Ready-to-run hypotheses for a fast-food restaurant

20 personalization scenarios for a fast-food restaurant website

A set of scenarios for a burger restaurant, pizzeria, sushi restaurant or a delivery site selling affordable, quick-to-prepare food. The mechanics build on guest behavior: high order volume, frequent add-to-cart actions, hard-working recommendation blocks and heavy use of the loyalty programme.

Revenue +5–10% revenue growth potential from personalization

Average order value +3–8% uplift from add-ons, sides and combo upsells

Recommendations 23–38% effective reach of recommendation blocks

Methodology 5–10% Control group held-out traffic for evidence-based measurement of the effect

Personalization scenarios

Pick a stage of the customer journey in the filter above to leave only the relevant scenarios in the table. Every scenario comes with targeting, the type of mechanic, display conditions and the expected result.

Scenario	Personalization goal	Targeting	Type	Where and when	Expected result
01Personalized storefront for fast reordersOn the home page we show the dishes a guest has already ordered or often added: their favorite burger, rolls, pizza, fries, a drink and sauces.	Speed up the first step towards an order and raise the share of sessions with an add to cart.	Returning guests with purchases or add-to-cart actions in the last 7-45 days.	Recommendation block	Home page, first screen or the block under the promo. Show right after entry if there is no active cart.	↗ 4–9% in add-to-cart actions from the home page↗ 1–3% in revenue per sessionBenchmark: repeating a familiar order usually works well in food delivery because it cuts the time spent choosing.
02Menu tuned to the time of dayThe main banner and the selections change with context: breakfast, lunch break, dinner, a late snack or an order for a group.	Make promos more relevant and shorten the path to the right dish.	All visitors, factoring in visit time, city, device and previous order history.	Personalized banner	Home page and the top of the menu. Refresh when the time window changes or after a category is chosen.	↗ 5–12% in clicks through to the menu↗ 1–4% in cart startsBenchmark: a context-aware storefront beats a generic promo when the choice depends on the moment of ordering.
03Quick group orderGuests with large carts get ready-made bundles: pizza and drinks, burgers for four, a sushi set, starters and desserts.	Grow the average order and the number of items without a complicated choice.	Users with past orders above the median, orders of 5 items or more, or views of sets and large pizzas.	Banner + selection	Home page, menu and cart. Show in the evening hours, at weekends and when the current cart holds 3 items or more.	↗ 3–7% in average order value↗ 2–5% in items per orderBenchmark: ready-made bundles help guests decide faster and more often raise the value of the order.
04Personalized menu sortingThe menu lifts up familiar categories, favorite toppings, non-spicy dishes, budget items, combos or items that earn extra points.	Cut the time spent choosing and increase clicks on dishes.	Guests with a history of dish clicks, add-to-cart actions, purchases or points redemptions.	Personalized ranking	Menu, search and categories. Apply only to available dishes that can be cooked and delivered in the selected zone.	↗ 4–10% in clicks on dishes↗ 1–3% in add-to-cart actionsBenchmark: a personalized item order pays off when the catalog is wide and the order is assembled quickly.
05Quick filters for intentAbove the menu we show chips: “fast delivery”, “under $10”, “spicy”, “meat-free”, “for two”, “with points”, “new”.	Simplify menu navigation and help the guest put an order together faster.	New visitors, mobile users, guests who browse the menu for a long time without adding to cart.	Filter chips	Menu catalog above the dish cards. Show after a category is opened or 8 seconds without a click.	↗ 3–8% in clicks through to the dish page↘ 4–9% in exits from the menuBenchmark: short filters help in fast food, where the decision is often made on the go.
06Zero-results search recoveryWhen a guest searches for a dish that is not on the menu, we show similar categories, synonyms, popular items and the closest available replacements.	Stop losing guests with clear intent to order.	Users with a zero-results search, a search without a click or repeated query corrections.	Message + recommendations	Search page and menu. On a second unsuccessful query, offer help from the assistant.	↘ 10–20% in exits after search↗ 2–5% in add-to-cart actionsBenchmark: search in food delivery usually signals strong intent, so an empty result page is worth replacing with a real choice.
