How do you handle POS integration?

Toast, Square, Revel, NCR Aloha — each has an integration path. Toast and Square have strong APIs; older POS systems often use middleware (Chowly, ItsaCheckmate, Cuboh). Middleware adds per-order fees ($0.10 to $0.50/order typically) but removes engineering risk and accelerates rollout. For multi-location operators on multi-POS setups, middleware is usually the right call. For single-POS operators on Toast or Square, direct integration is cleaner.

Can we run multiple brands from one kitchen?

Yes. Multi-brand ghost kitchen support is a standard feature. Each brand has its own customer-facing order flow with separate branding. Orders route to the same kitchen with clear brand indicators on the KDS so cooks know which brand. Revenue reporting separates by brand for accounting. Menu management supports shared items across brands plus brand-specific items. Multi-brand scope typically adds 2 to 4 weeks to the core build.

How do you handle dispatch?

In-house drivers dispatched through a web app with driver tracking, delivery zones, and status updates. For on-demand third-party delivery, DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct integrated at checkout. Mix of in-house and on-demand supported — operators can shift based on time of day or order value. Driver app is web-based PWA; no native app required. Budget 4 to 6 weeks for a solid dispatch flow; more for real-time driver routing optimisation.

Can the app handle peak-hour traffic?

Yes. At Imohub I built a platform handling sub-500ms queries on 120k+ properties under high traffic. Food-delivery peak is 3x to 5x normal during lunch/dinner rushes. Architecture: CDN edge caching for static content, server-rendered menu pages, separate high-performance ordering API. Horizontal scaling on peak hours, scale-down off-peak to control costs. Hosting flexes with load. At Cuez I also worked on broadcast-SaaS performance — same discipline applies.

What about loyalty and referrals?

Loyalty (points per order, tier rewards) and referrals (give $5, get $5) both included in scope. For direct-order strategy, loyalty and referrals are the primary levers to shift customers off aggregators. Integration with email (Klaviyo, Mailchimp) and SMS (Attentive, Postscript) for campaign triggers. Reward logic lives in the custom app so you control the economics. Typical build: 2 to 3 weeks for a solid loyalty and referral system.

Food delivery app development

Direct-order and ghost-kitchen software that escapes the aggregator tax

Direct-order web apps, kitchen display systems, dispatch dashboards, multi-brand ops. Senior engineer on subscription at $3,499/mo.

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Starting at $3,499/mo · monthly subscription

Who this is for

Founder or ops director of a food-delivery or ghost-kitchen operation where aggregator economics are tight and the existing platform does not support multi-brand or multi-kitchen.

The pain today

Aggregator commissions of 20-30% are eating margin
Existing platform does not support multi-brand on one kitchen
Kitchen display system is a paper ticket printer from 2018
Dispatch is WhatsApp groups with drivers
Menu sync across channels takes a human every day

The outcome you get

Custom food-delivery app on subscription at $3,499/mo
Direct-order flow with POS integration in 8 to 12 weeks
Multi-brand, multi-kitchen operations support
Kitchen display system web app tuned for the line
Dispatch dashboard with driver tracking

Why direct-order apps matter in 2026

Aggregator commissions (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub) take 20 to 30 percent of every order. For a ghost kitchen doing $3M annual revenue, that is $600k to $900k leaking straight to the aggregator. A direct-order app recaptures that margin on any order that moves from aggregator to direct. Even a 20 percent shift from aggregator to direct pays the app build back in months. The hard part is driving the shift — requires real marketing effort plus a product that does not suck. The app is the enabling infrastructure, not the customer acquisition engine.

Common features I build

Customer-facing order flow (menu, cart, payment, delivery/pickup). Kitchen display system web app (incoming orders, prep status, ready-for-pickup). Dispatch dashboard (driver assignment, status tracking, delivery zones). Multi-brand support (one kitchen serving multiple brands with branded customer experiences). Loyalty and referral (direct-order incentives to pull customers off aggregators). POS integration (Toast, Square, Revel, NCR Aloha). Each is 2 to 6 weeks of focused work.

