Tarun Nagar 
Nowadays, everyone is crazy about Coffee. As soon as we talk about having a good coffee, Starbucks tops the list. The company has gained immense popularity, offering a fantastic user experience and convenience worldwide. Starbucks Corporation is the world’s largest coffeehouse chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington. As per Statista, Starbucks made $19.16 billion in revenue in 2022. All this would have never been possible without a coffee shop app like Starbucks.
Experts Say – ‘Out of total transactions, 20% were done via mobile app, with approximately 17 million users signed up.’ It allows people to order drinks by paying ahead and picking them up from a store without waiting in a long queue. It seems that Mobile app development services are betting big on digital food ordering and delivery. As a result, businesses are impressed with this concept and are planning to develop an app like Starbucks or search for the cost to build an app like Starbucks.
Are you sailing the same boat? If yes, then read this blog till the end to get a better insight into Starbucks-like coffee shop app development.
Table of Contents
Starbucks App Popularity: Market Trends, Statistics, & Profit
As of Sep 2022, the US is one of the top-ranking countries, having the most significant number of company-operated Starbucks stores worldwide. Today, every customer looks forward to convenience, and Starbucks is pro at it.
Convenience and better user experience is the primary reason behind Starbucks’ popularity. The Starbucks mobile app comes among the top food delivery and restaurant mobile applications, with around 20 million+ monthly users in the US.
The Starbucks app is used by customers worldwide because it makes ordering easier, gives them access to attractive rewards, and has an easy-to-use interface. There aren’t many features on the Starbucks application. It provides necessary features and a few fun extras to make it entertaining.
So, let’s look at the workings of coffee apps like Starbucks and the essential features the application incorporates.
How Does A Coffee App Like Starbucks Work?
Choosing a digital delivery platform is one thing. Getting it off the ground can be something else altogether. But Starbucks app successfully witnessed a paradigm shift in its coffee chain services. The Starbucks application is developed as an order and pay mobile application.
The main objective of making a coffee app like Starbucks is to enable a faster and more convenient coffee purchasing process. It enables users to order their favorite coffee while working or driving and then collect their order from the nearest Starbucks store. It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that their mobile application has been highly paying off.
Apart from this, it’s also been argued that it went ahead of other digital payment systems, i.e. Apple and Samsung. Its acceptability has been embroidered for many reasons besides being a mobile ordering app. Consumers can use the Starbucks app to order their drinks in advance and pick them up in-store without standing in a queue. Their system is called Mobile Order and Pay, becoming the easiest payment option through users’ smartphones.
Apart from this, a dedicated mobile payment services customer loyalty program motivates them to make an order. The best example for every iOS and android app development service is to develop and integrate the Starbucks app’s loyalty program. So, this is how the Starbucks apps work simply to gain customers’ satisfaction with simple and elegant features.
Essential Features of Coffee Apps Like Starbucks
What common thread can make sense of digital technology and put it to strategic use? The customer. Hence it’s imperative to meet the next-generation customers’ demands. A mobile application like Starbucks caters to the expectations of the customers.
Apart from basic functions, the reward programs, personalized push notifications, hassle-free payment & ordering engage customers more greatly than a basic coffee shop app. So, if you plan to develop clone apps like Starbucks, look at the following features that can make your business application unique.
1. Mobile Order & Payment
The way the Starbucks mobile app transformed the experience of ordering coffee has been exemplary. The customer can order their favorite coffee in advance. They don’t need to stand in queue for long hours or not for more than a single minute. It makes the entire ordering process convenient and easy.
On the other hand, the payment can also be made through the customer’s smartphone. Starbucks payments are known as a closed-loop system that is used to order and pay at their stores. It may be either through the Android or iPhone payment system. So, you will have to decide the type of mobile app development process depending on the platform.
2. Loyalty Programs
In today’s competitive world, enterprises need to incorporate everything that takes them ahead. Similar to online coffee apps like Starbucks, it encapsulates loyalty programs for customers. The customers gather stars at every purchase of the coffee drinks. They are allowed to redeem these rewards on a later order. Its loyalty programs patronize a loyal customer base, unveiled to the market.
So, incorporating a loyalty program feature could be a game changer for your coffee shop mobile application.
3. Hassle-free Payments
The most important aspect of paying for the order through mobile money requires card management. The Starbucks mobile app allows users to check their account balance, upload money, collect stars from grabbing rewards later, etc.
Furthermore, the users can transfer money from their cards, view their mobile payment history, and leave tips. It tremendously impacts driving increased customer conversion and loyalty.
4. Store Locator
Geolocation helps customers explore the nearest stores. In a broader sense, it is convenient for the customer to find a nearby store of Starbucks to pick up their order. GPS guides people to step into the Starbucks store and collect their orders.
