Menulog connects over 3 million users with more than 35,000 restaurants in Australia and New Zealand. The numbers tell an amazing story - this food delivery giant earned $51.4 million in annual revenue in 2023. It now serves 92% of people who can order food in Australia and New Zealand.
Looking to build an app like Menulog? You're eyeing a goldmine. The Australian food delivery industry will reach $16.51 billion by 2029. Experts predict a growth rate of 7.90% from 2024 onwards. Building a Menulog-style app is a great chance to enter this growing market. The development costs depend on your chosen features, complexity, and development team. The investment makes sense when you look at Menulog's success - with millions of downloads across Australia and New Zealand.
This detailed guide shows you how to build an app like Menulog from the ground up. We'll cover everything from market analysis and key features to technical needs and development steps. You'll discover what it takes to build an app that can succeed in today's digital food delivery world. Want to turn your food delivery app idea into reality? Let's head over to the step-by-step process!
Understanding the Menulog Model
Menulog leads the Australian food delivery market. Dan Katz, Leon Kamenev, and Kevin Sherman started this Sydney-based platform in 2006, and it has revolutionized how Australians get their food delivered. Building an app like Menulog starts with understanding its basic model.
What is Menulog and how it works
Menulog connects hungry customers with local restaurants through a two-sided marketplace. The platform reaches over 92% of the addressable population in Australia and New Zealand, making it a dominant force in regional food delivery.
The process works like this:
- Customers search for restaurants on the Menulog website or mobile app
- They browse menus and place orders online
- Restaurants get orders through their Menulog tablet
- Staff prepares food for delivery by restaurant teams or Menulog couriers
- Customers track orders in real-time through the app
Menulog joined forces with EatNow in 2015 and became part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, which helped them grow rapidly. They now serve over 3.8 million active customers through roughly 30,000 restaurants, from local cafes to big names like McDonald's, KFC, and Subway.
Why Menulog is successful in Australia
Menulog's success comes from several key factors. Their massive reach serves 87% of the population through more than 20,600 restaurants. This wide coverage lets users order different types of food whatever their location.
Mutually beneficial alliances have strengthened their market position. Working with Drive Yello's last-mile technology has made delivery tracking better and customers happier. Marketing campaigns featuring Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry have caught young people's attention.
Both sides of the marketplace benefit from the platform:
- Customers get convenience, choices, and fair delivery fees (average $3.00)
- Restaurants reach more customers and use delivery infrastructure
Market size and growth potential
The Australian online food delivery market looks promising. While it hasn't been profitable yet, experts expect this to change by 2025-26. People just need convenience, restaurant-quality food, and are using technology more.
Uber Australia and DoorDash Australia compete with Menulog. Being one of the first in the market, Menulog still holds much of the market share and brand recognition. They hit ten million yearly orders back in 2016.
Developers wanting to build a similar app might find this the right time. Industry projections show an 11.5% yearly growth, potentially reaching US$15.78 billion by 2027.
Menulog makes money through:
- Restaurant commission (up to 35% of order value)
- Delivery fees (around $3.00 per order)
- Ad revenue from businesses on their platform
Ready to Enter the Growing Food Delivery Market?
Leverage the proven marketplace model to connect hungry customers with local restaurants in your region.
Planning Your App Strategy
A successful food delivery app needs proper planning before any coding begins. The right strategy in early stages can help you thrive in a competitive market instead of struggling to find users. Here's how you can plan an app like Menulog the right way.
Define your target audience
You must know exactly who will use your app. Research shows that food delivery apps in major cities like Los Angeles and Boston have over 50% of users who are affluent consumers with annual incomes over $75,000. Young adults between 25-34 make up the largest group - 49.06% in LA and 45.08% in Boston.
The demographics tell an interesting story:
- Men use food delivery apps more often, making up about 64% of users
- Young millennials are the main users, but people over 40 are starting to order more
- Orders come more frequently from dense urban areas
You can find market gaps by studying consumer demographics, how often people order, and population density in different areas. Up-to-the-minute data analysis about local food trends and user behaviors will help shape your targeting strategy.