POS and delivery integrations

Toast, Square, Revel, NCR Aloha — POS integrations vary in quality. Toast has a strong API; Square is adequate; older POS systems often need middleware (Chowly, ItsaCheckmate, Cuboh) which adds per-order fees but removes engineering risk. Delivery: in-house drivers with dispatch dashboard, DoorDash Drive for third-party delivery on-demand, Uber Direct similar. For ghost kitchens running multi-brand, POS integration ensures single source of truth for menu and orders across brands.

Pricing and engagement model

Standard $3,499/mo. Pro $4,500/mo. Pro for initial build phase (6 to 10 weeks). 14-day money-back guarantee. Cancel anytime. 100 percent code ownership under Work Made for Hire. Hosting cost scales with order volume — typically $200 to $800/mo at mid-market scale. Payment-processing fees pass through (Stripe or your chosen processor). POS middleware fees pass through if used. For multi-location operators, budget Pro tier during rollout phase.

Case: GigEasy and Imohub — speed and high-traffic patterns

GigEasy: 3-week investor-ready MVP from scratch, Barclays and Bain-backed. Imohub: 120,000+ property portal with sub-500ms search and 70 percent infra savings. Between the two, the playbook for food-delivery apps is covered — aggressive MVP timeline for getting the direct-order flow running, plus performance discipline for handling lunch-rush traffic spikes. Stack from GigEasy (Laravel, React, AWS) or from Instill (Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Vercel) fit food-delivery apps cleanly.

When aggregators alone are enough

For restaurants under $1M in annual delivery revenue, aggregators alone are usually the right call. Direct-order app cost is not justified below that threshold — marketing to pull customers direct costs more than aggregator fees save. My target food-delivery clients are multi-location operators at $3M+ in delivery revenue, ghost-kitchen operators with 3+ brands, or direct-to-consumer food startups. For smaller operators, optimise aggregator listings and run a good website with deep-link ordering instead.

Recent proof

A comparable engagement, delivered and documented.

Startup MVP Development

Built and shipped an investor-ready MVP from scratch

Built the entire technological base and delivered MVP in just 3 weeks, enabling a successful rapid launch and investor demo.

FintechMVP in 3 weeksInvestor-ready demoSeed funding enabled

Read the case study

Frequently asked questions

The questions prospects ask before they book.

How do you handle POS integration?: Toast, Square, Revel, NCR Aloha — each has an integration path. Toast and Square have strong APIs; older POS systems often use middleware (Chowly, ItsaCheckmate, Cuboh). Middleware adds per-order fees ($0.10 to $0.50/order typically) but removes engineering risk and accelerates rollout. For multi-location operators on multi-POS setups, middleware is usually the right call. For single-POS operators on Toast or Square, direct integration is cleaner.
Can we run multiple brands from one kitchen?: Yes. Multi-brand ghost kitchen support is a standard feature. Each brand has its own customer-facing order flow with separate branding. Orders route to the same kitchen with clear brand indicators on the KDS so cooks know which brand. Revenue reporting separates by brand for accounting. Menu management supports shared items across brands plus brand-specific items. Multi-brand scope typically adds 2 to 4 weeks to the core build.
How do you handle dispatch?: In-house drivers dispatched through a web app with driver tracking, delivery zones, and status updates. For on-demand third-party delivery, DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct integrated at checkout. Mix of in-house and on-demand supported — operators can shift based on time of day or order value. Driver app is web-based PWA; no native app required. Budget 4 to 6 weeks for a solid dispatch flow; more for real-time driver routing optimisation.
Can the app handle peak-hour traffic?: Yes. At Imohub I built a platform handling sub-500ms queries on 120k+ properties under high traffic. Food-delivery peak is 3x to 5x normal during lunch/dinner rushes. Architecture: CDN edge caching for static content, server-rendered menu pages, separate high-performance ordering API. Horizontal scaling on peak hours, scale-down off-peak to control costs. Hosting flexes with load. At Cuez I also worked on broadcast-SaaS performance — same discipline applies.
What about loyalty and referrals?: Loyalty (points per order, tier rewards) and referrals (give $5, get $5) both included in scope. For direct-order strategy, loyalty and referrals are the primary levers to shift customers off aggregators. Integration with email (Klaviyo, Mailchimp) and SMS (Attentive, Postscript) for campaign triggers. Reward logic lives in the custom app so you control the economics. Typical build: 2 to 3 weeks for a solid loyalty and referral system.

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