Restaurant app development
Your own restaurant app gives you full control over your ordering process, customer relationships and margins. No commissions to third-party platforms, no dependence on Thuisbezorgd or Uber Eats. We build ordering apps, kitchen display systems and loyalty programmes that integrate seamlessly with your till system and operations. From menu to delivery logistics, from reservation system to guest profiles: everything under your own brand.
What we build for restaurants
From an ordering platform that lets guests order directly from you, to a kitchen display system that keeps your kitchen team updated in real time. We build restaurant apps that support your entire operation: online ordering, table reservations, loyalty programmes, delivery logistics and direct integrations with your point-of-sale system. All under your own brand, with no middlemen.
The hospitality sector is digitalising rapidly. Guests expect a smooth ordering experience on their phone, real-time updates on their order and the ability to reorder favourite dishes with a single tap. At the same time, restaurant owners want to protect their margins and build direct relationships with their guests, rather than handing them over to aggregator platforms. A dedicated ordering app addresses both sides of that equation.
From concept to live ordering platform
We guide you through the entire process: from mapping out your menu structure and ordering flow, through integration with your POS system and payment provider, to a live app that guests actually use. With attention to ease of use, speed and reliability during peak hours.
Our hospitality specialisms
Every part of your restaurant operation deserves focused attention. We don't just build an ordering app, but a complete ecosystem that connects your front-of-house and back-of-house. The three pillars below form the core of every successful restaurant app. See also our broader services and e-commerce expertise.
Custom ordering platform
A fully branded ordering experience on your own domain. Guests browse your menu with images and descriptions, customise dishes with toppings, sauce options or allergen information, choose between delivery and collection, and pay directly via iDEAL, credit card or Apple Pay. With no per-order commission to third parties. The system remembers preferences and order history, so returning guests can reorder within seconds.
- Visual menu with categories and filters
- Per-dish customisation (extras, allergens, portion size)
- Order history and favourites for returning guests
- Direct online payment via Mollie or Stripe
Kitchen display system (KDS)
A digital kitchen screen that shows incoming orders in real time, automatically prioritises them by preparation time and synchronises directly with your till system. Your kitchen team sees exactly what needs to be made and in what order, without paper tickets or miscommunication. At busy times the system scales with you: orders are automatically distributed across kitchen stations and the estimated preparation time is dynamically adjusted for the guest.
- Real-time order flow via WebSockets
- Automatic sequencing by preparation time
- Stock management and prep timers
- Multi-station support (grill, bar, dessert)
Delivery logistics and track & trace
Manage your own delivery fleet or offer collection options with accurate time estimates. Guests follow their order live, from kitchen to doorstep. Includes zone settings for delivery areas, minimum order value per zone and automatic route optimisation for your drivers. The system takes current preparation times and order sequence into account, so the estimated delivery time the guest sees is realistic and does not lead to disappointment.
- Delivery zones with variable fees and times
- Live track & trace for the guest
- Route optimisation for your own drivers
- Collection slots with capacity management
For every type of restaurant
Every restaurant concept places different demands on technology. A dark kitchen has different priorities from a fine dining restaurant. We tailor the app architecture to your specific operation and growth strategy. Also discover our expertise in restaurant apps.
Below, we describe how our approach differs by restaurant type. The core functionality (ordering, payments, kitchen processing) is universal, but the priorities, user flows and scaling requirements vary greatly. We begin every project by analysing your concept, target audience and operational bottlenecks in order to make the right architectural decisions.
Quick-service restaurants
Speed is everything in QSR. We build ordering apps with one-tap reorder, pre-payment and direct integration with kitchen displays so waiting times stay to a minimum. Think self-order kiosks, drive-through integration and optimised ordering flows for high volumes. Menu management is designed for quick changes: you can update daily specials, sold-out items and seasonal menus in real time from the admin dashboard.
Fine dining
In fine dining, the focus is on experience rather than speed. Reservations with table preferences, digital wine lists with sommelier notes, menu pairing suggestions and discreet ordering options at the table. An app that strengthens your brand without replacing personal service. Including guest profiles with preferences, allergy information and previous visits, so your team can offer every guest a personal experience. Also consider integration with gift vouchers and special events.
Restaurant chains and franchises
Manage multiple locations from a central platform with location-specific menus, prices and availability. A consistent brand identity, yet local flexibility. Centralised reporting on revenue, popular dishes and peak hours per location, so you can make data-driven decisions. The platform also supports permission structures: franchise owners manage their own location while head office centrally directs brand guidelines, pricing policies and campaigns.
