Restaurant & Food Delivery Information Architecture Template

Restaurant and food delivery platforms serve hungry users with low patience: browsing menus, customizing orders, and checking out fast. This template helps you organize menus, filters, and features in a way that gets users from craving to ordering—with minimal friction.

Why Restaurant & Food Delivery IA Matters

The food delivery reality:

60% of consumers order food delivery at least weekly
Users abandon 68% of carts due to complicated checkout
Average decision time: 3-5 minutes (hunger drives urgency)
Mobile accounts for 78% of food delivery orders
Poor menu organization causes 54% of users to switch apps

Card sorting reveals:

How users navigate menus: by meal type, dietary need, or popularity
Whether filters (vegetarian, gluten-free) should be top-level or secondary
Where delivery time, fees, and minimums should appear
How to organize restaurant discovery (cuisine type vs. proximity vs. ratings)

Template Overview

What's Included

Ready-to-use cards (45 food delivery/restaurant elements):

Restaurant discovery (Search Restaurants, Cuisine Types, Nearby, Top Rated)
Menu browsing (Menu Categories, Dietary Filters, Popular Items, Deals)
Order customization (Customize Item, Special Instructions, Portion Size)
Checkout & delivery (Cart, Checkout, Delivery Address, Payment, Track Order)
Account features (Favorites, Past Orders, Saved Addresses, Loyalty Rewards)

Recommended study type: Hybrid card sort (provide suggested categories, allow custom)

Suggested participants: 30-40 food delivery users (mix of ordering habits)

Time to complete: 10-12 minutes

Analysis time: 3-4 hours

The Template: Restaurant & Food Delivery IA Card Sort

Cards to Sort (45 items)

Restaurant Discovery (10 cards):

Search Restaurants
Browse by Cuisine Type
Nearby Restaurants
Top Rated / Recommended
Fast Delivery (30 min or less)
Free Delivery Offers
New Restaurants
Featured / Promoted
Price Range Filter ($ - $$$$)
Open Now

Menu & Food Browsing (12 cards):

Full Menu
Menu Categories (Appetizers, Entrees, Desserts)
Popular Items / Best Sellers
Daily Specials
Combo Meals / Meal Deals
Photos of Food
Dietary Filters (Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, etc.)
Search Menu
Sort by Price
Nutritional Information
Allergen Information
Reviews & Ratings (for items)

Order Customization (8 cards):

Customize Item (toppings, sides, etc.)
Portion Size / Quantity
Special Instructions / Notes
Add to Favorites
Group Order (split payment)
Schedule Order (later time)
Repeat Past Order
Promo Code / Coupon

Checkout & Delivery (10 cards):

View Cart
Delivery Address
Delivery vs. Pickup
Delivery Time Estimate
Delivery Fee & Minimum
Payment Method
Tip Amount
Contact-Free Delivery
Order Summary / Review
Track Order (real-time)

Account & Features (5 cards):

Past Orders / Order History
Saved Favorites (restaurants & items)
Saved Addresses
Loyalty Points / Rewards
Account Settings

Suggested pre-made categories (for hybrid sort):

Category 1: Find Food
Category 2: Browse Menu & Order
Category 3: Checkout & Delivery
Category 4: My Account

Instructions for participants:

Welcome! We're redesigning our food delivery platform.

Please organize these restaurant features, menu tools, and ordering options into groups that make sense to you.

You can use the suggested categories or create your own.

Think about the last time you ordered food online—what would you look for first?

Takes about 12 minutes. Thank you for helping us improve your food ordering experience!

Real-World Example: Regional Food Delivery Platform

Before Card Sorting

Original navigation (platform's internal structure):

├─ Home
├─ Restaurants
│  ├─ Search
│  ├─ Cuisine
│  └─ Nearby
├─ Deals
├─ Track Order
├─ Account
│  ├─ Orders
│  ├─ Favorites
│  └─ Settings
└─ Cart

Problems:

Users couldn't filter by dietary needs (buried in restaurant page)
"Delivery time" not visible until checkout (59% cart abandonment)
Mobile users struggled to customize items (small tap targets, hidden options)
Reordering past favorites required 5+ clicks
Delivery fees shown only at checkout (trust issue)

Card Sort Results

35 food delivery users sorted 45 elements. Key findings:

"Find Food" group (83%+ agreement):

- Search Restaurants
- Cuisine Types
- Nearby / Location
- Top Rated
- Fast Delivery
- Free Delivery Offers

"Browse & Filter" group (78%+ agreement):

- Menu Categories
- Popular Items
- Dietary Filters (Vegan, GF, etc.)
- Search Menu
- Photos
- Prices

"Customize & Add to Cart" group (81%+ agreement):

- Customize Item
- Quantity
- Special Instructions
- Add to Cart
- View Cart

"Checkout & Delivery" group (88%+ agreement):

- Delivery Address
- Delivery vs. Pickup
- Delivery Time
- Delivery Fee (MUST be visible early!)
- Payment
- Tip
- Place Order

"Quick Access" group (72%+ agreement - expected to be persistent):

- Search
- Cart
- Track Order
- Past Orders / Favorites

Surprising insights:

87% expected "Dietary Filters" to be TOP-LEVEL (not buried in each restaurant)
Users wanted to see "Delivery Time" and "Delivery Fee" BEFORE entering restaurant menu
"Popular Items" and "Best Sellers" should be DEFAULT view (not "Full Menu A-Z")
"Reorder Favorites" should be ONE TAP from homepage (not 5 clicks deep)
Photos are CRITICAL—users won't order items without photos (82% agreement)
"Group Order" feature should be prominent for office/family orders
"Promo Codes" should appear BEFORE checkout, not just at payment

Implemented Solution

New navigation (based on card sort):

Mobile Bottom Nav:
├─ Home
├─ Search
├─ Orders
├─ Account
└─ Cart

Home Screen:
├─ Delivery Address (changeable at top)
├─ Search Bar ("What are you craving?")
├─ Quick Filters
│  ├─ Fast Delivery
│  ├─ Free Delivery
│  ├─ Vegan
│  ├─ Deals
│  └─ Top Rated
├─ Reorder Favorites (past orders, 1-tap reorder)
├─ Nearby Restaurants
├─ Browse by Cuisine
└─ Featured / Promoted

Restaurant Menu Page:
├─ Restaurant Info (rating, delivery time, fee, minimum)
├─ Dietary Filters (Vegan, GF, Vegetarian, etc.)
├─ Popular Items (default view)
├─ Menu Categories (Appetizers, Entrees, Desserts, Drinks)
├─ Search This Menu
└─ [Each item shows photo, price, description]

Item Customization (modal):
├─ Item Photo
├─ Customize Options (checkboxes, dropdowns)
├─ Portion Size
├─ Quantity
├─ Special Instructions
├─ Add to Cart
└─ Total Price (updates in real-time)

Cart & Checkout:
├─ Cart Items (editable)
├─ Delivery Address
├─ Delivery vs. Pickup
├─ Delivery Time (ASAP or schedule)
├─ Promo Code
├─ Subtotal
├─ Delivery Fee
├─ Taxes & Fees
├─ Tip (suggested amounts)
├─ Total
├─ Payment Method
└─ Place Order

Order Tracking:
├─ Real-Time Map
├─ Order Status (Preparing, On the way, Delivered)
├─ Driver Info (if on the way)
├─ Estimated Arrival Time
└─ Contact Driver / Restaurant

Results after 90 days:

Cart abandonment rate: 68% → 31%
Orders from returning customers: +143%
Average order value: +27% (better customization)
Dietary filter usage: +318%
Customer satisfaction: +41 points
Mobile conversion rate: +89%
"Reorder favorites" usage: +520%

Best Practices for Restaurant & Food Delivery Card Sorting

1. Test with Real Food Orderers

Don't test with:

Restaurant staff (they know menu intimately, think differently)
People who don't order delivery
Only one user type (family orders vs. solo vs. office lunches differ)

Do test with:

Weekly delivery users (ordered in last 7 days)
Mix of dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, allergies, omnivores)
Mix of order types (solo, family, office)
Both mobile-first and desktop users

2. Prioritize Speed and Clarity

Food delivery users are hungry and impatient:

Decision time: 3-5 minutes
High abandonment if confused
Trust is critical (delivery time, fees, quality)

Test which information must be visible early:

Delivery time
Delivery fee
Restaurant rating
Item photos

3. Dietary Filters Are Critical

Many users have dietary restrictions or preferences:

Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
Religious dietary laws (halal, kosher)
Health goals (low-carb, high-protein)

Card sorting reveals whether dietary filters should be:

Platform-level (find vegan restaurants)
Menu-level (show only vegan items)
Both (most common result)

4. Reordering Favorites Should Be Fast

Repeat customers are the most valuable:

40-60% of orders are repeats of past orders
Users want 1-tap reorder from homepage
"Favorites" should surface frequently ordered items and restaurants

Test where past orders and favorites belong: Homepage? Account section? Both?