Choose your business model
Your business model choice will affect your costs, revenue, and growth potential. Industry experts point to three main business models for food delivery apps:
- Order-only model: Restaurants handle delivery while you manage orders. This needs minimal investment (under $30,000) and works well for entrepreneurs with limited funds. The app takes a commission from restaurants (usually 15-30% per order).
- Order and delivery model: You handle both ordering and delivery logistics. Restaurants just cook the food. This needs moderate investment ($30,000-$80,000). You earn from restaurant commissions and delivery fees ($2-$5 per order).
- Fully integrated model: You control everything from the app to cooking and delivery. This needs big investment but gives the highest profit margins (25-35%).
Pick a model that matches your available money, skills, market type, and timeline goals. To name just one example, see how an order-only platform might work best if you're good with tech but not with cooking. But if you have cooking skills, you might want to try a cloud kitchen model.
Analyze competitors and market gaps
Learning about competitors helps you spot trends, find opportunities, and improve strategies. Start by checking these details about competitors:
- Company basics (when they started, who runs it, how big they are)
- What they offer and their prices
- Who their customers are and how many they have
- How they handle deliveries (their own team or outsourced)
- How they market themselves and what makes them special
Look at both direct competitors like other delivery apps and indirect ones like grocery stores and takeout restaurants. This complete view will help you position your app better.
Each market has its own battle for customers, restaurants, and drivers. You can find areas or customer groups that aren't well served by studying how competitors perform.
Must-Have Features for a Menulog-Like App
A food delivery app needs six key features that users look for in platforms like Menulog. Without these basic functions, even the best apps might struggle to succeed in today's competitive food delivery market.
User registration and login
Your app's first impression starts with the registration process. A quick sign-up process substantially affects how many users stick around. The form should be short and simple, letting users sign up through social media accounts, email, or text messages. This helps prevent users from leaving your app when they see long forms.
Users should be able to customize their profiles by adding basic details like name, address, and phone number. Note that hungry customers want to order right away, every extra moment spent signing up reduces your conversion rate.
Restaurant listings and menus
A user-friendly search function with smart filters helps users find restaurants. People should be able to search by cuisine type, location, price range, and dietary needs like vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options.
Digital menus play a key role in guest experience and create a direct line for communication with customers. Good menu displays should have:
- High-resolution food images
- Detailed descriptions with ingredient information
- Clear pricing
- Special tags for popular items
- Dietary information for those with allergies or restrictions
QR code menus and tablets make ordering faster while keeping menus consistent everywhere. On top of that, linking with inventory systems lets menus update automatically when items run out, stopping customers from ordering unavailable food.
Order placement and customization
Ordering should be simple, needing just a few taps. About 40% of users download food delivery apps to find discounts and cashback, so adding loyalty programs and special offers can increase usage.
Scheduled ordering is a standout feature that lets customers book meals for later delivery. Payment options should include various secure gateways so customers can pay how they want, using credit cards, debit cards, or digital wallets.
Customization options let users modify their meals with special instructions. These personal touches reduce mistakes and make customers happier by giving them exactly what they want.
Real-time GPS tracking
Today's food delivery apps must have real-time order tracking. This shows users exactly where their food is, from the kitchen to their door. GPS tracking does two important things:
It pinpoints the user's location for accurate delivery and shows them where their delivery person is. This openness builds trust and makes the experience better.
The best food delivery apps use different mapping tools like Google Maps, MapKit, and Waze's Navigation. The system uses multiple signals, GPS for outdoor tracking, Wi-Fi and cell signals in cities, and sensors like barometers to measure height.
The same tracking data that helps customers also prevents fraud, especially when combined with delivery proof like GPS timestamps, customer PINs, or delivery photos.
Ratings, reviews, and feedback
Apps need to know if they're meeting customer needs. Reviews and ratings are great ways to collect this information. This feature helps users rate restaurants and dishes, which guides other customers' choices.
Ratings make everyone accountable. When customers can review drivers and restaurants, and the other way around, it encourages professional behavior. Research shows restaurants using digital menus with reviews have fewer wrong orders and returns.
Restaurants can use this feedback to improve their menus and service. A dedicated feedback section helps your business quickly learn what needs fixing in the app.
