The Ultimate Cloud Kitchen App Development Guide

Digitalization and the pandemic are the most significant influential factors in online business growth. Whether you want to expand your restaurant further or start a new business with less capital and inventory in the food industry, a cloud kitchen business sounds like the best idea. It is a concept where you will prepare food in a commercial kitchen and deliver it through delivery apps. Takeaways are also a part of the cloud kitchen.

Cloud kitchen models, also known as "ghost kitchens" or "dark kitchens," have no concept for dine-in. Now, there are several ways in which you can deliver food to people. But it is better to have your cloud kitchen app have sole control over the orders and the delivery channel. Plus, it will increase the trust and reliability of your target audience.

However, developing an app for cloud kitchen startups takes a lot of effort because you need to consider the budget, project size, features like UI, responsiveness, payment methods, and many more. Keeping in mind the problems, we've talked about the right way to build the cloud kitchen app and a number of other related things.

What is a Cloud Kitchen App?

As the name suggests, a cloud kitchen app is business-specific software that lets you take orders, manage delivery channels, get reports on how orders were delivered, and do a number of other things. If you have multiple outlets, instead of developing separate software platforms for each kitchen, you can manage them all from a single application.

Once you understand the concept of a cloud kitchen, you won't have any problem planning and developing the app with the help of a professional. However, before you do so, you should know different cloud kitchen models to avoid any future problems while designing and developing the applications.

Following are the models of cloud kitchen that are prevalent in the market:

• The brand-owned model represents a single kitchen where all the work will be done at a particular location only in association with more extensive food chains and new businesses in the food sector.
• Add-on models are ideal for restaurants that want to expand their kitchen but don't have the space or provision to do so in the traditional or original kitchen.
• A hybrid cloud kitchen is a model where restaurants with dining facilities open a new commercial kitchen to take delivery orders from different places.
• The independent kitchen model describes a commercial kitchen owned by a particular brand that works independently without the influence of any other restaurant or food chain business.
• The shared kitchen model indicates a cloud kitchen rented out to another restaurant that needs a commercial place to cook food and serve everyone.

How Has Cloud Kitchen Mobile App Became A Trend

There are several speculations about how the cloud kitchen business came into existence and became a trend within a short period of time. First of all, this kind of commercial kitchen model allows restaurants and other companies in the food industry to expand their cooking areas and meet the demand of the growing market. Moreover, it does not require too much funding or investment, thereby offering entrepreneurs the facility to start their businesses without the involvement of huge capital.

Thanks to the increase in delivery channels and the introduction of technologies like cloud computing solutions, the idea of having a cloud kitchen has become prevalent in the market. Although cloud kitchens will take a lot of time to become as popular as dine-in restaurants, their start is worthy of appraisal.

A Step-by-Step Guide To Cloud Kitchen App Development

Although it may sound relatively easy to develop an application for your cloud-based kitchen business, the reality is far different. We must overcome several roadblocks to ensure the developed application meets your business process. To help you, we have briefly explained the process of developing the cloud kitchen app.

• The first step is to choose a particular kitchen model for your cloud kitchen. It should be relevant to your business idea and objectives.
• In addition, you need to list the features you want in the application. For example, you should decide the number of payment methods to be included, the security features, the categories, and so on.
• Once done, shortlist the platform you wish to use for app development, native or cross-platform. We recommend using the cross-platform application to target the more extensive audience section since it can run on iOS and Android.
• Also, you need to choose the UI design, ensuring it is intuitive and interactive. Many things are included, from the background colour to the images, components, header, tag lines, etc.
• Talk with expert developers to choose the best tech stack. Since you will need a scalable application to make room for future developments, we suggest going for NodeJS, Laravel, or Python for the backend and React Native or Flutter for the front end.

Benefits and Cost of Cloud Kitchen App Development

Before you know how to start a cloud kitchen, it would be best to know the benefits of the application and get a cost estimate. In the following section, we have explained the advantages of having a cloud kitchen app.

• With the application, you will have better control over the cloud kitchen business. You won't have to depend on any delivery channel to take the orders and deliver them right on time.
• The business efficiency and performance will skyrocket once you integrate the application with your business. This way, people can easily place orders for deliveries or take-aways.
• You won't have to hire someone to manage the phone calls about order placement, cancellation of orders, and so on.
• Since the cloud kitchen app needs to be integrated with the GPS, your customers can quickly check the order's status and the delivery boy's exact location. It will help you give them a fantastic meal experience.
• You can also include features for customizing a meal according to their choice, ensuring they can place an order for exactly what they want.

The usual cloud kitchen cost of developing the application varies between $100 to $600, based on the features you want to include in the application, the complexity, and the tech stack.

What Should a Cloud Kitchen App Look Like?

With revolution and technology upgrades, most cloud kitchen startups try to incorporate something unique in their applications. It helps them stand out in the crowd. But the app should have the most important features that will help you run your business well. Following are some specific problems that should be addressed in the application.

• GPS-enabled tracking
• In-app call
• Delivery report and analysis
• Order placement and cancellation
• Multiple payment options
• Discounts and coupons
• Note the area for additional instructions
• A digital menu
• Filter button with multiple filter attributes
• MuPush notification

Future of Cloud Kitchen Business

With so many different cloud kitchen startups, the future of this new business concept is thriving and flourishing. It is revolutionizing the whole food industry. Furthermore, incorporating a mobile app for the cloud kitchen can easily leverage the business experience and satisfy customers.

Here is a brief insight into the future of cloud kitchen business:

• There might be a majority shift from the brick and mortar restaurant business to cloud kitchen across the world.
• Businesses can easily have a small area enough for a professional kitchen instead of compromising with the cooking space due to seating arrangements.
• Entrepreneurs will get golden opportunities to roll out a new business in the form of cloud kitchen. Plus, it won’t even cost them too much investment.
• The use of fleet management and route optimization solutions can increase since cloud kitchen businesses will need delivery partners and optimized routes for faster operations.
• Cloud kitchens will also pave the way for technological adoption in the food and restaurant industry. With AI-based apps, customers can easily check the best dishes on the menu based on the previous choices.

Mistakes To Avoid When Operating A Cloud Kitchen Business

While operating cloud kitchen startups, there are inevitable mistakes that one must avoid at any cost. If not, it will create a lot of problems.

For example:

• The tech stack should be chosen carefully so that the app can be responsive, flexible, and scalable.
• The security layers and encryption algorithm must be strong and robust to keep user information and payment transactions safe.
• Also, businesses need to prepare the best budget for developing applications, setting up the infrastructure, and managing the fleet.

To Conclude

In this article, we have covered the cloud kitchen business apps, the process for development, the overall cost involved, and several other facts that will help you make your decision wisely. Based on this, you can create a software development workflow that works well and makes sure the app has all the latest features.

FAQ's

Q1. What are the types of cloud kitchen models?

Major types of cloud kitchen models include brand-owned, shared, independent, add-on, and hybrid. One should know different models of cloud kitchen before planning to develop a cloud kitchen application

Q2.Why is a cloud kitchen app better than a website?

First of all, deploying cloud computing trends into an application is much easier and less complicated than that of a website. Plus, people will have the application at their fingertips. So, placing the order or checking the order status won’t be a hassle anymore.

Q3. Why should you go for a cross-platform cloud kitchen application?

A cross-platform cloud kitchen app can run on multiple operating systems, including Android and iOS, allowing businesses to expand their reach into the market and drive more business and revenues.