1. 6 Must-Have Features for Your Restaurant Mobile App When you have got money in hand, the most common business idea that strikes everyone nowadays is to open a restaurant or a bar. If you belong to 90% of the population, then that is the case. Superficially, these may appear to be amongst the most attractive businesses in recent times. But there is more to businesses than just making easy money. One of the most frustrating things about running a restaurant has to be the dramatic fluctuations in footfalls. One minute you are standing idle and distributing flyers to entice customers to your restaurant and the very other minute you are overwhelmed with the influx of customers who definitely outnumber your working staff. It is easy to predict spikes in business during the holiday period, but you are in for surprises during the working days. Not only the variance in attendance, but fierce competition, incredibly long working days and short shelf life of products are other reasons that make your business difficult to run. Restaurant App builders can be a lifeline to help with the plethora of responsibilities that come with running a restaurant. Here are 6 features to incorporate into your app business. Simple online ordering Integrating a hassle-free and commonly used payment gateway in your app is one of the first steps to create a perfect restaurant app. You must not make hunger pangs wait with a slower app interface, messed up menu and a relatively confusing payment method. If this happens, then surely the next button he will click on your app will be ‘uninstall’. The ability to order online has changed the food service industry drastically. And now that this service is moving into the mobile space, more customers will be empowered to place their orders remotely. Prior seat reservation Giving some extra bit of power to those who have downloaded your app is always an idea that never fails to impress. Just like the Central Perk in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, give an advantage of reserving their favorite spot in the restaurant to your loyal customers. Convenient scheduling through mobile apps makes it easy for customers who are looking for a sure shot place to eat.

2. The Social link Try making your app accessible via social media logins. Restaurant apps haven’t understood the importance of being socially connected and this definitely has added to the negatives. Apart from the social media login, people could share their experiences and pictures on social media through the app. This could result in increased number of app downloads. Offline Features Guess what would Green Lantern do without his ring? Nothing. So, try not to make your restro-app powerless without a working internet connection. Adding some offline features like viewing the menu and reviews would be a treat for your customers who have a slow or no internet connection. Discounts and referral feature Discounts and referrals are the best bet when it comes to expanding your consumer base. Getting discounts on being referred to or by referring someone can attract the audience you have been searching for. Most apps stick to the quintessential feature and often forget to engage their users in an interaction such as referrals. Feed the needy “One-third of all the food produced in the world is wasted”- New York Times" Sustainability and responsible business practices are now mandatory trends. Businesses that ignore them, get ignored by the millennials. Ensuring ‘zero wastage’ is not only smart, but also an economical way to run your restaurant business. Check if you can have a feature to tie-up with an NGO/foster home where ‘fresh’ left-overs could be given to those who would relish. Your app business could soon hit the social media headlines for good. Conclusion Mobile technology is powering the food service industry to create dining experiences that are amazing, yet simple. Whether you own or manage a restaurant, or simply want to make an app; resources are available to inaugurate your business into the exciting world of food service technology. So it is never too late to create your own restaurant app when you have all the ingredients to make one.