Just Eat processes over 300 million orders annually across its platforms—that's roughly 10 orders every single second. Pretty staggering numbers, right? But here's what's really interesting: despite this massive market dominance, there's still plenty of room for independent restaurant apps to thrive. The key isn't trying to beat Just Eat at their own game; it's about understanding what features make food delivery apps successful and then building something that serves your customers better.
After working with dozens of restaurant owners over the years, I've noticed a common pattern. Most think they need to create an exact replica of Just Eat to compete—wrong approach entirely. Your restaurant app doesn't need every bell and whistle that the big platforms have. What it needs is the right combination of features that make ordering from you simple, reliable, and genuinely better than the alternatives.
The best restaurant apps don't try to do everything Just Eat does—they focus on doing the things that matter most to their customers, exceptionally well
This guide will walk you through the specific features that can give your restaurant app a fighting chance in the food delivery space. We'll cover everything from the basics like menu management and payment processing, right through to the more advanced features like real-time tracking and customer retention tools. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for building an app that doesn't just compete with Just Eat—it offers something genuinely better for your customers.
User Experience Must Come First
I've worked on countless restaurant apps over the years, and I can tell you that the ones that succeed all have one thing in common—they put the user first. Not the business owner, not the kitchen staff, but the hungry person trying to order food on their phone. This might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many apps get this wrong.
When someone opens your app, they want to find food quickly and place an order without any hassle. That's it. They don't want to jump through hoops, create complicated accounts, or navigate confusing menus. If your app makes this simple task difficult, people will close it and open Just Eat instead.
What Makes a Great Restaurant App Experience
Great user experience starts with understanding how people actually use restaurant apps. They're usually hungry, often in a hurry, and sometimes using their phone with one hand whilst doing something else. Your app needs to work for these real-world situations.
- Make ordering possible in three taps or less
- Show clear food photos and descriptions
- Keep loading times under two seconds
- Allow guest checkout without forced registration
- Use large, easy-to-tap buttons
- Display prices clearly with no hidden fees
The best restaurant apps feel invisible—users get what they want without thinking about the app itself. That's the standard you're competing against.
Menu Management and Ordering Systems
The heart of any food delivery app is its menu system—this is where customers make their decisions and where restaurants showcase their offerings. Having built apps for various food businesses over the years, I can tell you that getting this right makes or breaks the entire user experience.
Your menu management system needs to be flexible enough to handle daily specials, seasonal items, and sudden stock shortages. Restaurant staff should be able to update prices, descriptions, and availability in real-time without calling tech support. Just Eat has mastered this with their intuitive backend system that lets restaurants control everything from portion sizes to dietary labels.
Key Menu Features That Drive Sales
- High-quality food photography with zoom functionality
- Clear dietary information (vegan, gluten-free, allergen warnings)
- Customisation options for toppings, spice levels, and portion sizes
- Popular items and staff recommendations highlighted
- Search and filter capabilities by cuisine type or dietary needs
- Bundle deals and meal combinations
The ordering process itself should feel effortless. Customers want to add items to their basket, modify quantities, and checkout without confusion. Your competition with Just Eat depends heavily on making this smoother than their already polished system.
TIP: Include a "reorder favourites" feature that saves customers' previous orders—this single feature can increase repeat orders by up to 40%
Payment Integration and Security
Getting payments right in your restaurant app isn't just about making money—it's about making customers feel safe whilst they're spending it. I've worked on dozens of food delivery apps over the years, and let me tell you, nothing kills an app faster than payment problems or security scares.
Your customers expect multiple payment options these days. Credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, and even buy-now-pay-later services. The more options you offer, the less likely someone is to abandon their order at checkout. But here's the thing—you don't need to build all this payment processing yourself.
Security Standards You Cannot Ignore
PCI DSS compliance isn't optional; it's the law when handling card payments. This means using secure payment processors like Stripe, Square, or PayPal that handle the heavy lifting for you. Never store card details on your own servers—that's asking for trouble.
- SSL encryption for all payment data
- Two-factor authentication for user accounts
- Regular security audits and updates
- Fraud detection and prevention systems
- Secure tokenisation of payment methods
Making Payments Feel Effortless
The checkout process should be lightning fast. Save payment methods securely, enable one-click ordering for returning customers, and make guest checkout an option. People are hungry—they don't want to fill out forms for ten minutes before they can order their dinner.
Delivery Tracking and Real-Time Updates
Here's something that drives me absolutely mad about some restaurant apps—you place an order and then you're left in complete darkness about what's happening. Is someone cooking it? Has it left the kitchen? Did the driver get lost? Your customers shouldn't have to wonder about any of this stuff.
Just Eat nailed this years ago with their tracking system. Customers can see exactly where their food is at every stage of the journey. Your app needs to match this level of transparency if you want to compete in the food delivery space.
Real-Time Order Status
Your customers want to know when their order is confirmed, being prepared, ready for collection, and out for delivery. Each status update should trigger a push notification—but don't spam them with unnecessary alerts. The key is finding that sweet spot between keeping people informed and annoying them.
