How to set up mobile app ordering for your restaurant using Orda

To set up mobile app ordering with Orda, you connect your Square account, add your app name, icon and colors, choose which locations and menu categories to show, and publish. Orda builds a branded app for iOS and Android under your restaurant's name, your menu syncs from Square, and every app order lands in Square POS.

Below is the full setup in order, plus what to decide up front and how to get guests to actually download the app.

Why your own app instead of only marketplaces?

• You own the relationship. Guests order from your brand, and you can reach them again with push notifications.
• Loyalty in their pocket. Square Loyalty points and rewards are visible every time they open the app.
• One system. Orders, payments and customers stay in Square, alongside your in-store sales.

Before you start: decisions to make

• Fulfillment types. Pickup only, or also curbside and delivery? Orda supports DoorDash Drive and in-house delivery.
• Order timing. ASAP only, or scheduled orders too? Scheduled ordering helps catering and morning rush regulars.
• Prep times. Know realistic prep times per category so the app shows honest pickup estimates.
• Tipping. Pick the tip options you want to offer.
• Brand assets. Have a square app icon (1024 by 1024 pixels), a logo and your brand colors ready.

Step by step: setting up your app with Orda

1. Connect your Square account. Sign up with Orda and authorize the Square connection. Orda reads your catalog, locations, customers and loyalty program from Square.
2. Complete the guided setup. A short walkthrough collects your app name, icon and branding.
3. Fill in your App Storefront details. Add the app description and contact information used for your App Store and Google Play listings.
4. Set your theme. Choose your app color, font and logo so the app looks like your restaurant, not a template.
5. Choose locations. Turn on the Square locations that should take app orders and add location photos. Single-location restaurants can skip the location picker entirely.
6. Shape the menu. In the Catalog section, reorder categories, hide items that do not travel well, and set prep times and availability schedules per category. Item names, prices, variations and modifiers come from Square.
7. Configure loyalty. Connect your Square Loyalty program and pick the terminology guests see.
8. Add features from the Marketplace. Turn on what you need, such as push notifications, order notifications, DoorDash deliveries, coupons, tipping and item availability.
9. Publish. Changes go live to guests when you hit Publish. Orda then builds your branded app and handles the app store submission under your name.

After launch, most content changes (menu visibility, prep times, coupons, campaigns) reach the app without a new build. Only things baked into the app itself, like the app name and icon, need a rebuild.

Test before you announce

Run a few real orders before you tell anyone:

• An order with several modifiers and a special instruction.
• A scheduled pickup order for later in the day.
• A loyalty sign-in and a reward redemption.
• A delivery order, if you offer delivery.

Confirm each one shows up correctly in Square POS and your kitchen. Then mark one order ready in Square and check that the "your order is ready" notification reaches the guest.

Getting your first downloads

An app only helps if people install it. Practical ways to drive downloads:

• Counter and table QR codes. The Promote section of the Orda dashboard generates posters, QR codes and social templates.
• A launch reward. A loyalty bonus or coupon for a first app order gives guests a reason to try it today.
• Staff scripts. "Skip the line next time, order ahead in our app" at the register works better than any sign.
• Your website and receipts. Link app store badges from your site and mention the app in emails.
• Kiosk and web. If you also use Orda online ordering or kiosks, they prompt guests to download your app after ordering.

Common mistakes

• Showing the whole menu. Hide items that are dine-in only or travel poorly. See our tips on designing a mobile-friendly menu.
• Optimistic prep times. Late pickups hurt trust more than slightly longer estimates.
• No plan for rushes. Use the option to pause online orders at a location when the kitchen is overwhelmed. Paused locations unpause automatically after 24 hours.
• Launching quietly. Treat the app launch like a menu launch, with signage, social posts and staff talking about it.

For day to day best practices once you are live, read best practices for online ordering with Square and Orda, and if you deliver, managing delivery orders with Square and Orda.

How Orda fits

Orda gives Square restaurants their own branded iOS and Android app, plus web ordering on the same menu. Your catalog syncs from Square, orders flow into Square POS, guests earn and redeem Square Loyalty points, and you can reach them with push notifications. Delivery can be dispatched through DoorDash Drive. More than 10,000 Square businesses have used Orda.