How do I build my own restaurant app?
By the Menuthere editorial team · Updated
You have two routes. Hire developers to build a custom native app — flexible, but commonly tens of thousands of dollars plus ongoing maintenance. Or use a white-label platform: Menuthere's Branded App is $99/month, puts your own app on Android and iOS under your name and icon, and goes live within 30 days of payment or the whole amount is refunded. Most small restaurants start free on the web and add the app once repeat orders justify it. Updated October 2026.
- A custom native app gives full control but typically costs tens of thousands up front plus maintenance and app-store upkeep.
- A white-label branded app (like Menuthere's) reuses a proven platform: your name, icon and menu, for a flat monthly fee.
- Menuthere's Branded App is $99/month on Android and iOS, with Pro's ordering, loyalty and WhatsApp behind it.
- There is no free trial on the Branded App — it is arranged after a demo call and is live within 30 days of payment or fully refunded.
- Start free on the web: Free is $0, Lite $17/mo, Pro $39/mo (14-day trial), and add the app later.
Your own app without the custom-build bill
Menuthere's Branded App puts your restaurant on the App Store and Google Play under your own name and icon, with push notifications, loyalty and 0% commission ordering behind it — for $99 a month, live within 30 days of payment or your money back.
What are my options for building a restaurant app?
There are three paths. A fully custom native app, built by developers, gives you anything you can specify but usually costs tens of thousands up front with ongoing maintenance. A white-label branded app reuses a proven ordering platform and simply rebrands it with your name, icon and menu for a flat monthly fee. And a web order page needs no app at all — customers order from a link or QR code. Most owners start with the web page and move up as demand grows.
| Route | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Custom native build | Tens of thousands + maintenance | Large brands needing bespoke features |
| White-label branded app (Menuthere) | $99/month, live in 30 days | Established places wanting their own app fast |
| Web order page | Free–$39/month | Starting out, testing demand |
Should I start with an app or a website?
Start with a website unless you already have loyal, repeat customers who will install an app. Menuthere's free web order page and QR menu cost $0 to launch and prove whether direct ordering works for you. Once regulars are ordering weekly and you want a home-screen icon and push notifications, the Branded App is the natural next step. Compare the full cost picture in how much does it cost to build a restaurant app.
Who this is a good fit for
- Established restaurants with loyal, repeat customers who would install and reuse an app.
- Owners who want push notifications and a home-screen icon but not a six-figure build.
- Places ready to grow from a free web order page into their own app on both stores.
Who this is not for
- Brand-new or very small places with few repeat customers: start free on the web and add an app later.
- Owners who need a one-off, deeply custom feature set and have the budget for a bespoke native build.
Common follow-up questions
How much does a custom restaurant app cost?
A bespoke native app built by developers commonly runs into the tens of thousands of dollars up front, plus ongoing maintenance and app-store upkeep. A white-label branded app like Menuthere's is $99 a month instead, with no large build cost.
Is there a free trial on the Branded App?
No. The Branded App is arranged after a demo call and paid in advance, because the app is built for you. It is live within 30 days of payment or the whole amount is refunded.
Do I need an app, or is a website enough?
For most small and new restaurants a free web order page and QR menu are enough to start at 0% commission. Add a branded app once you have loyal repeat customers who will install and reuse it.
Read next
Sources (1)
- Menuthere pricing — Branded App $99/month, 0% commission, Menuthere, read 25 October 2026