07Drink, sauce and side add-onsOn a burger page we suggest fries, a sauce and a drink; with pizza – a sauce and a dessert; with rolls – ginger, wasabi, soup or a drink.	Raise the average order and the share of orders with a full set.	Guests on a dish page, especially with a cart of 1-2 items or with no drink in it.	Recommendation block	The dish page under the add button and a pop-up block right after adding. Show only available items.	↗ 5–12% in attach rate for drinks and sauces↗ 3–8% in average order valueBenchmark: add-ons to the main dish feel natural and rarely get in the way of checkout.
08Combo builder from the chosen dishOnce the main dish is chosen we offer to build a combo: add a side, a drink, a dessert or a second roll with a clear benefit.	Turn single dishes into higher-value sets.	Buyers on a main-dish page with no ready combo in the cart.	Bundle builder	Dish page and mini-cart. Show after a size or topping is chosen or a dish is added.	↗ 3–7% in average order value↗ 4–9% in items per orderBenchmark: combos work well once the guest has picked the main item and is ready to round out the order.
09Replacement for an unavailable dishIf a dish is temporarily unavailable, we immediately suggest similar items by category, taste, price and cooking time.	Keep the order intent alive and reduce exits from the page.	Guests on the page of an unavailable dish, a dish with a long cooking time or an item outside the delivery zone.	Inline recommendations	Dish page, menu and cart. Show before an item is added or when availability is recalculated.	↘ 5–12% in exits from the dish page↗ 2–5% in add-to-cart actionsBenchmark: fast replacements matter most for restaurants limited by stock and delivery zone.
10Progress bar to free delivery or a giftIn the cart we show how much is left to free delivery, a free drink, sauce or dessert, and suggest inexpensive items to top the order up.	Grow the average order without pushing a discount.	Carts close to the threshold, especially with 2-6 items and no drink or dessert.	Progress bar + recommendations	Mini-cart and cart page. Update on every item added or removed.	↗ 3–8% in average order value↗ 1–3% in revenue per sessionBenchmark: a clear threshold helps the guest add a small item without feeling pushed into a sale.
11Forgotten add-ons in the cartIf the order has pizza without a sauce, a burger without a drink or rolls without soup, we show a short “frequently added with this” block.	Make orders more complete and lift average order value before checkout.	Carts with main dishes and no matching add-ons.	Recommendation block	The cart, below the list of dishes. Show before the guest moves to checkout, no more than one block per session.	↗ 4–9% in extra items added↗ 2–5% in average order valueBenchmark: the cart is a good place for a gentle reminder because the guest has already assembled the core of the order.
12AI assistant for building the cartThe assistant asks 2-3 short questions – how many people, what budget, spicy or meat-free – and puts together a cart of dishes, drinks and add-ons.	Help the guest choose quickly and reduce fatigue from scrolling the menu.	New users, guests with long menu browsing, an empty cart after several clicks or repeated zero-results searches.	Ordering assistant	Menu, search and cart. Offer after 30 seconds with no add to cart or via a “help me choose” button.	↗ 3–7% in cart starts↗ 1–4% in completed orders among hesitant guestsBenchmark: an assistant helps when the menu is large and the guest wants a ready answer fast.
13Saving the cart on exit intentOn exit intent we offer to save the cart, keep a link to it or come back to the order later, without an instant discount.	Reduce cart abandonment and bring the guest back to checkout.	Guests with a cart of 2 items or more who have not started checkout or have removed an item from the cart.	Pop-up message	The cart. On desktop – intent to close the page; on mobile – a back gesture or 45-60 seconds of inactivity.	↗ 2–5% in cart-to-checkout transitions↗ 1–3% in purchasesBenchmark: saving the order works better when it does not interrupt the guest before a clear exit signal.
