Grill No. 1
A website and mobile app for delivery from a fast-food restaurant chain
Project overview
The website and app let customers order Grill No. 1 delivery or place an order at the restaurant in just a few taps.
The nationwide fast-food chain receives 10–15 orders per minute, rising to 100–200 at peak times. The website and app accept an order, send it to the nearest location and pass it to a courier when ready. No operator is needed.
The brief
The old website and app were customised off-the-shelf products with significant limitations. The website struggled with Friday traffic, the interface was awkward and user flows needed work. The app could not support the design and features the client wanted.
These were only some of the problems. It was time to move beyond off-the-shelf solutions.
We needed to build a new website that would provide a quality service without making customers wait longer than they would in a physical queue.
The app needed to offer more than the website’s design and functionality: personalised push notifications and a QR-based loyalty programme, for example.
The new ecosystem was intended to increase conversion, reduce call-centre workload and improve customer loyalty.
What we did
We built a website and mobile app for food delivery and in-restaurant orders.
- Completed discovery: gathered requirements, researched the audience and competitors, planned the structure and reviewed app store requirements.
- Prepared the backlog and described the planned functionality and specifications.
- Designed the UX/UI and created several animations featuring the company’s dragon mascot.
- Integrated iiko restaurant management, email, Yandex Maps, payments and DaData.
- Built the product catalogue, search, filters, meal recommendations, basket and checkout.
- Built a central admin panel to manage both the website and app: menus, content, banners and promo codes.
- Implemented loyalty programme rules for the website and app, including offers, personal discounts and promo codes.
Development stages
01 / Understanding ordering flows
The client decided to replace off-the-shelf solutions because they lacked flexibility.
Specific features, a distinctive design, strong security, POS integration and long-term growth required a more flexible foundation.
We already knew the project inside out: before developing the app, we had built Grill No. 1’s web service.
We researched the audience and competitors and defined the product vision and structure. For the app, we reviewed the requirements of App Store, Google Play, AppGallery, GetApps and RuStore to avoid last-minute rejections.
Using the client’s initial user scenarios, we mapped the future app and worked through its features and interactions.
02 / Keeping the brand’s character
The app needed to feel familiar from the first screen. We used the brand’s colours and visual language already established on the website.
We followed the identity closely: the dragon mascot, for example, must always face left.
The mascot is strongly associated with Grill No. 1 and is a distinctive part of the restaurant brand, so it had an important role in the app.
To add warmth and humour, we drew the dragon for key screens: loading, the empty basket and even the offline state.
We used bento grids, 3D elements and layered compositions to give the design a contemporary feel.
Typography received special attention. Brand fonts and clear emphasis guide users; bold dish names and prices make the menu easier to scan.
03 / Adapting the service for mobile
Much of the work involved adapting the website’s code for the app while adding QR-based loyalty features, basket editing and further planned functions, including personalised push notifications.
The app automatically chooses which restaurant prepares an order. It uses the customer’s address and delivery zones configured in the admin panel to select the nearest suitable location.
We built custom order status notifications: placed, preparing and on the way. Signed-in users receive updates by SMS, push or email.
Adapting shared code required careful testing to preserve the website’s existing behaviour. We tested both products for stability and correctness.
04 / Connecting the app to iiko
A chain of 57 restaurants needed a dependable system to coordinate tills, inventory, staff, incentives, kitchens, finances and reporting.
The client chose iiko to manage restaurant operations. We set up a new integration for the new app.
If iiko fails, the order is not lost: it is emailed to the restaurant.
Changes at one restaurant are automatically applied across the chain. The system became less visible to staff while providing extensive management capabilities.
05 / Building customer accounts
Customers can view notifications and order history and customise dishes to suit their preferences.
Filters help them choose by dish type, such as shawarma, pizza or soup, and attributes such as spicy, new or popular. These filters are also available outside the account area.
Each filter has its own colour and emoji: chilli for spicy dishes and a leaf for vegetarian options, making the menu easier to navigate.
06 / Giving the client control over content
The admin panel lets the client manage menus, promo codes, offers and city-specific SEO content, as well as run targeted marketing campaigns.
The team can create homepage banners by choosing a background, uploading an image, adding text and publishing. The result appears immediately.
Product and order management lets administrators edit product cards, adjust availability at each restaurant and change ingredients. Order search and tracking help staff respond to customers faster.
Results
We launched the app seven months after development began. It now receives an average of 2,800 orders a day — twice the website’s volume.
The client’s active involvement was essential. They knew what they wanted and listened to our suggestions, just as we listened to theirs.
Together, we made ordering quick, simple and pleasant. Positive app store reviews supported the result.
We continue technical support to keep improving both the app and website.
Client feedback
The result was excellent. We really enjoyed working with your team. The processes are well organised, with regular feedback and a clear view of what is happening. You explained every step in detail, which mattered to us because we wanted to understand the quality of the work. It felt like the team cared about making a good, convenient ordering website. You consistently suggested improvements and features we might not have considered.
Mikhail, Grill No. 1
