Challenge
Must Be Heaven, a sandwich and dessert restaurant with more than one location, had never published its menu online or taken orders over the internet, and had historically chosen not to. In the summer of 2020 the owners wanted to revisit that decision. The question for TASK was what an online presence should include, which ordering and delivery options fit a small restaurant, and how the existing website and menu would need to change to support them.
How the team worked
The engagement ran as a short summer sprint. After an initial phone call, the team split the problem into three parallel research tracks: delivery options, website editing, and menu creation. Each track produced a comparison or a set of design principles that the team brought together ahead of an early August meeting with the owners.
At that meeting the team walked through the website audit, shared the prototype menus, and made the case for online ordering. The owners asked for a closer look at ordering services, so the team followed up with a side-by-side comparison of four platforms and a recommendation, timed to the owners' plan to implement in the fall.
Workstreams
- Compared the major third-party delivery platforms against a common set of criteria: user ratings, commission structure, typical customer spending, and market share, alongside a do-it-yourself delivery option.
- Reviewed how established restaurant websites organize navigation and ordering, then audited the existing site for sections that did not work, a missing order link, and outdated contact details.
- Researched menu design principles and menu-building tools, then drafted prototype menus in the restaurant's own colors with sections for specials, specialty sandwiches, and item descriptions.
- Evaluated four online ordering services on setup, fee structure, payment processing, point-of-sale integration, and built-in marketing tools, and recommended the best fit.
- Presented the case for online ordering to the owners: larger and more accurate orders, less time tied to the phone, and reach beyond customers willing to call in.
What the client received
- Third-party delivery platform comparison
- Website navigation and ordering audit
- Prototype menus in the restaurant's colors
- Online ordering service comparison and recommendation
- Presentation on the case for online ordering
Outcome
Must Be Heaven finished the summer with prototype menus ready for its website, a shortlist of delivery and online ordering services with a clear recommendation, and a punch list of website fixes. The owners had what they needed to decide how and when to start taking orders online, with implementation expected later in the year.