15 Must-have features for a successful restaurant mobile app

Table of contents

• 1. Easy registration and guest checkout
• 2. Intuitive and visual menu design
• 3. Quick and secure payment options
• 4. Real-time order tracking
• 5. Customisable orders and preferences
• 6. Integrated loyalty and rewards programme
• 7. Push notifications for offers
• 8. In-app table reservations
• 9. Click-and-collect functionality
• 10. Multiple delivery options
• 11. Ratings and private feedback
• 12. Multi-language and accessibility features
• 13. Social media integration
• 14. AI-powered recommendations
• 15. Analytics dashboard for owners

15 crucial features for a restaurant mobile app

1. Easy registration and guest checkout

A successful restaurant app must make signing up or placing an order frictionless. Offer options such as social media login, email, phone number, or simply guest checkout. Guest checkout helps reduce abandonment by allowing users to order without creating an account first. Once the user is comfortable, prompt them to register for loyalty or faster future ordering. This two-step approach lowers the barrier to entry while building your customer base over time.

2. Intuitive and visual menu design

Your digital menu is a visual invitation to dine. Use high-quality, consistent food imagery; clear category headers; intuitive filters for dietary needs; and visual cues like “chef’s pick” or “popular.” Organise the menu in a way that mirrors customer logic, starters, mains, sides, desserts, so users don’t have to hunt for items. A clean, well‑structured menu encourages exploration and reduces decision fatigue.

3. Quick and secure payment options

Offer multiple payment methods, credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, digital wallets, and always use encryption to protect personal data. The payment step should load instantly and clearly confirm success. Provide visual cues like progress bars and clear error messaging if transactions fail. The smoother the payment experience, the more trust you build and the fewer abandoned carts you’ll have.

4. Real-time order tracking

Give customers visibility into their order’s status: accepted, being prepared, dispatched, and near arrival. Use map visuals or progress indicators. Real-time updates reduce anxiety and cut down on “Where is my order?” calls. A transparent tracking experience increases customer confidence and makes your operation appear more reliable.

5. Customisable orders and preferences

Allow detailed customisation, extra cheese, spice levels, sides, cooking preferences. Let customers save their favourite settings so their next orders are one tap away. This boosts upsells and reduces friction. The more precisely your app responds to individual preferences, the more satisfying the user experience becomes.

6. Integrated loyalty and rewards programme

Embed a rewards system directly in the app. Offer points, tiered status, discounts or free items. Make reward status visible on the user dashboard. Automate the calculation and redemption of rewards so customers don’t have to ask. This encourages repeat visits and strengthens the app’s role in retention strategy.

7. Push notifications for offers

Use push notifications to alert users to time-limited deals, order status updates, or loyalty milestones. Make them relevant and personalised based on past orders or local events. Overuse or untargeted messages lead to uninstalls, so balance frequency and relevance carefully.

8. In-app table reservations

Provide a booking interface within your app with real-time availability. Allow users to request, confirm or cancel reservations. Send reminders or alerts if the booking is approaching. This reduces reliance on third-party reservation platforms and brings the experience under your own brand.

9. Click-and-collect functionality

Allow app users to order ahead and pick up at a chosen time. Offer pickup windows, store alerts when orders are ready, and directions to the pickup point. This feature helps restaurants manage order volume and improves convenience for customers without requiring full delivery.

10. Multiple delivery options

Support standard delivery, scheduled delivery, express delivery, or eco-friendly options like bike couriers. Let users choose based on urgency, cost or environmental concerns. Offering delivery choice increases flexibility and makes the app serve different customer preferences.

11. Ratings and private feedback

Invite users to rate their experience or provide comments privately, immediately after the order. This gives you early warning signs of problems before they become public reviews. Acting on feedback quickly improves operations and makes customers feel heard.

12. Multi-language and accessibility features

Offer language selection (e.g., English, Gaelic, etc.), text size controls, voice navigation, contrast modes, and screen reader compatibility. Inclusion expands your user base and meets accessibility standards, making your app usable for more customers.

13. Social media integration

Allow users to share favourite meals, orders or deals on social media with minimal effort. Incorporate referral links tied to the app so sharing generates new users. This helps your app gain organic reach and brings new traffic with low marketing cost.

14. AI-Powered recommendations

Use AI to analyse order history, time of day, promotions, and preferences to suggest items the user is likely to want. By recommending high-margin dishes or combos tailored to each user, AI increases basket size while providing a personalised feel.

15. Analytics dashboard for owners

Provide restaurant managers with a real-time dashboard showing sales, repeat customer metrics, peak ordering times, favourite items, and underperforming dishes. Insight into actionable data helps you refine menus, staffing and promotions.