How Much Does It Cost to Develop an App Like KFC?

The global restaurant chain business is expanding at a rapid speed and catering to the diverse taste buds of customers. The restaurant business is expected to reach $772 billion by 2027, and building a restaurant app like KFC can help you leverage this growth trend while boosting your sales and restaurant footfalls.

The emergence of food delivery apps from KFC and Domino shows that it has great potential to increase revenue streams while enhancing brand awareness across digital platforms. An app like KFC allows loyal customers to place orders, make payments, get special offers and discounts, and use various other features. But how to build an app like KFC and what is the cost to develop an app like KFC? This article will provide you with all the insights. So stay tuned till the end.

Why Should You Invest In A Food Ordering App Like KFC?

With the rapid growth of the food delivery market, investing in a food ordering app like KFC has become a popular choice for many entrepreneurs. A 2021 study by the app Annie( Now data.ai) revealed that the food and beverage ordering app would witness a 20% year-over-year growth in terms of app downloads from both Google and Apple Play stores. According to experts, millennials and Gen Zs now prefer ordering food online rather than dining in. This shift in consumer preference and choices has created a significant opportunity for brands to explore a large and growing market.

Let’s explore the reasons and their detailed explanations for why you should consider building a food-ordering app like KFC.

Essential Features Of A Food-Ordering App Like KFC

Building a food-ordering app requires careful planning and consideration of the most essential features to launch it. Crafting an app like this requires a variety of core features that ensure a seamless user experience and efficient operations. Below are the features that must be included in a food-ordering app like KFC.

#1 User Account & Profile Management: It is the most critical feature for a food-ordering application like KFC. It allows users to create and manage personal profiles. Users can sign up via email or phone numbers and manage numerous details, order history and payment options on their profiles.

#2 Real-Time Order Tracking: Most food-ordering apps, like KFC, have a live-tracking feature that enables users to track their order status or instruct the delivery partner in real time while staying informed about their current order locations.

#3 Menu Browsing & Search: This feature is the heart of a food-ordering app like KFC, allowing users to browse through a list of restaurants or food items. A well-organized food menu allows users to use advanced filters and intuitive search capabilities seamlessly to find the food items they are looking for. Often, the menu browsing feature is equipped with highly responsive search functionalities to quickly locate a restaurant nearby.

#4 Secure Payment Gateway: The food-ordering app should have a secure payment gateway that offers multiple payment options, including COD, cards, digital payments, and net banking. The gateway should be secure and robust enough to instil confidence among users.

#5 Order Placement & Customization: This is another very important feature for a food ordering app. It allows users to add items to the cart, customize or cancel their orders and review their choices countless times before placing an order.

#6 Loyalty & Rewards Program: It is another critical feature that helps a food-ordering app stand tall in a crowded market and create a differentiating factor. The feature encourages users to use this platform as many times as they prefer. 

#7 Push Notifications & In-App Messaging: In-app messaging is a must-have feature for a food-ordering app like KFC that allows businesses to communicate directly with users. In a food-ordering app, users can directly communicate with their respective delivery partners regarding the order’s arrival. It is another critical feature that helps a food-ordering app stand tall in a crowded market and create a differentiating factor. The feature encourages users to use this platform as many times as they prefer. Push notifications allow restaurants to notify users regarding status updates, special promotions, and personalized deals. 

#8 Reviews & Ratings: This feature allows customers to leave reviews and rate their experience. It provides valuable feedback for the business and helps other users make informed decisions about their orders. Customers can rate menu items, delivery times, and overall service. 

#9 Admin Panel & Analytics: A powerful backend system for the business allows admin users to manage the menu, track orders, oversee customer profiles, handle promotions, and generate reports. Analytics features are crucial for understanding user behaviour, tracking sales performance, and identifying areas for improvement. 

Why Understanding The Cost Is Crucial For Building An App Like KFC?

Crafting a food ordering app like KFC is not only technologically challenging but also requires comprehensive financial planning. Proper budgeting is crucial to determine the cost of developing an app like KFC. The entire success of the project depends on that. Here is why understanding the cost is essential:

• The Importance Of Budgeting For App Development: App development involves multiple stages, including design, development, testing, and post-launch support. Each stage incurs a different cost. If you do not have a clear budget, your business might run out of funds before you can launch the app. When you have effective budgeting, you can ensure the successful completion of your food ordering app. If you understand the budget, you can accurately determine the cost of developing an app like KFC while avoiding delays and unplanned expenses.
• Factors Influencing The Cost To Develop An App Like KFC: There are several factors that can influence the cost of creating an app like KFC, making it crucial to consider these in your budget planning.

a) App Features & Complexity: The complexity of your food-ordering features determines the cost of building an app like KFC. If your app has more complex features like real-time order tracking, GPS integration, and a loyalty program, the development cost will be higher. Adding features like user personalization and machine learning can further increase your expenses. 

b) Platform Choice: One of the most crucial factors that influence the food-ordering app development cost is your platform choice.  If you consider developing an app for both iOS and Android, it will cost you more. Businesses also have the option to build their food-ordering app through native or hybrid app development. Each of these development approaches has its cost implications.

c) Development Team: The size and expertise of your app development team can influence the cost of developing an app like KFC. If you hire an in-house team, it will cost you more compared to outsourcing an experienced app development team. 

d) Technology Stack: The choice of technologies, programming languages, and third-party integrations (e.g., payment gateways and push notification services) also affect the budget. KFC’s app integrates payment options, GPS tracking, and analytics tools, each adding to the development cost.

e) Maintenance & Updates: Once the app is launched, you should be ready to bear recurring costs for its server maintenance, bug fixing, and rollout of new features or functionalities. Many businesses often ignore this factor, but it’s important to be successful in this high-traffic app zone. 

How A Well-Planned Budget Can Lead To A Successful App?

A well-structured budget not only helps you allocate and optimize resources efficiently but also aids you in setting realistic expectations for stakeholders and investors. A well-planned budget and cost estimation can help you in the following ways:

• Improved Feature Prioritization: With a clear budget, businesses can focus on developing core features first (e.g., menu browsing order placement) and introduce advanced features (like loyalty rewards) in later phases. This approach reduces initial development costs while allowing for future growth.
• Better Decision-Making: A budget clarifies decisions about design, technology, and the development process. For example, a business might launch with a basic version (MVP) of the app and scale up once it gains traction. KFC’s app could have started with simple ordering features and added advanced functionality over time, allowing the company to spread costs.
• Avoiding Overruns & Delays: A well-planned budget helps prevent common issues such as scope creep, where additional features are added mid-development, leading to cost overruns. It also ensures that developers can deliver on time without sacrificing quality.

Estimated Cost Breakup Of A Food Ordering App

Usually, it takes around $1,40,000 to $2,80,000 to build an app with features and functionalities similar to KFC. Let’s break down the cost based on the app features and design requirements.

Examples Of Leading Food Ordering Apps Like KFC

How Logic Square Can Help You Build A Food Ordering App Like KFC?

Do you want to build a food ordering app like KFC while keeping the cost of making an app like KFC under control? Logic Square Technologies can help you out. Here, we specialize in crafting cutting-edge mobile and web apps and turning ambitious ideas into reality. We follow an innovative development approach and workflow that involve agile methodology, frugal innovations, and a lean MVP model. These innovative approaches and proven practices ensure that your food ordering app has all the qualities of the KFC food app while keeping your development cost in check. Whether you’re looking for a feature-rich platform or a simple MVP to test the market, our experienced team will guide you every step of the way. Join hands with Logic Square Technologies and fulfil your dream of building a food-ordering app like KFC.