\n Adalo is the no-code app builder that pairs AI-powered generation with a visual multi-screen canvas, so entrepreneurs and business teams can design, build, and publish custom database-driven apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web from a single project — no code, no developers required. Build a restaurant app that runs your way, not a third-party platform's way.\n
\n \nFrom digital menus to full ordering systems—describe what you need and Ada, Adalo's AI builder, generates a working restaurant app with Magic Start in minutes.
\nThird-party platforms charge 15–30% commissions per order and own the customer relationship. Building a custom app shouldn't require a tech budget larger than your kitchen equipment.
\nBuilt for restaurants that want to own their digital experience—on web, iOS, and Android from a single build.
\nBuild a menu with categories, item photos, descriptions, prices, and dietary tags. Update items, toggle availability, and add daily specials instantly from the visual canvas—no developer calls.
\nCustomers browse your menu, add items to cart, customize orders with modifiers, and submit directly through your app. Orders flow to your kitchen in real time via Adalo's built-in database.
\nA dedicated kitchen screen shows incoming orders with item details, special requests, and order times. Staff mark items as cooking, ready, or completed. Build this as a tablet app mounted in the kitchen.
\nNative push notifications alert customers when their order is being prepared, when it's ready for pickup, and when specials are running. Alert kitchen staff when new orders arrive.
\nBuild a points-based loyalty system where customers earn rewards with each order. Track points, redemptions, and repeat visits in Adalo's relational database. Drive return customers without third-party loyalty platforms.
\nCustomers book tables through your app with date, time, party size, and special requests. Staff view and manage reservations from a dedicated dashboard. Reduce no-shows with push notification reminders.
\nAdalo 3.0's infrastructure (launched late 2025) is 3–4x faster and scales to 1M+ monthly active users. Here's how to build your restaurant app on it.
\nTell Ada, Adalo's AI builder, what your restaurant needs. Magic Start generates a complete app with screens, database, and navigation from your description—typically in under two minutes.
\nSee every screen on the visual canvas simultaneously. Point at elements and visually direct Ada to adjust your menu layout, item cards, and order flow. Add features like modifiers, dietary labels, and daily specials with Magic Add.
\nUse Adalo's built-in relational database for menu items, orders, and customer data. Connect Google Sheets via SheetBridge if you track inventory in spreadsheets. Add Stripe via Zapier for online payments and connect to your existing POS system.
\nPreview your restaurant app on any device form factor directly from the canvas. Test the full ordering flow—browsing the menu, adding to cart, placing orders, kitchen receiving—on phone, tablet, and desktop before publishing.
\nDeploy your restaurant app as a native iOS app on the Apple App Store, a native Android app on Google Play, and a web app—all from a single build. Customers download your app and start ordering directly from you.
\nStop giving 15–30% of every order to third-party platforms. Build a direct channel to your customers.
\nAdalo charges $36/mo flat—no percentage of your orders. On $10K/mo in direct orders, a 25% delivery platform commission costs $2,500/mo. That's $30,000/year back in your pocket.
\nWhen customers order through your app, you own the relationship. Build a customer list, send push notifications about specials, and run your own loyalty program—no middleman.
\nTrue native iOS and Android apps with your branding, not a third party's. Push notifications for order updates and daily specials. Customers find you in the App Store and Google Play.
\nAda generates your restaurant app from a description. Update menus from the visual canvas. Publish to three platforms from one build. Most Makers go from idea to live restaurant app in under a week.
\nSee your menu, cart, order tracking, and kitchen dashboard simultaneously on Adalo's multi-screen canvas. Visually direct the AI to adjust layouts—no coding or chat prompts needed.
\nAdalo 3.0 delivers 3–4× faster performance and scales to 1M+ monthly active users. Your app handles Friday dinner rush and holiday surges without slowing down.
\nSee how building your own restaurant app with Adalo compares to the alternatives.
\n| Factor | \nAdalo Restaurant App | \nToast / Square | \nCustom Development | \n
|---|---|---|---|
| Build Time | ✅ Days to weeks | Immediate (template) | 3–6 months |
| Monthly Cost | ✅ $36/mo flat (unlimited) | $69–$300+/mo + processing fees | $5,000–20,000/mo (hosting + team) |
| Per-Order Fees | ✅ None from Adalo | 2.6–3.5% + $0.15 per transaction | Only payment processor fees |
| Native Mobile App | ✅ iOS and Android (true native) | Branded app (limited customization) | Yes (if budgeted separately) |
| Push Notifications | ✅ Built-in | Limited to platform capabilities | Custom implementation required |
| Menu Customization | ✅ Full — your design, your layout | Constrained by platform template | Full (at development cost) |
| Customer Data | ✅ You own it completely | Shared with platform | You own it completely |
Patterns from Makers who have built and launched successful restaurant apps with Adalo.
\nYour menu is the foundation of everything. Build the menu browsing experience first—categories, item cards with photos, prices, and dietary tags. Then layer ordering, kitchen display, and loyalty features on top.
