iPhone app for ordering, specials, etc

Last week, my company officially launched our first two restaurant apps in the iTunes App store.  We work with restaurants to give them branded iPhone applications which allow their users to get specials, place orders, etc.

I'm not a restaurant owner but a software developer at heart.  I'm hoping the experts here can continue to help us learn what you need so we can improve our application and help the restaurants who use us.

In a perfect world, what would you like to track about what your customers order that you currently are unable to?

As a former software engineer turned tech consultant, I hope you don't mind my advice a couple months late.

Have you asked yourself why you're developing for the iPhone? I thought about it myself a couple years ago, but i am convinced it is a waste of time now. Beautiful platform, don't get me wrong, but (in my humble opinion) it's not the right one for you, nor your customers nor their customers.

Check out Tomi Ahonen's article about the economics of iPhone applications:

communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2010/06/full-analysis-of-iphone-economics-its-bad-news-and-then-it-gets-worse.html

You might consider porting your application to other platforms to reach a substantially larger audience.

As far as specific apps.  I saw a well-done survey application that would be extremely useful for anyone in food service. Execution of the UI was outstanding (though iPhone only), but it was not really designed to survey individuals and then aggregate the feedback and allow reporting on the results. I would love to see an app that allows simple customized surveys that can be filled out by individual customers, the results of which are then aggregated to help business owners better understand customer perceptions of their products and service.

Good luck!

Hello,to
I have been searching this topic for a few weeks and have come across your post.
I just signed up to this forum to reply to your post.  just an hour ago I was going to post an ad on craigslist to look for someone I can hire to develop a iPhone app.  I cant PM just yet as I am to new to this board.
I also don't know that much about software development. But I would really like to get in touch with you.  I have been working in restaurants all-most my whole life and I am looking for an app to help with our needs as restaurateurs. 
right now there is approx.  220,000 full service restaurants in the U.S. and every one has a chef/manager plus staff.
that is in the us alone. I have worked with 13 different chefs/cooks over the last 6 months in the restaurant i am at now. Everyone of those chefs had an iPhone. That is who turned me onto iphones in the first place. I really think there is a large untapped market for apps made for us, the restaurant workers.
I have made lists and lists of what we could use an app for.  I would like to share those with you. you can have them I just want an app.
 
So please if you or anyone who is interested email me and I will give you my phone number or what ever you like.
Jeffrey Galella
 

isnt this pretty much like opening a garage, and then only servicing chevy pickup trucks...... i think in a couple years the iphone is going to be just another phone....
theres something to be learned from being the biggest and the best right out the gate.....it gives everyone else in the game a base line to shoot for, and it usually keeps you from being able to step back and see the big picture anymore....
 
look at the blackberry, 8 years ago it was top dog, now its just another phone with all the bells and whistles.....
unless all the platforms are free sourced, i really think you would be limiting yourself

True that!
 
You never really know until you know...and sometimes that is late to join the party.
 
Myspace was it. Facebook was "just for the college kids" a few years ago. Now your Grandma just might have a Facebook page. She knows...Myspace is yesterdays business.
 
But in reverse. E-readers were it for a few years. Then a lull. Now back with new features. They were popular this Christmas. Maybe because they "look" like an ipad and are wireless connect.

I don't own an iphone  and just gave up my blackberry for a regular phone - waste of money for me becaus I never used its capabilities. But, with the iphone just being available to the verizon network it will be thriving for a few more years. So if you can make any money generating apps now - run with it. Make the bucks when you can if you have the ability too.
 
I have been told the brother of a childhood friend of mine is the one who developed the books on PDA software and idea when working in a think tank at M.I.T. - this guy has more brains than I can imagine - well he developed and sold the idea when it was hot for a measly 250 mill. Can you say easy street for the rest of your life?
 
Who cares if the product will be obsolete next week - if you have an idea and can sell it now - go for it.

Chicnscoop


Who cares if the product will be obsolete next week - if you have an idea and can sell it now - go for it.

and that thinking ladies and gentleman is why we as a human race now live in a large corporate controlled cess pool......
 
try thinking further ahead then tomorrow, its got to start somewhere.....