Restaurant App Trends for 2026: What’s Coming and How to Prepare

With mobile app customers driving 25% of first-party digital order volume*, there's no debate that restaurant apps will continue to be table stakes for thriving eateries in 2026 and beyond. But what will the future of restaurant apps look like? And what restaurant app trends for 2026 will potentially impact your business?

Keep reading to learn about what's around the corner when it comes to restaurant app trends and how to prepare.

4 restaurant app trends for 2026

Restaurant app trend #1: Brand-first experiences

Customers who download your restaurant app are highly engaged with your brand. In fact, users who download a branded mobile app order 30% more frequently**. Because your mobile app users represent some of your strongest brand advocates, it's key to provide them a branded experience that looks and feels like the brand they love. Plus, with 33% of businesses saying that brand consistency helps them increase revenue by 20% or more, there can be real, positive business outcomes to ensuring all of your channels match.

But, let's face it, building an app, let alone one that features your business' colors, fonts, and photography, can take a lot of time and technical know-how. With the DoorDash Commerce Platform Pro package, DoorDash engineers do the heavy lifting for you using the same technology that powers Marketplace orders to create a branded, high-converting mobile experience for your brand. 

Best of all, DoorDash engineers are able to build and launch your app quickly. In a recent webinar, Wesley Li, Owner of Bowls of Rice, shared that it took only two calls to set up their branded mobile app with DoorDash.

Restaurant app trend #2: Smaller businesses investing in mobile

Despite their growing popularity, many associate restaurant apps with large chains. In the near future, expect to see smaller businesses use this perception of mobile apps to their advantage. 

Take, for instance, Ryan Klepper, Director of Operations at H&H Bagels, who sees his company's mobile app as a major differentiator when it comes to attracting new franchisees. Klepper believes that despite H&H's size by comparison to other chains, their mobile app creates a level of brand validity that resonates with prospective franchisees. 

"DoorDash has allowed us to take a leap forward with our tech stack without having to assume the financial expenses of it."

Ryan Klepper, Director of Operations, H&H Bagels

Restaurant app trend #3: Seamless loyalty across channels

With consumers buying from your restaurant in-store, through third-party delivery apps, and your own first-party channels, it's high time to rethink the punch card. To respond to the evolving ways customers are interacting with your brand, you'll need a cross-channel loyalty program that rewards customers ordering through DoorDash, your website, in person, and, of course, your mobile app.

Cross-channel loyalty features can be built into the branded mobile app, giving customers more reasons to come back to your restaurant app.

Restaurant app trend #4: Tech tool consolidation

During the COVID-19 crisis, restaurant owners were quick to invest in a patchwork of restaurant software to address the mounting challenges brought on by the pandemic. From online ordering solutions to restaurant marketing tools, many merchants are still struggling to use the laundry list of disconnected restaurant technologies they adopted in 2020.

In 2026 and beyond, we expect to see merchants rethink their restaurant software and invest in consolidated, streamlined solutions like the DoorDash Commerce Platform. With the DoorDash Commerce Platform, merchants can manage their Marketplace orders, online orders, and restaurant app orders all in one place – directly from the Merchant Portal.

What makes DoorDash's branded mobile app different from other restaurant apps?

If you’re looking to embrace the trends above, the branded mobile app makes it easy:

• Put your brand front and center: Every element is tailored to match your restaurant’s identity.

• Cross-channel loyalty:  Because it’s part of the Pro package with the branded mobile app, you also get access to cross-channel loyalty—the only loyalty program that rewards customers for purchases on DoorDash, in your store, and on your own channels.

• Powered by DoorDash: You get the same technology that supports Marketplace, without having to build or maintain it yourself.

Adapting to restaurant app trends for 2026 with DoorDash 

With the right partner, staying ahead doesn’t have to mean doing more. DoorDash builds, launches, and supports your mobile app so you can focus on what matters most—serving great food and delivering a great customer experience.

Put your brand in your customers’ pockets—and keep them coming back. DoorDash’s branded mobile app makes it easy to future-proof your restaurant with the tech customers expect.

*Based on internal DoorDash data from January 2025 to June 2025 for merchants with mobile apps

**Compared to customers using web ordering channels. Based on internal DoorDash data from January 2025 to June 2025