It promisingly simplifies the entire process from ordering to collecting in-store. Undoubtedly, most android app development services are heading towards integrating a similar feature or using GPS integration for the same.
5. Now Playing
Starbucks has a collaboration with the music streaming service Spotify. Starbucks customers can identify the music playing at Starbucks locations when they visit the store. Thanks to the distinctive feature of Starbucks applications feature, “Now Playing.” Then, users may add these songs to their Spotify playlist.
But, if you have a limited budget for coffee shop app development, it is advisable to incorporate API for music recognition rather than create your own algorithm.
6. Gamification
Many Starbucks customers enjoy the amazing gamification feature of the mobile application, which is further coupled with loyalty programs. The best thing is users can earn stars and unlock further game levels that come up with exclusive gifts and perks. Including such features while developing a coffee shop app keeps the users engaged with the brand and its applications.
Gamification could be a clever technique to generate more profit and business sales via mobile apps for coffee businesses.
7. Detailed Recipe
Starbucks always wants its customers to know the nutritional value of its product. Hence, the mobile application of Starbucks displays a detailed breakdown of every product or item. It is an especially useful feature for fitness freaks who keep on tracking the calories and carbs they are consuming. So, to develop such a brand image, you must add unique features while developing an app like Starbucks.
Every feature of the Starbucks application mentioned above adds value and worth to the app while increasing and decreasing the cost to build an app like Starbucks. Besides these, you can also think of other unique features that can make your app like Starbucks, successful. Along with this, insert a modern tech stack during mobile app development.
Modern Tech Stack Required to Develop An App Like Starbucks
The revolutionary digital process encompasses many specific technical and operational steps. Furthermore, it also depends on a series of critical decisions, a focused approach, and a clear vision for the future state of customer experience. Hence, android or iOS app development services need to embrace current methodologies and technology to make an app like Starbucks.
Exploring and constructing a technical stack is mandatory before planning to hire dedicated developers to develop an app. As Starbucks’ mobile payment application supports Android, iOS, and Windows 10 devices. They also efficiently work with numerous programming languages and models like Microsoft.NET and HTML5, along with additional tools.
It makes app development progressive and advanced. Furthermore, Development would require Modernizr- JavaScript library for HTML5 and Polyfill for existing web browsers.
| Tech Stack for App Like Starbucks | |
| Mobile | Android, iOS, & Windows10 |
| Programming Languages | HTML & Microsoft.Net |
| JavaScript Framework | React.js., JQuery |
| PHP Application Framework | Laravel |
| Data & Transaction Security | Symantec SSL |
All these technological integrations also enrich the core development process of an app like Starbucks and help business applications run faster and more seamlessly than ever before. It is noteworthy that these major functions include shop locator, store billing, notifications payments, and user management.
What Is the Cost of Develop An App Like Starbucks?
Before developing a similar app like Starbucks, consider the complexity of the application adhering to your budget. In the current marketplace, developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in the first instance is suggested to collect users’ feedback. It will also save on the coffee shop app development cost.
Other than this, some major factors influence the cost of an app like Starbucks. Want to know what are they? Here you go!
1. Developer’s Location
The developer’s location is the prime factor that influences the entire development cost. Every mobile app development needs to consider either an hourly engagement rate or a project basis.
For instance, the basic hourly rate in South American, European, and Asian countries is $50-80 hourly rate. On the other hand, it increases to $120-150 hourly for coffee shop app development in North America, the USA, and the UK.
| Regions | Developer’s Cost Per Hour |
| North America | $30/hr- $50/hr |
| South America | $25/hr- $40/hr |
| Eastern Europe | $25/hr- $40/hr |
| Western Europe & UK | $25/hr- $50/hr |
| Australia | $20/hr- $25/hr |
| India | $15/hr- $20/hr |
2. App’s Complexity
The next influential aspect of the entire development phase is the complexity of your app. The more it becomes complex, the more you bear the cost. In the case of an app like Starbucks with all its basic functionalities, it requires nearly 600 hours. While on the other hand, a highly featured app development would require 1000+ dedicated hours.
| Development Stages | Average Hours |
| Discovery | 80 hrs |
| Prototyping & Design | 200 hrs |
| iOS & Android development | 250 – 320 hrs/platform |
| Backend | 300 – 400 hrs |
| Quality Assurance | 100 hrs |
Usually, the back-end and application native development proved to be the most time-consuming development segment. So, quality app development reduces the need to hire mobile app developers. Finally, when you need to add it all up, it would figure out the overall cost of development. It would cost you around $10,000 to $20,000 for the basic version and $20,000 to $35,000 for highly featured mobile payment apps like Starbucks.