Push notifications and promotions
Push notifications keep users coming back even when they're not using your app. People in the United States get about 46 push notifications every day, making this an important way to stay connected.
Good notifications include:
- Informational: Order updates, dispatch details, delivery times
- Reminders: Alerts about unfinished tasks
- Promotional: Deals and discounts
- Personalized: Based on how users behave
- Transactional: Order confirmations
- Engagement: Messages that encourage action
Timing is crucial, notifications sent between 5 PM and 8 PM, when most people order food, work better. Apps that personalize messages based on user behavior, location, and preferences get 2-3 times more engagement than generic ones.
Advanced Features to Stand Out
Your Menulog-like app needs state-of-the-art capabilities to stand out in today's crowded food delivery marketplace. These advanced features solve real problems and add measurable value for users and restaurants.
AI-based menu suggestions
Picture an app that knows what users love and suggests it before they search. AI-powered personalization looks at customer data, including previous orders and dietary priorities, to create individual-specific dining experiences.
AI helps your food delivery app by:
- Tracking past choices to recommend dishes users will enjoy
- Increasing revenue through smart upselling (users accept recommendations that match their priorities more readily)
- Boosting customer satisfaction with personally crafted experiences
- Building stronger customer connections through saved priorities and order history
AI recognizes seasonal trends, adjusts recommendations based on dietary needs, and creates dynamic pricing with combo suggestions. Being first in your market with this technology gives you a competitive edge others can't easily copy.
Voice ordering and AR previews
AI systems built into your app let users place orders hands-free through voice technology. This removes the hassle of manually navigating complex menus.
Voice ordering will reshape the scene of food delivery in the next five years, though it's still new. The numbers tell the story, voice shopping through smart speakers should reach USD 40.00 million in revenue by 2022.
"Combining voice ordering with pictures and text creates a convenience trifecta, fast, easy, and user-friendly," industry experts point out. This approach using multiple senses fixes a key issue: voice alone doesn't work well with large menus.
Augmented Reality (AR) makes the user experience better by letting customers:
- See realistic 3D models of menu items before ordering
- Check dishes from every angle
- Get accurate portion sizes, leading to happier customers
- See virtual food items on their dining table through their screens
This visual preview builds ordering confidence, reduces returns, and cuts food waste.
Loyalty programs and referral systems
Food delivery referral programs drive customer acquisition, loyalty, and steady growth. The numbers back this up, loyal customers visit 67% more often and spend about 3 times more than new ones.
Good loyalty systems come in many forms:
- Points rewards for each purchase
- Virtual currencies for perks
- Tiered memberships with better benefits as you go up
- Fun experiences like virtual board games or prize wheels
FiveStars offers flexible point systems and redemption choices that bring customers back. A well-designed referral program multiplies new customers, just ask Oddbox, which now gets 4x more customers through referrals.
Referred customers trust you more from the start, they're more likely to buy because someone they know recommended your service.
Automated marketing tools
Marketing automation helps app owners build customer relationships while saving time for other tasks. AI-powered systems look at customer data to spot needs and send personalized messages at scale.
Smart technology changes how you keep customers coming back through:
- Spotting when guests might skip their next visit
- Sending automatic messages for reward milestones
- Creating personal offers based on what customers order
- Running promotions for specific customer groups
ActiveCampaign sends targeted emails to different customer groups, welcoming new guests or offering specials to regulars based on their order history.
Build More Than Just a Delivery App
Create unique customer experiences through personalized loyalty programs and smart technology that keeps users coming back.
Step-by-Step Development Process
Building a food delivery app like Menulog needs a structured approach. Here are six development phases that will help you create your app without missing any significant steps.
1. Idea validation and requirement gathering
The foundation of a food delivery app begins with proving your concept right. Market research reveals what customers need and what restaurants want from your platform. Surveys and interviews with potential users provide valuable insights.
Your original analysis should focus on competitors to spot their strengths and market gaps. User personas become the foundation for feature development based on actual user needs. To name just one example, see whether busy parents need meal planning features or working professionals value quick delivery options.