5. Mobile-First, Thumb-Friendly Design

78% of food delivery happens on mobile:

Bottom tab bar (not top hamburger menu)
Large tap targets for customization options
Easy-to-edit cart
One-handed operation

Test mobile-specific features:

Quick reorder buttons
Voice search
Saved addresses for common locations
Apple Pay / Google Pay integration

Common Restaurant & Food Delivery IA Patterns

Pattern 1: Restaurant-First (Discovery Focus)

├─ Home (featured restaurants)
├─ Cuisine Types
│  ├─ Pizza
│  ├─ Asian
│  ├─ Mexican
│  └─ [more cuisines]
├─ Nearby
├─ Top Rated
└─ [Then enter restaurant → menu]

Best for: Marketplace platforms with many restaurants

Pros: Helps discover new restaurants, browsing-friendly Cons: Slower path to food, harder to cross-restaurant search

Example: Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub

Pattern 2: Food-First (Search/Filter Focus)

├─ Search Food ("What are you craving?")
├─ Quick Filters
│  ├─ Pizza
│  ├─ Burgers
│  ├─ Vegan
│  └─ Fast Delivery
├─ Results (dishes from ALL restaurants)
└─ [Select dish → restaurant → order]

Best for: Platforms prioritizing speed, users who know what they want

Pros: Fastest path to specific food, cross-restaurant comparison Cons: Less restaurant discovery, brand confusion

Example: Postmates (Uber Eats now), some regional platforms

Pattern 3: Favorites-First (Repeat Orders)

├─ Reorder Favorites (1-tap)
├─ Past Orders
├─ Saved Restaurants
└─ Browse New Restaurants

Best for: Mature platforms with high repeat usage

Pros: Fast for returning customers, high conversion Cons: Less discovery, requires login/account

Example: Seamless (Grubhub), ChowNow

Pattern 4: Hybrid (Multi-Path)

Home Screen:
├─ Search ("Pizza, Burgers, Sushi...")
├─ Quick Actions
│  ├─ Reorder Favorites
│  ├─ Fast Delivery
│  └─ Free Delivery
├─ Browse by Cuisine
├─ Nearby Restaurants
└─ Top Rated

Multiple paths to same food

Best for: Full-service platforms, diverse user base

Pros: Serves all user types (new, returning, browsers, searchers) Cons: More complex, requires good UX

Example: Uber Eats (current), DoorDash (current)

Using This Template

Step 1: Customize for Your Platform (20 minutes)

Replace generic cards with your specific features:

Generic template:

- Cuisine Types
- Nearby Restaurants
- Top Rated

Your platform (e.g., healthy meal prep service):

- Meal Plans (Weekly Subscription)
- Macros & Nutrition Goals
- Build Your Own Box
- Pre-Made Meals
- Dietary Preferences (Keto, Paleo, Vegan)
- Calorie Range
- Delivery Schedule (weekly)

Include your unique features (e.g., "Ghost Kitchen Only," "Farm-to-Table," "Chef Profiles").

Step 2: Set Up Study (5 minutes)

Create study →

Settings:

Type: Hybrid card sort (provide suggested categories, allow custom)
Cards: 40-50
Suggested categories:
- Find Food
- Browse & Order
- Checkout & Delivery
- My Account
Collect: Name, Email, Order frequency (screening)

Step 3: Recruit Food Delivery Users (2-3 days)

Screening questions:

How often do you order food delivery? (Daily / Weekly / Monthly)
What device do you use most? (Mobile app / Mobile web / Desktop)
Do you have dietary restrictions? (Yes/No - for segmentation)

Email template:

Subject: Help improve our food delivery app (12 min, $15 gift card)

Hi [Name],

We're redesigning our food ordering platform and need your input!