\nMenu items with photos get significantly more orders than text-only listings. Take photos with natural light and a clean background. Upload them to Adalo and attach to each menu item in the database.
\nSend push notifications for order status updates (always), daily specials (2–3x per week max), and loyalty rewards (when earned). Avoid spamming—restaurant app users uninstall quickly if notifications feel like ads.
\nA points-based loyalty program drives repeat orders. Even a simple \"buy 10, get 1 free\" system in Adalo's database turns first-time customers into regulars. Build it from the start, not as an afterthought.
\nIf your menu lives in a spreadsheet, use SheetBridge to connect it as a relational database. Categories, items, modifiers, and pricing import without manual re-entry.
\nOffer the app to 20–30 regulars before promoting broadly. Real orders during a live service shift expose workflow gaps—kitchen timing, order confusion, payment hiccups—that test orders don't.
\nNo caps on menu items, orders, customers, or loyalty points. Adalo paid plans include unlimited database records, users, and storage. Free plan includes 500 records to get started.
\nNative push notifications for order updates, daily specials, and loyalty rewards. Keeps customers engaged and drives repeat orders without email marketing.
\nAlready managing your menu in Google Sheets? SheetBridge connects your spreadsheet as a relational database so you can update prices and availability from a familiar interface.
\nConnect your restaurant app to 6,000+ tools. Process payments via Stripe, send order confirmations via SMS, sync with POS systems, and automate daily reporting.
\nAdalo is the no-code app builder that pairs AI-powered generation with a visual multi-screen canvas, so entrepreneurs and business teams can design, build, and publish custom database-driven apps to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and web from a single project — no code, no developers required.
\nYes. You can build a complete ordering flow with menu browsing, cart management, order customization (modifiers, special requests), and checkout. Orders are stored in Adalo's built-in relational database and appear on the kitchen display screen in real time. For payment processing, connect Stripe through Zapier or Custom Actions to accept credit card payments directly in your app.
\nMenu items are stored in Adalo's database. You can add, edit, or remove items directly from the Adalo editor or through an admin screen in your app. Toggle item availability on and off for sold-out items. SheetBridge also lets you manage your menu from a Google Sheet if you prefer spreadsheet-based updates—changes sync automatically to your app.
\nYes. Use Adalo's relational database to track customer points, visits, and reward redemptions. Build a loyalty dashboard where customers see their points balance and available rewards. Points are awarded automatically when orders are placed, and you define the redemption rules (e.g., 100 points = free appetizer). Many restaurant Makers find that loyalty programs built directly into their app drive significantly higher repeat visit rates than paper punch cards or third-party loyalty platforms.
\nYes. Build a reservation system where customers select date, time, party size, and special requests. Reservations are stored in Adalo's database, and staff view and manage them from a dedicated dashboard. Push notifications can remind customers of upcoming reservations and reduce no-shows. For advanced table management with real-time floor plans, you'd connect to a dedicated reservation API, but basic reservation booking works natively in Adalo.
\nYes. Build a dedicated kitchen screen as a tablet app that shows incoming orders with item details, modifiers, special requests, and timestamps. Kitchen staff mark items as received, cooking, or ready, and the customer-facing app updates the order status in real time. Many restaurant Makers mount a tablet in the kitchen running the Adalo app to replace paper ticket printers.
\nToast and Square are purpose-built POS and restaurant management platforms with integrated hardware, payment processing, and restaurant-specific features. If you need a full POS system with physical terminals, tip management, and employee scheduling, Toast or Square is the more complete solution. Adalo's advantage is building a custom-branded ordering app that supplements your POS—letting customers order directly from your app (bypassing delivery platform commissions) while keeping your existing POS for in-house operations. At $36/mo with no per-order fees, Adalo is an affordable complement, not a POS replacement.
\nAdalo is not a POS replacement. It doesn't process in-person card payments, manage physical hardware terminals, handle tip calculations, or provide employee time tracking. It also doesn't include built-in delivery route optimization or integration with delivery driver networks. For restaurants that want a branded customer-facing ordering app with loyalty programs and push notifications—while keeping their existing POS for in-house operations—Adalo is the practical choice. For a complete POS overhaul, Toast or Square is the right path.
\n\n Explore more solutions: Marketplace Apps, Social Media Apps, CRM Apps, and Internal Tools. Learn more about Adalo's no-code app builder.\n
\nStep-by-step guides, video walkthroughs, and documentation to help you build and ship your restaurant app.
\nFull walkthrough: menu database, ordering flow, kitchen display, and publishing to app stores.
\n Read guide →\n \n \nHow to use External Collections and Custom Actions to connect your app to Stripe, Square, and POS systems.
\n View docs →\n \n \nManage your menu from a spreadsheet and sync changes automatically to your restaurant app.
\n Read guide →\n \n \nUnderstand collections, relationships, and record linking — the foundation of any restaurant data model.
\n View docs →\n \nJoin Makers who have replaced third-party delivery commissions with their own branded ordering apps built on Adalo—keeping more of every dollar.
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