How To Build An App Like Uber Eats

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Hyperlocal Cloud
  • Date Published
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Is it time for you to develop an online food delivery app like Uber Eats? If so, it will require a lot of time and money.

Nowadays, food delivery apps have become one of the most convenient, flexible and affordable apps. These apps hold promises to connect food enthusiasts and restaurants with each other. Existing food delivery apps are expanding their offerings, and countless new apps are entering the market.

Don’t you think it’s time to develop an online food delivery app like Uber Eats? If so, it will  require a lot of time and money. Building an app like Uber Eats isn’t like walking in the park. So, if you are willing to build your own food delivery platform like Uber Eats or replicate your own version of the food delivery app, this article is perfect for you.

Let’s highlight all the major points helpful for building an app like Uber Eats.

Uber Eats: A Popular and Leading Food Delivery App

Launched in 2014, Uber Eats has become one of the dominant players in the online food ordering and delivery industry. This app offers lucrative opportunities to modern-day customers to cater to their demands for food. In this fast-paced life, the Uber Eats app has become a real blessing and it is capturing the food business.

  • According to one of the surveys by Statista, 10% of Americans use online food delivery services once a week to get their favorite cuisine from their chosen restaurant.
  • Uber Eats has become the most powerful food delivery app, with a gross booking of $4.68 billion (52% of the industry).
  • Uber Eats has captured France by laying hold of 55% of the food delivery market.
  • In the year 2022, nearly 47 million people downloaded the Uber Eats app.

Are you one of the optimistic restaurant owners? Or are you a savvy food tech entrepreneur? If you want to develop your own food delivery marketplace or an app like Uber Eats to run a food business, you must understand the app’s business model, revenue model and the basic steps to build it. Let’s proceed to have a clear roadmap to build an app like Uber Eats.

Three-Sided Business Model For Uber Eats

Customers

Uber Eats offers multiple options to its customers to order food items.

  • Real-time ordering allows customers to select food items from the list of nearby restaurants in the app. Customers can track order status and estimate delivery timings with the help of this option.
  • Custom ordering enables customers to schedule their favorite restaurants, cafes, and food items in advance for future reference. This way, they can customize their placed orders according to the date and time of delivery and destination address.

Restaurants

Uber Eats enables restaurants to the following.

  • Manage food orders.
  • Update menus on the food delivery app.
  • They can mark the availability or unavailability of food items.
  • This app also assists restaurants in changing their name and location, contact information, and opening and closing timings according to their availability.
  • The app also helps determine the price of every food item displayed on a menu.

Delivery Agents

Delivery agents are independent individuals to whom Uber Eats provides the following benefits.

  • Deliver food items to customers.
  • Pick up foodstuffs from restaurants and deliver them to customers’ addresses.
  • Agents are free to accept or reject order requests.
  • Agents can fulfill multiple deliveries simultaneously.
  • Agents get requests to deliver food items according to their proximity to customers’ locations and restaurants.

Revenue Model of Uber Eats

The Uber Eats app follows a few monetization methods to generate revenue that are mentioned below.

Delivery Fees From Customers

Uber Eats charges delivery fees that are categorized into three parts.

Delivery Fee

Customers have to pay a very small delivery fee based on the location and availability of delivery partners. But, the total charges may vary.

Service Fee

Uber Eats charges 15 % of the subtotal of the orders that a customer places.

Order Fee

If customers order food items for less than $10, they have to pay a small fee of $2.

Optional Subscription Fees From Customers

Uber Eats earns additional income from the subscription model that it has. Customers have to pay $9.99/month as a subscription fee to enjoy the Eats Pass. The Uber Eats app allows subscribers to get 5% off orders over $15. It is a matter of pleasure for customers because if they meet the condition, they need not pay any delivery fee

Commission Fees From Restaurants

Uber Eats cuts 15%-40% of the total value of every order the restaurant partners accomplish. The cut-off %  is determined based on the restaurant’s maturity in the market.

Advertising Fees From Restaurants

Restaurants have to pay advertising fees to the company for the purpose of coming up with top searches in the Uber Eats app. It also enables restaurants to get more traction and fees.

Steps To Follow For Developing A Food Delivery App Like Uber Eats

Here are a few significant steps that any restaurateur can follow to create an online food delivery app like Uber Eats.

Step1: Deep Market Research

The first step to building a food delivery app is to conduct research about the current market situation. Research should include:

  • competitors and the services that they offer to their customers
  • target audiences
  • latest trends in the online food industry.

Step2: Selection of Food Delivery Model

If you have conducted thorough market research, the next step is picking a food delivery model to help you meet your business goals and customers’ demands. There are two types of food delivery models: an order-only model and and order and delivery model. The latter involves the following elements:

  • Functionality
  • Accept and manage the order
  • Manage and deliver the order
  • Logistics support
  • Monetization methods
  • Commission fees from partnered restaurants to generate revenue
  • Delivery fees from customers to generate income

Step 3: Must-Have Features for Your App

Here are a few prominent features that are essential to include in your food delivery app if you want to have an advantage over your competitors.

  • Admin panel
  • Restaurant app
  • Customer app
  • Delivery boy app
  • Restaurant management
  • Track delivery
  • Restaurant listing
  • Multiple deliveries management
  • Multi-store
  • Ratings and reviews management
  • Reward points
  • Secure login
  • Notifications
  • Order management
  • User registration
  • Delivery management
  • Support and assistance
  • Multiple payment options
  • Push notifications
  • Statistical report
  • Order tracking
  • Real-time tracking
  • Multilingual capabilities
  • Menu management
  • Takeaway options
  • Dashboard screen
  • Tracking payments
  • Advanced search
  • One-time password

Step4: Select the Right Technology Stack

Selection of the right technology stack is crucial for building an app like Uber Eats. It’s crucial because it serves to offer a seamless user experience. You might require several technologies according to the business model of your food delivery startup. Below are a few technologies that can help you to build a food delivery app like Uber Eats.

  • Web app development
  • Mobile app development
  • Back-end development
  • Databases
  • Third-party services
  • AngularJS or React
  • Kotlin (Android) and Swift (iOS)
  • PHP
  • MySQL
  • Square, Stripe, Brain Tree, Paypal, Aws, Azure, and other similar software

Step5: Finalization of a Viable App Development Option

After deciding on the features and technology stack, it’s a must for you to pick a feasible option to build your food delivery app. There are two options:

  1. Hire an app development team to create a successful food delivery solution.Such a team encompasses the following positions.
  • UI/UX designer
  • Android developer
  • Project manager
  • Testing engineer
  • Front-end developer
  • iOS developer
  • Business analyst
  • Back-end developer

2. Use a ready-made solution.

If any restaurateur wants to build a food delivery app quickly, selecting a ready-made solution is one of the best options. Such read-made white-label food delivery solutions are fully customizable and cater to your every requirement, as a business.

Summing Up

All of the fundamental steps to building a food delivery app like Uber Eats will prove helpful to you. These mentioned points give you a highlight of food delivery app development.

The business of mobile food ordering has become one of the fastest-growing trends of this era. The strategic value of food delivery apps like Uber Eats is skyrocketing, so no restaurant or cafe can overlook this valuable app. Hopefully, after reading this blog post, you’ll definitely be able to get an ideal start in the online food industry.