Unclear Pricing Top Consumers’ Menu Design Frustrations

Unclear pricing is the top-cited friction point consumers face when deciding what to order, according to Datassential’s Choice vs. Decision Fatigue report. 

Overall, 42% of consumers say prices that are not clearly shown make ordering harder for them, followed by disorganized layouts (36%) and small or hard-to-read text (34%). Menus that do not show what is included in a dish and menus that feel cluttered are tied close behind, at 33% each.

“Across all demographics, consumers want menus that answer basic questions without requiring them to dig too deep or take too long: what is in this dish, what does it cost, and what will it actually look like?,” the report notes. “That said, some generational differences do manifest: Boomers are more likely to be bothered by issues with legibility and structure, while Gen Z cares more about photos and menu consistency.”

A lack of visual references also ranks among consumers’ frustrations overall, cited by 25%, per the Choice vs. Decision Fatigue report.

That largely aligns with findings from Datassential’s From Plate to Profit report, which found that 70% of consumers agreed portion sizes are hard to judge without a photo or visual reference, and 66% said they wish to see a dish before ordering it.

But at the same time, 68% of consumers agreed menu photos and in-store displays often do not reflect the actual size or appearance of the food.