The next step involves setting clear validation goals like "confirm that 70% of surveyed users struggle with existing delivery options". Product managers, UI/UX designers, and software architects work together during this 4-6 week validation phase.
2. UI/UX design and prototyping
A well-designed app keeps users coming back in this competitive market. Wireframes show how your app will flow from restaurant browsing to checkout. These blueprints help stakeholders visualize the app's core functionality.
Tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD help create clickable prototypes. These interactive models let you test features before development starts. Early user feedback helps identify potential issues.
User journey maps outline a customer's path within your app, from discovery through engagement. An intuitive interface with logical navigation creates customer loyalty and reduces abandoned orders.
3. Backend and frontend development
Agile methodology guides the development process. It starts with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and adds features based on user feedback. This method enables quick iterations and constant improvements.
Native development (Swift/Kotlin) or cross-platform frameworks like Flutter and React Native serve as frontend options. A resilient server architecture handles order processing, user data storage, and instant communication.
The customer app, restaurant panel, and delivery partner interface develop together. This unified approach ensures orders flow naturally between all parties. Development, design, and QA teams coordinate their efforts for better results.
4. API integrations and third-party services
A functional food delivery app needs the right APIs. Payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal ensure secure transactions. Google Maps or Mapbox services enable live order tracking.
Restaurant-specific integrations sync menus automatically. Uber Eats Marketplace's API lets you manage stores, menus, and orders programmatically. KitchenHub's platform connects multiple delivery services through one interface.
Social login authentication APIs and push notification services keep users engaged with live alerts. Each integration adds functionality while reducing development time.
5. Testing and quality assurance
Good quality assurance prevents expensive post-launch fixes. Thorough functionality testing verifies feature performance. Device compatibility testing checks various screen sizes and operating systems.
Security testing protects sensitive payment and personal data. Integration testing confirms that APIs, databases, and frontend elements merge naturally.
Food delivery apps need specific testing scenarios. Order customization, live tracking, and the complete customer experience from browsing to delivery undergo testing. Some developers conduct "in the store" testing to evaluate food delivery quality.
6. Deployment and app store submission
Beta testing with a select audience catches remaining issues before app store submission. iOS submission requires a distribution certificate and provisioning profile. App Store Connect needs your application details including language, app name, and bundle ID.
Xcode handles app uploads to the App Store. After setting metadata, submit for review. Apple checks all apps for privacy, security, and reliability. iOS apps usually get approved within 24 hours.
Both platforms need specific assets: app icons, screenshots, descriptions, and privacy policies. Your app must meet platform requirements, iOS apps must run on the latest iOS version and support IPv6-only networks.
Cost to Develop an App Like Menulog
Building a food delivery platform needs smart financial planning. Your Menulog-style app's cost depends on several elements that could stretch or shrink your budget.
Factors affecting development cost
A food delivery app's price isn't fixed. Your choice of features drives the cost most significantly - each function adds more development time and makes things technically complex. A simple app with basic features (menu browsing, user profiles, payment gateways) costs much less than one loaded with AI recommendations or dynamic pricing.
Your platform choice shapes the budget. While developing for just iOS or Android reduces the original costs, most businesses want their apps on multiple platforms - and each needs its own testing cycle.
The price also changes based on:
- Architecture decisions (native vs. cross-platform)
- Security and compliance requirements
- UI/UX design complexity
- Third-party integrations
- Project management approach
Cost ranges for MVP, intermediate, and advanced apps
Food delivery apps fall into three price categories:
Basic MVP: $20,000-$60,000 - This works well to test your concept with core functions.
Standard Marketplace: $50,000-$150,000 - This has customer apps, restaurant dashboards, and refined features.
Enterprise Solution: $150,000-$300,000+ - You get AI-driven features, advanced logistics, and continuous integration.
Note that food delivery solutions come with multiple components and separate costs. A customer app alone typically costs $25,000-$70,000, while courier apps range from $20,000-$70,000.