Help us organize restaurant search, menus, and ordering features in a way that makes ordering easier. It takes 12 minutes, and you'll receive a $15 gift card.

[Link to study]

Plus, get early access to our new features!

Thank you,
[Your Food Delivery Platform]

Target: 30-40 participants (mix of ordering habits and dietary needs)

Step 4: Analyze by User Behavior (3-4 hours)

Look for:

Discovery vs. reordering:
- How do users balance browsing new restaurants vs. reordering favorites?
- Should homepage prioritize discovery or speed?
Menu navigation:
- Menu categories vs. search vs. popular items
- Where do dietary filters belong?
Checkout friction points:
- When should delivery time/fee appear?
- How to handle customization?
- Promo code placement
Account features:
- What deserves quick access (favorites, past orders)?
- Profile settings vs. order management

Step 5: Design for Hunger-Driven UX (2 weeks)

Based on results:

Homepage (critical first impression):
- Search bar (prominent)
- Quick filters (dietary, delivery time, deals)
- Reorder favorites (1-tap)
- Restaurant discovery (nearby, top-rated, cuisine)
Restaurant/Menu page:
- Restaurant info (rating, delivery time, fee)
- Dietary filters
- Popular items (default view)
- Menu categories
- Photos for every item
Customization flow:
- Clear options (checkboxes, dropdowns)
- Real-time price updates
- Special instructions
- Add to cart (clear button)
Checkout:
- Editable cart
- Delivery details (address, time)
- Fee transparency
- Promo code
- Payment & tip
- Order confirmation

Step 6: Test Ordering Scenarios (1 week)

Usability testing scenarios:

"You're craving pizza. Find and order a large pepperoni pizza."
"You're vegan. Find a restaurant with vegan options and order."
"Reorder what you had last Tuesday."
"You want food delivered in 30 minutes or less. Find options."
"Add a special instruction (no onions) to your order."

Target: 90%+ can complete order in under 3 minutes

Metrics to Track Post-Launch

Ordering funnel:

Homepage → restaurant browse rate
Restaurant page → menu view rate
Menu → add to cart rate
Cart → checkout initiation rate
Checkout → order completion rate
Overall conversion rate

User engagement:

Search usage
Filter usage (especially dietary)
Reorder/favorites usage
Average session time
Orders per user per month

Order metrics:

Average order value
Items per order
Customization usage
Repeat order rate
Cart abandonment reasons

Customer satisfaction:

App store rating
Customer reviews
Support tickets ("where is...?")
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Delivery time accuracy

Target improvements:

30-50% reduction in cart abandonment
40-60% increase in repeat orders
50-80% increase in dietary filter usage
20-30% increase in average order value
25-35% improvement in app store rating

Related Templates

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Should dietary filters be at platform level or menu level? A: Card sorting typically shows BOTH—users want to find restaurants with vegan options (platform level) AND filter a restaurant's menu to show only vegan items (menu level).

Q: How do we organize menus with 100+ items? A: Card sort reveals HIGH-LEVEL structure (Popular, Categories, Dietary, Search). Most users prefer "Popular Items" as default view, not alphabetical or category list.

Q: Should delivery fee appear before or after entering restaurant? A: Card sorts overwhelmingly show delivery fee, time, and minimum should appear BEFORE users browse menu. Hidden fees kill trust and cause cart abandonment.

Q: Where should "Reorder" and "Favorites" live? A: Most users expect these on HOMEPAGE for fast access (1-tap reorder). Secondary placement in Account section for management.

Q: How do we handle restaurant chains vs. independent restaurants? A: Not typically part of IA card sort, but users expect consistent experience. Location selection can be part of restaurant page rather than separate listings.

Ready to Optimize Your Food Delivery IA?

Use this template now (free) →

What you'll get:

Pre-configured food delivery card sort
User ordering behavior insights
Menu navigation analysis
Export results for design team

No credit card required. 3 free studies.

Next Steps

Create free account (2 minutes)
Load food delivery template (1 click)
Customize with your features (20 minutes)
Send to 30-40 users (2-3 days)
Identify ordering patterns (3 hours)
Redesign for fast ordering (2 weeks)
Increase conversion rate (ongoing)

Start optimizing your food delivery IA today.

Restaurant & Food Delivery Information Architecture Template | Menu Navigation Card Sort