How we increased a restaurant's orders by 250% through a smart mobile app
Overview
🏢 About the client
A Saudi restaurant chain specializing in premium fast food, founded in 2018, with 5 branches in Riyadh
Challenge
Complete reliance on delivery platforms
They were paying a 35% commission per order to platforms like HungerStation and Jahez, with high costs eating into profits and no control over the delivery experience
No direct communication with customers
No dedicated customer database, no ability to send direct offers to customers, customers order through platforms only, and difficulty building customer loyalty
Difficulty building a loyal customer base
Low customer return rate (25%), customers easily try other restaurants, no effective loyalty program, and very high competition on platforms
High marketing costs
Reliance on costly platform ads, difficulty reaching customers outside platforms, no direct marketing channel, and heavy spending without lasting results
Inability to scale
Commissions limited growth, opening new branches under the same setup was difficult, profits did not grow enough, and the business model was unsustainable
Solution
We developed a comprehensive solution combining a professional Flutter app, AI-powered loyalty, and full automation of operations:
🔧 1) Custom delivery app built with Flutter
- One app that runs on iOS and Android
- An attractive design that reflects the restaurant's identity
- Easy to use - order in 3 steps
- Published on the App Store and Google Play
🔧 2) Smart AI-powered loyalty points system
- Each order = redeemable points
- Personalized offers for each customer based on their history
- Automatic rewards after 5 orders
- Increase in return rate from 25% to 68%
🔧 3) Instant notifications for smart offers
- Send offers based on customer behavior
- Automatic reminders for inactive customers
- Offers for peak times and quiet periods
- 40% increase in orders from notifications
🔧 4) Direct ordering with no commissions
- Save 35% in platform commissions
- Secure payment system (Mada, Visa, Apple Pay)
- Real-time order tracking
- Direct communication between the customer and the restaurant
🔧 5) Smart chatbot for quick orders
- Automatic replies to questions 24/7
- Meal suggestions based on previous orders
- Reorder the previous order with one tap
- Natural Arabic language support
🔧 6) Advanced admin dashboard
- Instant sales reports for each branch
- Analysis of best-selling dishes
- Easy management of menus and prices
- Track each branch's performance separately
🛠️ Technologies used:
Flutter
Firebase
Node.js
PostgreSQL
Moyasar API
WhatsApp API
Google Maps
⏱️ Timeline:
Phase 1: Planning and design
App planning and interface design
One week
Phase 2: Development and testing
App development and testing of all features
4 weeks
Phase 3: Deployment and training
App deployment and team training
One week
Results
After 3 months of implementation, the results were remarkable:
💵 Return on investment (ROI)
Cost recovery in 4 months only!
📊 Before and after
Orders: 60 daily
Orders: 210+ daily
Commissions: 35% to platforms
Commissions: 0% (own app)
Database: 0 customers
Database: all customers
Return rate: 25%
Return rate: 68%
Communication: through platforms only
Communication: direct + notifications
Loyalty: none
Loyalty: automated points program
"The app saved us 35% in commissions... and now we have our own app."
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