Idea to App: An Ultimate Guide To Develop An App Like Subway

Everyone knows about Subway, the popular American fast food joint, which has now gained worldwide recognition.

It has scaled up its operations by offering the convenience of order customization to its loyal customers through an app.

If you have a restaurant business or operate a startup, you can also strengthen your business recognition by offering convenience to customers with an app.

When you invest in developing an app like Subway, you will not only sell sandwiches but also offer a smart, scalable, and user-friendly solution to modern customers.

Are you now eager to know how to start an online restaurant business with an app?

Stick to this blog till the end to know about this entire process and more.

So, let’s get started.

What is Subway App and Its Statistics

Subway is an American-based fast food joint that’s now located in approximately 37,000 places due to its international expansion across over 100 countries.

The American fast food joint has also expanded to serve online customers with its dedicated app, looking into the demand for a mobile-first solution.

Subway has designed its app intending to offer a seamless and personalised experience to its customers.

The Subway app offers users to browse their complete menu, allow order customization, place an order, pay, and receive door-to-door delivery.

The app is available for both iOS and Android users, offering them the convenience of skipping the waiting line.

Subway is a feature-rich food delivery app that offers more than just food ordering.

Users can get real-time updates on their order, get exclusive offers, exclusive deals, and can also redeem rewards.

Furthermore, the app also offers secure and fast payment options to its users.

Currently one of the largest fast food chains, Subway has more than 25,000 physical stores across the globe.

The Subway app generated 13.33 million visits globally during December 2023, and in November of the same year, 16.44 million visits were generated.

This traffic was mostly generated by mobile devices, which were 81.34%, while desktops generated 18.66% of the traffic.

How Does the Subway App Work?

If you’re someone new to know about the Subway, or want to develop an app like Subway, knowing how it works is crucial. So, first of all, the Subway app was created to match the restaurant app design to offer users a convenient way to order their favourite Subway meals without stepping out.

Let’s see how the Subway app works, which we have explained below.

► Download and Create a Profile

First of all, users have to download the Subway app from the app download platform, and it can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices.

Then you have to proceed to create your profile in the app and include all the required details like name, address, etc.

By signing up and creating an account, you can start earning rewards on every order.

► Browse the Menu and Order Food

The app will offer users to browse Subway’s long list of menus, which include subs, salads, meals, and more.

The best thing about the Subway app is that it allows users to personalize their meals, from choosing bread to sauce.

After customizing the food, users are able to order it either by choosing pickup or delivery. Choose your preferred location, and it’s ready to go.

► Option to Pay Within the App

Now, after selecting the order and delivery or pickup location for the food, users have to proceed to make payment to confirm the order.

Users will have multiple payment options, which include credit or debit cards, third-party payment apps like Google Pay, and Subway gift cards.

Users will also get the option of cash on delivery for their orders.

► Order Tracking

The app also works to offer users real-time tracking of their food order. This app keeps the users updated with the most recent positioning of their food delivery.

The app also sends notifications about every position of the order, like when it is picked, out for delivery, and when it reaches the nearest location.

► Offer Reward Points

The Subway app offers its users to collect reward points and redeem them whenever they feel like.

Each time the users order their favorite meal using the Subway app, they earn MyWay Rewards points.

For the next orders, users can redeem the points and get discounts on their order amount.

Moreover, users can also access exclusive deals and offers.

► Save Favourite to Reorder

The Subway app gives users the opportunity to users to save their favorite meals or items within the app.

This is an excellent way to allow users to reorder items anytime in the future without wasting time on exploring the menu.

Top Features of an App Like Subway

If you aim to make an app like Subway, which offers personalization, convenience, and easy payment options, you must learn about its features.

Learning about the features of the Subway app will help you in creating an app like Subway with more advanced features.

Let’s take a detailed look at the Subway restaurant app features that we have listed below.

♦ Best Interface

To create an app like Subway, you must create an excellent interface.

The Subway app offers a fully intuitive and user-friendly interface with clear menus, easy navigation, and a filter search option.

The app is also visually appealing with high-quality food images and locations.

♦ The Method of Ordering

The Subway app is known for offering its users to personalise their choice of meals.

Every item can be selected specially by the customers from bread, toppings, to sauce, and everything.

It also offers a seamless checkout process with multiple payment options, and users can check their order history for reordering.

♦ Order Delivery and Tracking

The best feature of the Subway app is that after the user places their order, the app offers them to track the order in real time.

The app will send notifications about each step, from preparation to pick up and out for delivery to reaching the location.

Along with that, the app also notifies you about the delivery time and potential delays.

♦ Rewards and Personalisation

The app offers features to the users where they can earn points on each food order, which can be claimed to get discounts, special prices, and more.

Today, the power of AI in Restaurant Apps is used, which can read the history of orders to offer personalised recommendations to the users.

