Technology

How to handle extreme customization in restaurant apps, websites

Apps and websites have grown more intuitive and better working, but what do you do when you've got a customer who's over customizing his or her order? These tips from The Culinary Edge help take the sting out of hyper-customization online.

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June 24, 2022 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group

Restaurant apps and websites are becoming smarter, more intuitive, more attractive and better working. That was the takeaway from "Digital Ordering & the New Era of Customization" at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago in May.

Erica Holland-Toll, culinary director of The Culinary Edge and Julia Segal, senior strategist of The Culinary Edge, say 2021 marked the era of the "app-uccino" a movement in which guests can now complete extreme customization by ordering from native apps, such as Starbucks, which allows customers to place an order with up to 13 modifications.

"This is the kind of reckless customization behavior as we start to go online and ordering digitally," said Segal, "and many of us don't know what to do about it in our restaurants and operations."

There are three different drivers of customization, The Culinary Edge has found:

Power of visualization. The ability to customize your dish is irresistible. People prefer to order directly through a restaurant, and they're doing that repeatedly. Native apps and websites give customers a better chance to get exactly what they want.
Bio-individualism. The under-35 demographic wants lifestyle and goal achievements.
"It's not about the best diet. "It's about the best diet for me." Holland-Toll said. "Everybody wants to play chef. Everybody wants to play barista. Since (ordering) is anonymous, there's no shame in that game."
Reacting to social influence and social media. Social media thrives on customization, beginning with YouTube and shifting to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Today, TikTok is the new face of food content and innovation with more than a 1 billion active monthly users. Guests can share "secret" menus. Brands are starting to take orders from TikTok, such as the limited-edition Charli D'Amelio drink at Dunkin'. D'Amelio created a drink, a medium cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl, which because a sought-after drink at Dunkin' when D'Amelio advertised it on TikTok.

So how do you deal with hyper-customization in digital platforms?

First, embrace it and let guests drive innovation. "Bring on the hacker spirit, but keep it low stakes," Holland-Toll said. "It's fun to opt in, but it's fine to opt out." There's no pressure to customize an order, but be prepared when it is.

Consider taking popular orders and turning them into LTOs. McDonald's did this with an LTO menu mixing ingredients, like pairing the Filet-O-Fish and a hamburger for surf and turf burger.

The data collected from orders can also be used to determine what isn't selling well or what needs to be removed from the menu. "If it's not selling, let's get rid of it," Holland-Toll said.

Next, "let it inform your brand engagement," said Segal. Use the idea of "app-uccino" to deepen relationships and loyalty with your guests.

Guests know customization can be challenging to operations, but "being a customization accomplice where it's appropriate can spark deep brand engagement, giving ways that are outright or implied where you're telling your guests that totally customized (is okay and to) get creative with this," Segal said. It builds clout in a new era of collaboration.

Finally, optimize your operations before they can break you. "Build a digital pathway from consumers to chefs that work in harmony," Holland-Toll said. What flexibility exists within your pantry? Where in your menu can you offer curation without breaking ops?

"Often there's this sweet spot between what your customers want, what your supply chain can handle and what you want from your margins. So when you find that item, double down on it," Segal said. "Taco Bell has had luck with their Nacho Fries having seen that they have room in their fryer. Taking fries and putting nacho cheese on them made them a distinct Taco Bell product."

Still, fulfillment errors happen. Segal said 63% of Americans have experienced at least one incorrect order and 66% blame the restaurant. "Really (make) sure that we're using social listening understanding what's missing, understanding what mistakes were happening and then digging into that so we can problem solve before these orders could go out to our guests," Segal said.

About Mandy Wolf Detwiler

Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.

An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.

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