3. Features & Tech Stack
Now comes another crucial factor affecting the cost to build a coffee shop app like Starbucks, i.e., the features and tech stack. The more features you include in your coffee shop app, the higher the mobile app cost you will pay. The same goes for technology; the more advanced technologies you integrate, the higher their cost will be.
So, whether creating a coffee shop app or food & restaurant mobile app development, make sure to insert the right set of features and tech stack per your business budget.
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4. Development Platform
Starbucks app is available on both platforms, i.e., Android and iOS. But, small-scale coffee shop owners do not have the desired budget to develop a mobile app for all platforms. In that case, one needs to decide the platform for their business app, like Starbucks. To give you a slight idea of the cost estimation, we have mentioned the prices in the table below.
| Development Type | Android or iOS | Cross-Platform | ||
| Total Hours | Total Hours | Hourly Cost | Hourly Cost | |
| Backend | 200 – 500 | $10k $15k | 200 – 500 | $15k – $20k |
| Frontend | 300 – 700 | $15k $25k | 600 – 1100 | $20k – $30k |
| Total | 500 – 1200 | $10k $25k | 800 – 1600 | $15k – $30k |
5. App UX/UI
Finally, the last yet one of the major features affecting the mobile app costs greatly, i.e., the design of a coffee shop application. Very few business owners know the importance of having a good application design and its role in success; hence, they spend less on it. But, as per the mobile app developers and professionals, the design holds the same importance as development, and businesses should know this.
But, you should also know that the more complex your coffee shop app design is, the higher it will cost. So, whatever you do while creating a coffee app, keep your budget and these factors in mind and then make the decisions accordingly.
Major Challenges Businesses Face While Developing An App Like Starbucks
It may sound easy to develop clone apps like Starbucks, but it isn’t. Every business faces major challenges while working on coffee shop app development. Even the renowned coffee brand Starbucks faced a lot before reaching this stage. Creating a unique business app that attracts customers requires immense effort and time, not everyone can do efficiently. So, businesses should know the challenges before mobile app development and prepare accordingly.
● Long-term Customer Engagement
If your application is well-designed, has a pleasant user experience, and is promoted effectively, you can draw in new users. However, as per research, 21% of users will stop using an app after the first use, and only 50% will open an app for the eleventh time.
Customers’ download, engagement, and retention with the Starbucks app appear primarily driven by the loyalty program. So, to ensure long-term customer engagement, you can focus on inserting the right set of features into your coffee shop mobile app.
● Targeting the Right Audience
Every business owner is already aware of its target audience. Agreed? You can use that information to build an app like Starbucks for your business. Targeting the right audience is crucial to developing a successful business application. Learn more about your customers, know their opinions, gather feedback, and then proceed to the Starbucks mobile app development process.
● Offering A Unique User Experience
Beating a brand that has already won the market for decades is hard to crack. It is where businesses face the major problem of providing a unique user experience. Businesses should think of something out-of-the-box, such as integrating an AR menu, Chabot, social integration, games, or interesting perks that can make a coffee app appealing. Using modern-age tech stacks will also help to leave your competitors behind.
So, these are the three major challenges businesses face, along with their amazing solutions to overcome such difficulties. Adhering to these points will create a unique and effective app like Starbucks. Go for it!
Conclusion!
Current market opportunities have improved customer relationships and retention through advanced technology, i.e. mobile payment applications. The prominent coffee brand Starbucks has already won the market with its impeccable customer service and user experience worldwide.
Its success has urged small coffee shop owners, food & restaurant businesses, and others to step into mobile app development. Businesses with similar services are planning to develop an app like Starbucks. Businesses planning for the same will surely benefit after reading this blog.
So, get ready with a plan, hire dedicated developers to create a perfect coffee shop app for your small business, and experience better growth within less time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why Is Starbucks App So Popular?
Starbucks does everything it can to keep its customers happy and satisfied with its services. Some of the salient features that make the Starbucks app popular are –
- Easy user interface
- Accurate GPS
- Gamification
- Loyalty programs
- Nutritional product information
- Now Playing
2. What Is the Average Cost to Develop An App Like Starbucks?
Depending on your business requirements, the basic cost for Starbucks-like app development will range between $15,000 to $30,000 and more. So, decide everything about your coffee shop app, discuss it with the mobile app developers, and they will let you know the exact cost of a mobile app.
3. How to Develop A Coffee Shop App Like Starbucks?
The development process to build an app like Starbucks is similar to other applications, i.e. –
- Project scope analysis
- App Planning
- UX/UI designing
- Deciding features & tech stack
- Coffee shop app development
- Testing and launch
- Maintenance & support