Steps to Develop an App Like Subway

If you want your restaurant or fast food chain to take a flight to reach a wider audience, then developing an app like Subway’s is an excellent idea.

However, the app development process needs to be followed as per the strategic plan, which we have shared below for your understanding.

Let’s get into the steps of development.

1. Market and Competitor Research

The first step of the development process will start with market research and competitor analysis.

In this process, you have to learn about your competitors, market trends, and audience preferences.

As part of competitor analysis, you have to study different fast-food joint apps, including Subway.

Know what their features are and what they are lacking by looking into the interests and preferences of the audience.

This will help you to decide what you will provide customers through your app.

2. Decide Upon the Features

The next step after market research is to learn about the different key features of the Subway app. This will help you to decide on the features that we want to incorporate into your app.

Also, look for what’s trending these days and which feature will help your app establish a unique proposition.

The key features that must be considered are user login or registration, search filter option, customizing orders, payment gateways, customer support, delivery tracking, live status, and more.

3. Technologies to be Used

The next step is to decide upon the tech stack that you will be using to develop your Subway app.

The development process will include front-end development, backend development, database, APIs, cloud hosting, and other advanced technicalities.

For frontend development, you have to use React Native, Flutter (cross-platform), or Swift (iOS) and Kotlin. For backend development, Node.js, Django, or Laravel technologies are to be used. for APIs, payment gateways (Stripe, PayPal), location services (Google Maps), and SMS/email notifications to be integrated.

For cloud hosting, AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure will be used. Other smart technologies like AI and machine learning must be integrated.

4. App UI/UX Design and Development

You know that the Subway app has a highly intuitive design, so you have to maintain that while you design your app.

Your app must have an appealing user interface (UI) that can be seamlessly navigated to the best user experience (UX).

After design comes the development part of the app, which needs to be done carefully, as this can make or break the app.

This includes front-end and back-end development using the correct and advanced technologies.

You can hire a Restaurant App Development Company for the development process.

5. Testing and QA

Now that you are done with the design and development, it’s time to test the app. Directly deploying the app straight after development is a big mistake.

You want your customers to have the best experience with your app, so that’s why it needs to be bug-free and in optimal condition.

Thus, by testing the newly developed app, you can remove bugs and fix different issues.

When your audience gets to use an excellently performing app, they will come back for more.

6. Launch and Maintenance

This is the last step of the app development where you have to finally launch the app on different app download platforms like Google Play and the Apple store.

By launching the app, you made the app available for the use of your audience. Before launching your app on different social media platforms, email marketing, etc.

This will help you create a buzz about your app that attracts the attention of the targeted audience.

Your work doesn’t end here, you must keep the app updated through the maintenance process.

Key Technologies to Use in Developing an App Like Subway

To develop an app like Subway, you must know the key technologies used in its development.

In this section, we have briefly discussed the technologies for your understanding.

Let’s take a look at a detailed breakdown of the key technologies.

➤ For App Development

• Frontend Development

For the frontend development of the app, like Subway, which can be seamlessly operated on both iOS and Android.

So you must choose cross-platform development for your app. The popular technologies used for cross-platform development are Native or Flutter.

• Backend Development

Now comes the core development part of the app, that is, backend development.

The whole backend programming of an app depends upon this, so you have to be careful about the technologies used. Node.js, along with Express.js or Java with Spring Boot, will be used to handle the server-side logic and APIs.

• Database

Then comes the development of the database of the app, which is crucial as it will store every relevant detail of the customers, like order details and others.

So, for this the databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MongoDB must be used.

➤ For Developing Backend Infrastructure

• Cloud services

Cloud services come within the development of the backend infrastructure.

The platform that will be used to offer scalability, hosting, and other crucial infrastructure is AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

• API integration

API integration is crucial since it enhances the overall functionality of the app. For a food delivery app, like Subway, third-party APIs will make the app more efficient.

Add Google Maps API for real-time routing, a Payment Gateway API like Stripe or PayPal for seamless transactions. SMS and Email APIs

➤ Additional Technologies to Consider

• AI & Machine Learning

Many advanced technologies are trending; using them to develop an app like Subway can be a game-changer.

AI or Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are two of the trending technologies that must be integrated to offer a personalised experience.

Customers will receive more personalised recommendations, can be offered more predictive delivery times, and many other advanced functionalities.

Cost of Developing an App Like Subway

Now that you will be developing an app like Subway, you must know how much it will cost you.

This will help you to strategize your app development process in a much better way by deciding upon the tech stack and features within your budget.

The cost to develop a restaurant app similar to Subway ranges between $20,000 to $150,000 or more.

The costing is totally dependent upon various factors of app development, like its features, tech stack, complexity, and the time invested.

If you wish to develop an app like Subway with basic functionalities and technology, then it will cost you around $20,000.

On the other hand, if you want to develop a full-stack app integrating unique features and using advanced technology, then it will cost you more than $150,000.

How Does an App Like Subway App Make Money?