Dark kitchens and ghost kitchens
Without a physical dining room, your app is the only point of contact with the guest. We build ordering platforms that support multiple virtual brands from a single kitchen, each with its own menu, branding and separate customer communication. Optimised for delivery: fast order processing, order batching and integration with delivery services. The back-office dashboard gives you insight into which virtual brands perform best, what the average preparation time is per brand and where operational bottlenecks lie.
Integrations with your existing systems
A restaurant app doesn't stand alone. We integrate your ordering platform with the systems you already use, so orders, payments and accounting flow through automatically without manual work. Read more about our custom software approach.
The strength of a custom restaurant app lies in its seamless connection with your existing operations. An order placed through the app must appear in your till within milliseconds, activate the kitchen display, process the payment and create the corresponding accounting entry. That requires robust API integrations that perform reliably even under peak load.
POS integrations
Direct synchronisation with point-of-sale systems commonly used in hospitality: Lightspeed Restaurant, Untill, SumUp, Lightspeed K-Series and other POS systems. Online orders appear automatically in your till, with no duplicate entry or errors.
- Bidirectional menu synchronisation
- Automatic order entry into the till
- Table and order number integration
- Revenue reports by channel
Payment providers
Secure online payments via Mollie, Stripe or Adyen. Support for iDEAL, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Bancontact. Automatic refunds for cancellations, split payments for group orders and recurring billing for subscriptions.
- iDEAL, credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Automatic payouts to your bank account
- Tipping option at checkout
- PCI DSS-compliant payment processing
Financial integrations
Revenue, VAT calculations and transaction data flow automatically into your accounting software. Integrations with Exact Online, Twinfield, Xero and other packages mean your accountant always has up-to-date figures and you don't lose time on manual bookings.
- Automatic VAT split per product group
- Daily or real-time revenue synchronisation
- Integration with Exact Online and Twinfield
- Export options for accountant review
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology stack for restaurant apps
We deliberately choose technologies that are fast, reliable and scalable. A restaurant app has to cope with the Friday evening peak without delays or downtime. Our native app expertise ensures the best possible user experience on iOS and Android.
The technology choices for a restaurant app differ fundamentally from those of a standard e-commerce platform. Real-time communication between guest, kitchen and driver requires WebSocket connections rather than traditional polling. Peak demand during lunch breaks and evenings calls for a horizontally scalable architecture that adds capacity effortlessly. And integration with hardware such as point-of-sale systems and kitchen screens places additional demands on reliability and latency.
For hospitality businesses that want to connect Eatcard with stock, loyalty or accounting, see our page on Eatcard integration.
Frontend and mobile
We build your restaurant app with React Native for a native experience on both iOS and Android from a shared codebase. Guests benefit from smooth animations, fast navigation and native features such as push notifications and location services. For web applications and the management dashboard, we use React with server-side rendering for fast load times. Optionally, we build a Progressive Web App (PWA) as a lightweight alternative for guests who don't want to install an app but still want to order via their browser.
- React Native (iOS and Android)
- React / Next.js (web and dashboard)
- Progressive Web App (optional)
- TypeScript for type-safe code
Backend and infrastructure
The backend runs on Node.js with a PostgreSQL database for reliable storage of menus, orders, user profiles and transaction history. Redis handles caching and session management, so your app responds quickly, even during peak hours with hundreds of simultaneous orders. WebSockets keep the kitchen display and the guest app synchronised in real time: as soon as the kitchen marks an order as ready, the guest sees it on screen immediately. Firebase delivers push notifications for order status updates, offers and loyalty messages.
- Node.js with Express or Fastify
- PostgreSQL (orders, menus, users)
- Redis (caching, sessions, rate limiting)
- WebSockets (real-time order flow)
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (push notifications)
- Mollie / Stripe API (payments)
Security and compliance
Your restaurant app processes personal data, payment data and business-critical order information. We build to security standards that match this responsibility, from GDPR compliance to PCI DSS for payment traffic. The hospitality sector brings specific requirements around food safety and allergen management.
- PCI DSS-compliant payment processing via certified payment providers
- GDPR compliance: privacy by design, data minimisation, record of processing activities
- HACCP record-keeping support for food safety and allergen management
- Encrypted data storage and communication (TLS/SSL, encrypted at rest)
- Role-based access control for staff, managers and locations
- Automatic backups and disaster recovery for business continuity
Read more about our information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy.
Frequently asked questions about restaurant app development
Ready to build your own restaurant app?
Take back control of your ordering process, customer relationships and margins. From ordering app to kitchen display system, we build the technology your restaurant needs. Whether you run a single location or are scaling a national chain, we will help you design the architecture that suits your growth strategy. Explore our services, read more about us, or get in touch directly for a no-obligation conversation.