14Personalized fulfillment optionWe show the guest their usual option: express delivery, pickup nearby, an order for a set time or a repeat of the last address.	Simplify checkout and reduce drop-off at the delivery step.	Users with a history of saved addresses, pickup orders, evening orders or orders scheduled for a specific time.	Info block	Checkout, the delivery block. Show before the fulfillment option is chosen, without covering the form.	↗ 1–4% in completed checkouts↘ 3–8% in drop-offs at the delivery choiceBenchmark: less manual input at checkout usually helps keep an order that is already assembled.
15Prompt about points and redemptionAt the payment step we show how many points can be redeemed or earned and what small top-up gives more value.	Increase order completion and engagement with the loyalty programme.	Logged-in guests, users who earn or redeem points, carts close to the threshold for a higher points rate.	Benefit message	Cart and payment. Show before the order is confirmed, when the benefit is clear and does not hurt margin.	↗ 2–6% in loyalty programme usage↗ 1–3% in completed ordersBenchmark: points are a strong lever in the mass segment when they are easy to apply without extra steps.
16Reminder about a favorite orderWhen the usual ordering window comes round, we show a “repeat your last order” block with up-to-date replacements and one-tap add to cart.	Increase repeat orders and purchase frequency.	Guests who order regularly on similar days of the week or times of day but have not ordered in the expected window.	Banner / reminder	Home page, account area and in-app screens. On the site, show on the first visit inside the target window.	↗ 3–8% in repeat orders↗ 1–4% in monthly revenue per active guestBenchmark: repeating a favorite order removes friction and suits regular everyday meals.
17Personalized coupons without a blanket discountThe guest gets a coupon for a relevant category: a drink with a burger, a second roll, a dessert with pizza, a free sauce with a set.	Win the guest back and prompt an order without giving everyone the same discount.	Users with no order for 14-30 days, guests who removed items from the cart or who respond to points.	Personalized offer	Home page, account area, cart and win-back surfaces on the site. Cap the frequency so guests do not learn to wait for a permanent discount.	↗ 2–6% in returns to ordering↗ 1–3% in reactivation conversionBenchmark: a personalized coupon beats a generic promo when it is tied to what the guest liked before.
18Flavor advent calendarEvery day the guest opens a small reward: a sauce, a drink, a dessert, points or access to a new dish, and the offer depends on their favorite categories.	Increase visit frequency, engagement and repeat orders during the promo period.	Logged-in guests, loyalty programme members, users with orders in the last 60 days.	Game mechanic	Home page and account area. Show once a day and tie rewards to an order or to adding a dish.	↗ 4–10% in repeat visits↗ 2–5% in orders during the campaign periodBenchmark: a calendar works as a reason to come back when the rewards are simple and tied to a real order.
19Missions and mini-games around orderingThe guest completes missions: try a new dish, order pickup, build a combo, add a dessert, invite a friend and earn points.	Increase engagement, widen category trial and grow repeat orders.	Loyalty programme members, guests with 2+ orders, users who respond to points and promos.	Missions and rewards	Home page, account area and the post-order screen. Never show more than one active mission at a time.	↗ 3–8% in repeat orders↗ 2–6% in trial of new categoriesBenchmark: missions work best when the reward is clear and the action fits naturally into ordering food.
20Collecting guest contentAfter delivery we ask the guest for a photo of the dish, a short review or a taste rating, and show the best material on dish pages and in promo blocks.	Build trust in the dishes, collect guest reviews and get real content for the menu.	Guests with a completed order, a high order value, a repeat purchase or an order of a new item.	Guest reviews and photos	Post-order screen, account area and the next visit to the site. Ask for the review after delivery is confirmed.	↗ 5–12% in the number of reviews↗ 1–3% in add-to-cart actions on dishes with real guest contentBenchmark: real photos and reviews help new guests decide to order faster.