While creating an app like Subway, you will be investing a huge sum of money.

You must think of strategies that will help you to recover that sum and also earn extra revenue that will help in business growth.

We have shared some clever strategies that will help you make money from your app.

• Exclusive Deals and Offers

Keep providing your customers with exclusive deals and offers for ordering food using the app.

Such deals will lure customers to use the app for ordering food and availing the offers that eventually boost app sales.

When overall sales increase, it will help your business earn a good amount of revenue.

• Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a good idea to help your app, like Subway, earn a good amount of revenue for your business.

You can use your app to let your users make a monetary contribution at the time of ordering.

This can be done by launching different types of crowdfunding campaigns via your app, where users’ small contributions help you earn revenue.

• Subscription Plan

This is another excellent monetization strategy for your restaurant app, where users can purchase a subscription plan as per their requirement.

The subscription model is created with the view to catering to different classes of customers. Such plans help customers to access unique features and exclusive deals, and help businesses make money.

• Sponsorship Ads

The sponsorship ads allow other brands to promote their ads within the app.

Running sponsorship ads on other apps is chargeable, so it comes with good scope for businesses to earn good revenue.

Moreover, giving space to promote local businesses or brands will offer them a chance to grow.

• Payment Gateway

Include a payment gateway in your restaurant app that offers customers different payment options within the app.

When customers make payment within the app to complete their ordering process business gets the scope to earn money. Moreover, it also offers convenience to the customers.

Challenges in Developing an App like Subway and their Solutions

The path to developing an app like Subway can come with many challenges, which include technical, operational, and user experience challenges.

By knowing about these challenges, you can figure out the mistakes to avoid while developing a restaurant app.

Here is a list of a few challenges mentioned below.

► Complexity of Menu Customization

♦ Challenge

If you are developing an app like Subway, then your customers can expect that they can customise every element of their meal.

So, it’s very important that your users can seamlessly do their meal customization without any complexity, in this UX and backend are the major challenges.

♦ Solution 

To solve this challenge, it is best to create a step-by-step customization flow.

You must design a dynamic menu engine for your app with a modular backend that shows real-time item combinations, price lists, and ingredients. Integrates attractive visuals of ingredients for the best experience.

► Tracking Order in Real Time

♦ Challenges

Don’t keep the customers of your food app skeptical about their food orders. So, you must offer the feature of real-time order tracking within your food apps like Subway.

However, it is a challenge to keep users updated about every placement of their food.

♦ Solution

To solve this problem, you must integrate the GPS tracking feature within the app.

This will help to track the driver who notifies users when their food is picked up and by what time it will be delivered.

The push notification is best for updating the real-time positioning of the order.

► Data Privacy and Secure Payment

♦ Challenges

Users have to share personal details with the app for delivery and payment purposes, which are confidential data.

It is quite challenging to keep this data secure with the rising online fraud. To handle the confidential data of the customers, strict security compliance is needed.

♦ Solution

To keep your users’ sensitive information and data safe and secure, you must implement end-to-end encryption, complying with PCI DSS for secure transactions.

Since users share their payment details within the app, tokenisation must be implemented to keep the details safe. Additionally, there must be multi-factor authentication (MFA) for user accounts.

► Challenges With Scalability and High Performance

♦ Challenges

Maintaining the scalability and high performance of the app can be challenging during times of high traffic.

There will be chances that the app may crash or slow down.

♦ Solution

To solve this problem can be solved by using cloud native infrastructure, which includes AWS or Google Cloud, along with autoscaling.

To maintain the speed of the app, keep the API and database queries optimised. Furthermore, use CDNs and caching for static content like menu images.

Why Choose Nimble AppGenie to Develop an App Like Subway?

Are you looking for experienced mobile app development services that can help you build an app like Subway? We have the perfect solution for you, Nimble AppGenie, one of the best app development companies.

We have expertise in developing different types of restaurant apps by including unique functionalities and advanced technology.

The team of skilled developers at Nimble AppGenie has expertise in restaurant reservation system development.

The company’s track record says that it has developed some best restaurant reservation apps and that too without burning their clients’ pockets.

If you want to build the best functioning app like Subway within your budget, choose Nimble AppGenie.

Conclusion

So, you know that developing an app like Subway required more than just coding.

It’s about offering a fast, personalised, and convenient experience to users, and on the other hand, scalability and efficiency to businesses.

With this strategic roadmap of the development process, you can now build an app like Subway with confidence.

You are now all prepared to serve your loyal base of customers with a feature-rich food mobile app.

Step into the future of digital food ordering platforms with your own app.

FAQs

Niketan Sharma

Niketan Sharma is the CTO of Nimble AppGenie, a prominent website and mobile app development company in the USA that is delivering excellence with a commitment to boosting business growth & maximizing customer satisfaction. He is a highly motivated individual who helps SMEs and startups grow in this dynamic market with the latest technology and innovation.