How to Get a Branded Mobile App for Your Restaurant
Getting your own restaurant app used to mean a developer, a design team, and a bill in the thousands. That is not how it works anymore.
Here is exactly what it takes to get a branded iOS and Android app live for your restaurant, what ChowNow handles, what you handle, and what it actually costs.
What is a branded mobile app for a restaurant?
A branded mobile app is an iOS and Android app built around one restaurant, your name, your logo, your colors, your menu, published under your brand on the App Store and Google Play. Diners order directly through it with no other restaurants competing for their attention and no commission taken on the order.
How do you get a branded mobile app for your restaurant?
With ChowNow, the process has four steps, and three of them are ours.
- Sign up for a ChowNow plan. A branded iOS and Android app is included with every ChowNow plan at no additional platform cost. There is nothing extra to purchase to unlock it.
- Send us your brand. Logo, brand colors, and your menu. If your menu already lives in the ChowNow dashboard, this step is mostly done.
- Complete the Apple Developer Program enrollment. This is the one task that sits with you rather than ChowNow, and it is only required for the iOS app. More on that below.
- ChowNow builds, submits, and publishes both apps. Our team designs the app, submits it to the App Store and Google Play, and handles every update after that. There is no separate design or development step on your end.
What do you need before you get started?
- An Apple Developer Program membership. This is a $99 per year fee paid directly to Apple, not to ChowNow, and it is required to publish any app on the App Store.
- A logo, brand colors, and a menu. If you are already live on ChowNow, you likely have all three in the dashboard already.
- Nothing else. No design files, no developer, no App Store account expertise required.
How long does it take to launch a branded app?
The Android app has no separate account to set up, so that side moves quickly once your brand assets are in. The iOS app depends on how fast the Apple Developer Program enrollment clears, since that approval sits with Apple, not with ChowNow.
Once enrollment is complete and your restaurant is live with ChowNow, our team submits the iOS app for review. Your Restaurant Success Manager will walk you through the enrollment step by step so it does not stall on your end.
How much does a branded mobile app cost?
Branded iOS and Android apps are included in every ChowNow plan at no additional platform cost. The only separate expense is the $99 annual Apple Developer fee and that goes straight to Apple.
Compare that to a custom-built app from a developer, which can run into the thousands before you have taken a single order.
How do you get diners to actually download and use it?
A published app does not do much sitting alone on the App Store. Your Restaurant Success Manager builds a launch plan with you covering in-store signage, an email announcement to your existing list, and an app-only promo to give diners a reason to download it on day one.
Restaurants that actively promote their app see diners order twice as often as those who do not, so this step is worth treating as part of the launch, not an afterthought.
How do you keep the app updated after launch?
Update your menu once in the ChowNow dashboard and the change syncs automatically to your app, your website, and any other connected ordering channel. There is no separate app update to submit for a menu change, a price adjustment, or a new item.
Is a branded app worth it for a small, single-location restaurant?
Yes, and it does not take multiple locations to see the benefit. A branded app gives diners saved logins, stored payment info, and one-tap reordering, the same convenience they get from the big chains, along with push notifications you can send for specials or menu updates at no extra cost.
Every order also comes with full access to diner data and contact information, so it feeds directly into email and SMS marketing rather than staying locked inside a third-party platform.
Frequently asked questions
Does a branded app cost extra on top of my ChowNow plan?
No. It is included with every plan. The only separate cost is Apple’s $99 annual Developer Program fee, paid directly to Apple.
Do I need a developer or designer to get one?
No. ChowNow’s team builds the app, handles the App Store and Google Play submissions, and maintains it after launch. The only task on your end is the Apple Developer Program enrollment for iOS.
Will the app carry my restaurant’s name, or ChowNow’s?
Yours. The app is fully branded with your restaurant’s name, logo, colors, and menu, and it is listed under your brand on both the App Store and Google Play.
Can I update my menu myself once the app is live?
Yes. Update it once in the ChowNow dashboard and it syncs to your app, your website, and any other connected ordering channel automatically.
What happens to my app if I ever cancel my ChowNow account?
Your app is removed from the App Store and Google Play within about two to three weeks of cancellation. Diners cannot place new orders through it once your service is deactivated.
Ready to see what your app would look like? Book a demo or see pricing and plans.
