A Guide to Creating a Food Delivery App like Uber Eats

Food delivery apps have become a must-have for anyone who wants to enjoy their favorite meals without leaving home. Uber Eats, a leader in this space, has made food delivery easier and more convenient than ever.

If you’re thinking about creating your own food delivery app, this blog will guide you through the process.

We’ll cover how the Uber Eats app works, the steps to develop a similar app, and the key features you’ll need, and the cost requirements to bring your idea to life.

How does the Uber Eats App Work?

Before we explore how to create an app like Uber Eats, it's important to understand how the app works. This will help you replicate its functionalities when building your own.

Let’s get to know the workflow of the Uber Eats;

• The users can use the app to find nearby restaurants after giving their current location. Then, choose the food items from the menu, select add-ons for the items necessary, and place the order.
• Once the users place the order, the restaurant will receive the order in their web panel, where they have to accept/reject the order based on their availability.
• After the order is ready, the restaurant owner will click on the ready for pickup button.
• Once the ready for pickup button is clicked, the order will be allocated to the nearest delivery partner for pickup.
• The delivery partner will have to accept the order, then they’ll receive the order details and the map indicating the restaurant address.
• Once the order is picked up from the restaurant, the delivery partner’s app will show the address and contact details of the user in their app.
• After the order gets delivered, the delivery partner can rate the user.
• And simultaneously, the user can rate and tip the delivery partner for their services.

How to Create an App like Uber Eats?

To create an on-demand food delivery marketplace like Uber Eats, you need to follow certain steps and make necessary decisions.

let's go through each of them.

1. Market Research and Analysis

Begin your market research by identifying your target audience—understand who they are, what they need, and what they find frustrating about existing food delivery apps. This insight will help you design an app that meets their needs.

Next, analyze your competition to identify opportunities and learn from their successes and mistakes.

Along with understanding your audience and competitors, set a clear budget that covers development, marketing, and ongoing costs.

Make sure your financial plan is realistic and includes ways to generate revenue, such as delivery fees and partnerships.

Lastly, familiarize yourself with the legal requirements for running a food delivery service in your area to avoid potential issues.

2. Understanding Your Business & Revenue Models

If you want your food delivery app to be like Uber Eats, you should adopt the aggregator business model.

This is the model that uses a platform to connect customers with multiple restaurants, and handles delivery with the help of independent delivery partners.

Here, you generate revenue by charging a commission on each order. This includes service fees from the customer and the delivery partner, as well as a commission paid by the restaurants.

3. Identify the Essential App Features

These are some of the necessary features that you need to include in your food delivery app.

Features of the Eater App

• Advanced search filter: Allow eaters to find nearby restaurants based on location, cuisine, or popularity.
• Real-time order tracking: Enable eaters to track the order’s progress from preparation to delivery.
• Order history: Allow eaters to view past orders and reorder them easily.
• Multiple payment options: Offer payment through in-app wallet, credit/debit cards, mobile wallets, or cash on delivery.
• Push notifications: Send updates on order status, promotions, and special offers.
• Contactless delivery options: Give options to have the order left at their doorstep.
• Promo codes and discounts: Set up promo codes to offer discounts on orders.
• Add-ons and order notes: Let eaters customize their order with add-ons and special instructions.
• User reviews and ratings: Allow eaters to rate restaurants and delivery partners.

Features of the Delivery Partner App

• Earnings report: Give delivery partners access to their weekly and total earnings.
• Availability toggle: Let them notify the platform of their availability to take orders.
• Navigation integration: Offer GPS or maps for optimal delivery routes.
• Delivery history: Enable access to past deliveries and any associated ratings.
• Order details: Give them access to detailed order information, including customer instructions and contact info.
• Driver ratings: Let them rate users based on their delivery experience.
• Multiple payout accounts: Allow them to manage multiple bank accounts for receiving earnings.

Features of the Restaurant Panel

• Operating hours management: Let the restaurants set and manage their operating hours.
• Preparation time settings: Allow them to specify how long it takes to prepare the dishes.
• Menu management: Enable them to add, edit, remove items and manage availability.
• Modifier groups: Let them set up modifier groups for individual items or the entire menu.
• Order management: Allow them to accept, decline, and manage orders in real-time.
• Transaction management: Let the restaurants review and manage past and upcoming transactions.
• Multiple payout accounts: Allow them to add and manage multiple bank accounts for receiving earnings.

Features of the Admin Panel

• Dashboard: For viewing user activity and track platform earnings.
• Automatic payouts: Automate payments to delivery partners and restaurants.
• User management: To manage all users (eaters, delivery partners, restaurants) through separate tabs.
• Promo code management: To create, manage, and distribute promo codes for your users.
• Cuisine management: For controling which cuisines appear in your users’ app.
• Service fee management: To set up and adjust service fees for users, delivery partners, and restaurants.
• App setting management: To set and manage app settings, including user interface options, and notification settings.
• Content management system (CMS): For managing static content such as FAQs, terms, and policies.

4. Building Your Food Delivery App

The next step is to start building your food delivery app. You have two approaches to do that: custom development and readymade app solutions.

Custom Development

The first possible approach is custom development, where you typically hire a development firm and build the app from scratch for your business.

This can be an extensive process, which includes:

• Planning your app requirements and creating a basic visual guide.
• Designing the app's interface.
• Developing the functional aspects of the app based on the design.
• Testing the app for issues.
• Launching the app and maintaining it.

This process requires a significant investment of time and money and is carefully carried out by the company to meet your exact needs.

Moving on to the next possible option.

Readymade App Solution

To explain simply, a readymade app solution is a pre-built app that includes the essential features and functionalities you need in your business app.

Many providers offer such apps with functionalities similar to Uber Eats, so you can quickly launch your food delivery app without developing it from scratch.

Launching your app with a readymade app solution is different from custom development because here the process involves:

• Purchasing the readymade app solution.
• White-labelling the app to match your brand (done free of charge by the provider).
• Customizing the app to add unique features (if needed).
• Launching your app.

Since the functionalities and features are pre-developed, readymade app solutions also offer a cost-effective option to launch your app.

These are your two main options for launching your food delivery app, like Uber Eats. Custom development requires more time and investment but offers a fully tailored solution. A readymade app solution comes with pre-built features, is quickly launched, and is more cost-effective.

What you choose depends on your individual goals and budget, so think it over and then make a careful decision.

And if you happen to choose a readymade app solution, you can consider our Uber Eats clone to launch your food delivery app.

With our solution, you get:

• Android and iOS apps for both eaters and delivery partners.
• A restaurant panel for restaurants to manage their orders and earnings.
• An admin panel to help you manage the platform.
• Free tech support, which covers white-labelling, server installation, app launch, and support following app rejection.
• 100% source code, so you may change its functionality if necessary.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like Uber Eats?

The cost of developing an app like Uber Eats depends on several factors, including:

• Development Time: How long it takes to build the app.
• Technology: The tools and platforms used to create the app.
• Team: The professionals you hire to simplify the process of launching your food delivery business.

If you choose to work with an in-house tech team to build the app from scratch, expect to pay between $20,000 and $70,000, with labour costs around $40 per hour.

However, if you opt for ready-made solutions, the cost drops significantly. You can acquire a solution starting from $2,000 to $9,000, which includes full source code and tech support. This cost may increase if you require customizations.

Now, it’s time to choose what fits you best!

Conclusion

Launching your own food delivery app like Uber Eats doesn't have to be overwhelming. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can confidently navigate the process—from market research to app development—whether you choose custom development or a ready-made solution.

With the right strategy, you’ll be well on your way to creating a profitable on-demand food delivery business that meets the needs of your customers.