How location of development team impacts cost
Your development team's location can significantly change your costs. Here's what developers charge worldwide:
North America: $100-$180/hour ($250,000-$400,000 total)
Western Europe: $80-$140/hour ($180,000-$300,000 total)
Eastern Europe: $40-$70/hour ($90,000-$150,000 total)[332]
Latin America: $30-$70/hour (similar to Eastern Europe)
South Asia: $25-$50/hour ($60,000-$110,000 total)[354]
Most startups mix and match - they hire senior engineers from the US or Europe for critical components and use offshore developers for frontend or testing tasks.
Choosing the Right Tech Stack
Your choice of technology can make or break your food delivery platform. The right tech stack will save you time, money and prevent future problems.
Frontend and backend technologies
React Native and Flutter are top choices to build cross-platform apps that work on both iOS and Android. Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android) deliver better performance but you'll need separate codebases for native development.
Here are some solid backend options you should look at:
- Node.js - Perfect for live features like order tracking
- Python with Django - Comes with built-in admin panels that save development time
- PHP with Laravel or Symfony - Gives you rich libraries and ready-made solutions
Database and cloud services
The database you pick will determine how well your app handles orders and user data:
- PostgreSQL/MySQL - These manage structured data for user profiles and orders
- MongoDB - A flexible NoSQL option that works great with ever-changing data like menus
- Redis - Makes operations faster through caching
Cloud platforms bill you based on what you use. This means you can scale up during rush hours and keep costs low during quiet times.
Payment gateways and GPS APIs
Stripe handles payments with a 2.9% + 30¢ fee per transaction and works with all major cards and mobile wallets. Square might be better for hybrid models with its 2.6% + 10¢ fee for in-person transactions.
The Google Maps Platform powers everything from live tracking to exact ETAs. Its Routes API finds the best delivery paths between multiple stops while adapting to traffic conditions.
Partnering with a Mobile App Development Company
The right development partner can reshape the scene of your food delivery app from concept to reality. Restaurant app owners often find that professional help gets way better results than doing it themselves.
Why choose CISIN for your project
CISIN's software development company brings years of food app development expertise to the table. They don't just offer generic templates. Their team analyzes your business model deeply to build custom solutions that fit your specific needs. The company has experienced food delivery app developers who create globally successful applications. This focused expertise saves your time and money throughout the development experience.
Benefits of working with experienced developers
Professional developers give you clear advantages over in-house teams. They deliver faster, which means you'll start taking orders and making money sooner. Your app will be secure with end-to-end encryption, safe API integrations, and compliance with data privacy laws. Expert teams know how your app should work with existing restaurant systems. They create uninterrupted integrations between all components.
Post-launch support and scalability
Development doesn't stop at launch. Updates, bug fixes, and new features are vital to your long-term success. Professional companies usually provide ongoing support. They run performance checks, update OS compatibility, and add new features based on what users say. This partnership keeps your app working smoothly as your business grows.
Bring Your Menulog-Like Vision to Life
Avoid common pitfalls by collaborating with experienced professionals who can deliver a polished, high-performance product.
Conclusion
The growing food delivery market presents a promising chance to build an app like Menulog. You've learned everything in app development from idea validation to deployment. The Australian food delivery market will reach $16.51 billion by 2029, making it an attractive business venture.
Your app's success depends on proper planning. A clear project direction emerges when you define your target audience, select an appropriate business model, and analyze competitors. The core features should include efficient user registration, accessible restaurant listings, and up-to-the-minute GPS tracking to meet user expectations.
Your app can outperform competitors with AI-based menu suggestions and voice ordering. These technologies turn regular food ordering into unique customer experiences that build loyalty and repeat business.
Development becomes manageable when broken down into steps. Each phase contributes to creating a functional, user-friendly application. While costs depend on feature complexity, development team location, and technical requirements, the potential returns make it worthwhile.
The right technology stack determines long-term success. A solid technical foundation that supports growth comes from the right mix of frontend frameworks, backend technologies, databases, and third-party integrations.
A partnership with experienced mobile application developers like CISIN can make the development process smoother. Their expertise in food delivery app development helps avoid common pitfalls and delivers a polished product faster. The right development partner provides vital post-launch support as your business grows.
Want to bring your Menulog-like app to life? Start your research, establish your competitive edge, and team up with technical experts who can turn your vision into reality. The food delivery market is ready for your innovation!