Live GPS Tracking
Once that food leaves your restaurant, your customers should be able to track the driver's location in real-time. This isn't just about convenience; it reduces anxiety and cuts down on "Where's my food?" phone calls to your restaurant.
Customers who can track their delivery in real-time are 40% less likely to contact customer service about their order status
The technical side isn't overly complex—you'll need GPS integration and a reliable backend system that can handle multiple simultaneous tracking requests. But the peace of mind it gives your customers? That's priceless when you're trying to build loyalty in such a competitive market.
Customer Support and Communication
When your restaurant app crashes at 9pm on a Friday night—right when orders are flying in—you need proper support systems in place. I've watched too many promising food delivery apps lose customers forever because they couldn't handle support requests quickly enough. Your customers aren't just hungry; they're impatient, and they have plenty of other options.
Building effective customer support starts with making it easy for people to reach you. In-app chat works brilliantly for quick questions, but you'll also need phone support for complex issues like payment problems or delivery disasters. The key is response time—anything over 10 minutes during peak hours and people start getting frustrated.
Building Your Support System
Your support team needs access to real-time order data, customer history, and delivery tracking information. When someone calls about a missing order, your team should see exactly where that driver is and when the food left the kitchen. This isn't just about being helpful—it's about preventing angry customers from switching to Just Eat permanently.
- Live chat with order tracking integration
- Phone support during peak meal times
- Automated updates for common issues like delivery delays
- Quick refund processing for cancelled orders
- FAQ section covering ordering, payments, and delivery
Smart communication means proactive updates too. Send notifications when orders are delayed, when drivers can't find addresses, or when restaurants are running behind. People appreciate honesty—they just want to know what's happening with their dinner.
Marketing Features and Customer Retention
Right, let's talk about keeping your customers coming back—because getting someone to download your app is only half the battle. I've watched too many restaurant apps launch with great fanfare only to see their user numbers drop off a cliff after a few weeks. The secret? Building features that make people want to return.
Push notifications are your best friend here, but use them wisely. Nobody wants to be bombarded with messages every hour. Send targeted offers based on ordering history, remind customers about abandoned carts, or notify them when their favourite dish is available. Just don't overdo it—I've seen apps uninstalled faster than you can say "special offer" because they got too pushy.
Building Your Loyalty Arsenal
Here's what keeps customers engaged and coming back for more:
- Points-based loyalty programmes that reward frequent orders
- Personalised meal recommendations based on past orders
- Exclusive app-only deals and early access to new menu items
- Social sharing features to let customers show off their meals
- Referral bonuses for bringing friends to the app
- Birthday treats and anniversary rewards
The key is making your customers feel special. When someone opens your app, they should feel like they're getting something they can't get anywhere else—not just from Just Eat, but from walking into your restaurant either.
Track your retention rates weekly, not monthly. If you wait a month to spot problems, you've already lost too many customers to recover easily.
Performance and Technical Requirements
Let me tell you something that might surprise you—most restaurant apps fail not because they look bad or have poor features, but because they're slow, buggy, or crash at the worst possible moments. I've seen brilliant app concepts completely ruined by technical issues that could have been avoided with proper planning.
Your app needs to load within three seconds or people will simply delete it and order from Just Eat instead. That's not my opinion; that's what the data shows us time and time again. Speed isn't just nice to have—it's make or break for restaurant apps where people are hungry and impatient.
Core Technical Standards
Here are the minimum technical requirements your restaurant app must meet to compete effectively:
- Load times under 3 seconds on standard mobile connections
- Offline functionality for browsing menus and viewing order history
- Support for both iOS and Android with consistent performance
- Secure data encryption for all payment and personal information
- Regular automated backups of customer data and order history
- Scalable infrastructure that handles peak dinner rush traffic
Don't underestimate the importance of testing your app thoroughly before launch. I always recommend load testing with at least 10 times your expected user volume—because nothing kills a restaurant app launch quite like it crashing when everyone tries to order their Friday night takeaway at the same time.
Conclusion
Building a restaurant app that can compete with Just Eat isn't about copying what they do—it's about understanding what your customers really need and delivering it better. After working with restaurants for years, I've seen the ones that succeed are those that focus on getting the basics right first. A smooth ordering system, secure payments, and real-time delivery tracking aren't fancy features anymore; they're the minimum customers expect.
The real competition comes from the details. How quickly does your app load? Can customers easily find their favourite dishes? Does your loyalty programme actually make people want to come back? These are the questions that separate apps people use once from apps they keep on their home screen.
What matters most is knowing your customers and your restaurant's strengths. Maybe you're faster than Just Eat in your area, or perhaps you offer better customer service. Your app should highlight these advantages whilst covering all the technical requirements we've discussed throughout this guide.
Don't try to build everything at once though. Start with the core features that directly impact orders and customer satisfaction, then expand based on what your users actually ask for. The best restaurant apps grow with their customers—not ahead of them.
