Imagine this: it’s a Friday night after a long workweek. You’re exhausted, craving your favourite burger, and with just a few taps, it’s on the way. This isn’t a luxury anymore — it’s the new normal. Food delivery apps have transformed the way we eat, live, and run our businesses.
According to the “Torrens University Australia Report, 73% of Australian millennials place their food orders through food delivery apps.”
But why this why food apps like Grill’d winning big in Australia? Do you want to know? Let’s further read this blog and understand it all.
Why Food Apps Like Grill’d Are Winning in Australia
Do you know that the Grill’d has cracked the code on combining premium dining with seamless and advanced technology?
Here’s why this app and brand are thriving:
- Convenience Rules: The app delivers quick, easy ordering with customisation options that suit every taste.
- Loyalty Programs Work: The “Relish” is a loyalty program of this app that offers exclusive deals, building a strong returning customer base.
- UX-Driven Design: A smooth, intuitive user interface makes it easy for anyone to order.
- Australians Love Local: Grill’d app focuses on fresh, local, and healthy, which aligns with the Aussie lifestyle.
- Sustainability First: This food app provides sustainability and transparency using advanced and powerful technology.
With rising demand and growing expectations from consumers – more brands are stepping into the digital food industry. Now, we understand why food apps are dominating in Australia. Let’s look at the key benefits of investing in food delivery app development.
Benefits of Investing in Food Delivery App Development Services
Building a food app is more than just producing software; it is an investment in growth, visibility, and consumer relationships. Here are the top benefits:
- Boost Customer Loyalty: This app offers points, discounts, and rewards to keep customers coming back.
- 24/7 Revenue Generation: Accept orders even when your restaurant is closed via scheduled deliveries or pre-orders.
- Real-Time Order Tracking: Increase transparency and customer satisfaction through live tracking.
- Improved Operational Efficiency: Streamline kitchen orders, delivery routing, and reduce human errors.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Get insights into customer behaviour, best-selling items, and peak times.
- Brand Visibility: Stand out in a competitive market with a branded app that customers remember.
So, how do you go from idea to a fully functioning Grill’d-style app? Here is a step-by-step guide to building your food app.
What You Get When You Build a Grill’d-Style Food App
| Feature | Value to Your Business | Why Users Love It |
| Custom Ordering Options | Boosts order value with upsells | They get full control of their meals |
| Loyalty Program (e.g., Relish) | Increases repeat business | They feel rewarded with every order |
| Real-Time Tracking | Reduces “where’s my order?” calls | They enjoy watching their food arrive |
| In-App Promotions | Instant sales boost during slow hours | Users love exclusive deals |
| Easy Reordering | Faster checkouts, more orders | They reorder with just one tap |
| Mobile Wallets & Quick Pay | Reduces cart abandonment | Smooth and fast checkouts |
How to Build a Food App Like Grill’d: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Define your app’s goals and audience
First, determine the objective of your app: is it for dine-in reservations, takeaway ordering, or home delivery? This first step of knowing your business model and user personas will help you make future decisions easier.
- Choose essential features
Begin with essential features such as a secure login, digital menu, cart, payment gateway, real-time order tracking, and rewards programs. All these core features provide a good client experience.
- Design the UI/UX
Develop a simple, user-friendly, and mobile-first design with your personality reflected. Simple navigation and minimal design enable customers to journey from menu discovery to checkout seamlessly.
- Select a Tech Stack
You must choose scalable and future-ready technologies like React Native or Flutter for the frontend and Node.js or Firebase for the backend. This will help your app to scale and boost.
- Create the MVP
Develop a Minimum Viable Product with the bare minimum features to test the market. This approach is cost and time-efficient.
- Test extensively
Conduct thorough testing on various devices, operating systems, and screen sizes to experience seamless performance, fast load speed, and no bugs day one.
- Launch and Market the App
After successful testing, launch your app on the App Store and Google Play. To generate awareness and attract new users – use social media advertising, influencer promotion, and referral incentives.
- Update and Refine Ongoing
Collect user input and introduce new features, such as AI-powered meal recommendations, voice ordering, and gamified reward programs, to encourage repeat usage. Now, let us address the most common question: “How much does it cost?”
Cost Breakdown: How Much to Build a Food App Like Grill’d in Australia
| Feature/Module | Estimated Hours | Estimated Cost | Cost & Time At TechBuilder |
| Basic | 3 to 6 Months | $40,000 – $60,000 | Time – 2 to 4 Months Cost – $30,000 – $50,000 |
| Mid-Level | 6 to 9 Months | $60,000 – $90,000 | Time – 5 to 7 Months Cost – $50,000 – $80,000 |
| Advanced | 9+ Months | $90,000 – $300,000 | Time – 7+Months Cost – $80,000 – $250,000 |
Next, let’s understand what drives these costs up or down.
Factors Influencing the Cost of Creating a Food App Similar to Grill’d
Certain significant factors influence your final cost of development:
- Platform:
iOS, Android, or both platforms make a great difference in cost. Native development (two apps per platform) usually costs more compared to a cross-platform solution like Flutter or React Native.
- eature Set:
The more features you add—such as loyalty programs, real-time GPS tracking, multiple payment gateways, and admin dashboards—the higher the complexity, development time, and ultimately the cost.
- Design Complexity:
A brand-consistent UI/UX design can be costly – yet it also greatly enhances user engagement and retention. Simple templates are cheap, but perhaps less eye-catching.
