MUNCH

Product Experience

Problem Space 

Problem Statement  

How might we better organize and access our restaurant recommendations to facilitate more efficient decision-making and planning for dining out experiences?

Problem Background  

Human beings are naturally curious. Trying new things allows us to expand our minds. It could be mastering a new skill, visiting new places, trying out new extreme adventures, or as simple as trying a new restaurant.

Toronto is a city full of diversity and culinary scenes. There are more amazing restaurants to try than time permits. How can we keep track of all the new places to choose from when the next craving strikes?

This question resonates deeply with our target audience - young adults from a big & vibrant city who enjoy dining out, socializing with friends, and trying new things. 100% of our 26 survey participants could not agree more. They said they LOVE food and enjoy exploring diverse culinary experiences. 90% dine out at least multiple times a week and 70% consider themselves adventurous when trying new restaurants.

Despite their adventurous spirit, they face a common challenge: the struggle to manage their restaurant wishlists effectively. Restaurant recommendations pour in from word of mouth to social media feeds. Yet, when the time comes to dine out, we all still ask the million-dollar question: what and where should I eat? This struggle is underscored by 2023 Google search trends with “restaurants” ranking in #14 searches globally (~185 million searches) and “food near me” ranking #20 searches in the US (~29 million searches).

Research Insights

User Pain Points & Supporting Data

• Difficulty in organization:some text
  • 70% of respondents face challenges in categorizing restaurants by cuisine/type/occasion
  • 50% find it difficult to manage a growing number of entries on their restaurant list
• Information retrieval:some text
  • 60% express frustration with the current method's inability to easily search or find restaurants
  • 45% find it challenging to remember the details of each restaurant on their list
  • 35% encounter difficulty incorporating reviews or ratings into the organization process
• Lack of centralized platform:some text
  • 55% mention the absence of a centralized platform for managing restaurant recommendations
  • 30% express dissatisfaction with the fragmentation of recommendations across different platforms
• User interface issues:some text
  • 45% are frustrated by the limitations of current methods, such as Google Maps, in organizing and accessing restaurant information
  • 25% find it inconvenient to view or sort through notes or other saved information related to restaurants

• Appetite for recommendations:
  • 35% express interest in receiving new restaurant suggestions, particularly when similar types of restaurants open in their area

Note that the above observations are based on responses from 65% of survey participants, as 35% do not store information about restaurants they want to try on their phones.

Feedback

The pain points identified during interviews and from online surveys reflect common challenges faced by users when managing and accessing restaurant recommendations, highlighting the need for a solution that offers efficient organization, easy retrieval of information, a centralized platform, a user-friendly interface, and personalized recommendations.

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