash fees entirely.
Stop Paying 30% to DoorDash
Get a custom restaurant app that pays for itself in 6-12 months. See exactly what you'll get and how much you'll save with a free consultation.
Start a Project