- Backend Infrastructure
Real-time databases, cloud hosting (e.g., AWS or Firebase), and third-party API connections (e.g., for payments, analytics, or CRM) can increase backend development time and server costs.
- Developer Location:
Development prices differ by location – Australian agencies are more expensive, whereas Eastern Europe or South Asia offer skilled developers at lower prices.
- Ongoing Maintenance:
Maintenance ongoing – e.g., bug fixes, server scalability, upgrades, and new additions, may influence your cost.
Let us now look at how we might cut development costs while maintaining quality.
How to Save Costs Without Compromising Quality
- Start with an MVP: To reduce the cost of building a food app – start with an MVP.
- Use Pre-Built Modules: You should use libraries and SDKs for payments, maps, and login.
- Cross-Platform Development: Tools like Flutter or React Native save time and money.
- Partner with a Productive Development Agency: You should select a development team that applies agile methodologies and ships in sprints.
- Don’t Over-Design: Simple UX tends to do the job better and is less expensive to develop.
What’s Coming Up Next: Is It Worth Developing an App Like Grill’d in 2025?
Is It Worth Building an App Like Grill’d in 2025?
Absolutely — now more than ever. The demand for convenience-driven dining continues to rise, especially with Gen Z and millennials prioritising digital-first services. Food delivery apps aren’t just a trend; they’ve become an integral part of modern dining experiences.
According to Statista Report – the Australian food delivery market is expected to reach $12.76 billion by 2025, making now an excellent moment to invest in a scalable digital platform.
Whether you’re a growing restaurant chain or a lone entrepreneur, investing in a branded food app will help you future-proof your business and boost revenue. Let’s look at how you can monetise your food app.
How Can You Monetize a Food App Like Grill’d?
A food app isn’t just a cost — it’s a revenue machine. Here are smart ways to earn:
- Delivery Charges
Set fixed or variable delivery fees based on distance or time slots.
- Subscription Models
Sell premium memberships for special offers, quicker delivery, or no delivery costs at all.
- In-App Advertising
Collaborate or partner with other brands, local restaurants, or in-app promotions to have advertisements shown inside the app.
- Commission from Partner Restaurants
If your app is a food aggregator app, you can charge a commission on every order from partner restaurants.
- Featured Listings & Promotions
Let restaurants or brands pay to appear at the top of search results or homepages.
Choosing the Right Food App Development Company
Selecting the right development partner for your app is as important as the idea itself. Here’s what to look for:
- Food-Tech Experience
Select a team with successful experience in developing food delivery or restaurant apps. Request case studies and live demos.
- Transparent Pricing
Avoid ambiguous proposals. A quality company will give you precise quotes and timelines.
- End-to-End Services
From UI/UX design and development to deployment and maintenance — choose a company that does everything.
- Agile Process & Communication
Choose a team that works in sprints, reports back to you weekly, and adjusts rapidly to changes. That’s exactly what we offer at TechBuilder — and here’s how we do it.
TechBuilder’s Approach to Building Food Apps That Scale
At TechBuilder, we know what is required to build a contemporary, scalable, and cost-effective food app.
- High Quality, Low Cost
Our distributed development approach allows you to tap into senior-level expertise without paying excessive agency charges.
- Speed to Market
We deliver MVPs in 6–8 weeks with clean, modular codebases ready to scale.
- Tailored to You
Whether you’re a single-location restaurant or a growing chain, we customise your app to match your brand, audience, and business model.
- Full Lifecycle Support
From ideation to post-launch support and growth strategies, we stay with you every step of the way.
About TechBuilder: High Quality, Low Cost, Fast Delivery
TechBuilder is a global software development company specialising in mobile apps, web platforms, and digital product strategy. We assist startups and expanding brands in developing digital experiences that are fast, low-cost, and high-performing.
With years of food-tech and delivery platform expertise, we know what drives success in the competitive market. Our nimble team, clear pricing, and lifecycle support ensure you’re in good hands with us. We’re the ideal partner for your next innovation. Begin developing your food app today — contact TechBuilder for a complimentary consultation.
2025 Food App Trends to Watch
| 2025 Trend | What It Means for You |
| Hyper-Personalised Menus | Boost retention with AI-driven suggestions |
| Predictive Ordering | Send reorder prompts at peak times |
| Voice & Smart Ordering | Hands-free, fast user journeys |
| Sustainability Badging | Attract eco-conscious customers |
| Gamified Loyalty Systems | Increase app engagement & lifetime value |
Conclusion: Build Smart, Launch Fast, Scale Sustainably
The world of food is changing — and fast. Customers want more than just good taste; they want speed, convenience, and a seamless experience. Apps like Grill’d have shown what’s possible when good food meets great tech.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to build your food app, this is it. With the right strategy and the right partner, your app could be the next Aussie success story. TechBuilder can assist you in arriving there — quickly, inexpensively, and without sacrificing quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does it take to build a food delivery app?
It takes around 2–4 months to develop an MVP, depending on the feature set and tech stack. We at TechBuilder develop food app like Grill’d in less time.
- Which platforms should I develop first – iOS or Android?
This totally depends on your target market, but with cross-platform technologies like Flutter – you can launch on both platforms at the same time.
- Do I need an independent delivery fleet?
Not always – you can use third-party delivery vendors or develop your own logistics in the future.
- How much does it cost to maintain the app post-launch?
Maintenance will cost 15–25% of the original development cost per year.
- What does it take to develop a food app like Grill’d?
It usually takes between $40,000 – $300,000. For an affordable price, we develop a food app like Grill’d at TechBuilder.
