How to structure your menu for a better customer experience

Your menu structure should make things easier for your customers. Lead with clarity, keep it simple, and choose a format that suits your food offering and the way your customers like to order.

Why menu structure matters

Your menu is more than a list of dishes - it’s the storefront of your business. The way you group and present your meals can influence how customers browse, what they choose, and how much they order.

A thoughtfully structured menu:

• Helps customers find what they want quickly

• Encourages exploration of your full offering

• Reduces confusion or missed items

• Reflects your professionalism and attention to detail

  
  

Best practice tips for structuring your menu

Regardless of the format you choose, here are a few tips that lead to a better experience:

1. Keep it simple

Aim for 4–8 clear sections. Too many sections can overwhelm customers and require additional scrolling - especially on mobile

2. Use familiar, intuitive section headings

Stick with straightforward names like "Mains", "Sides", "Sweets" or "Vegetarian". Avoid niche or overly clever titles that may confuse new customers.

3. Place popular sections first

Place your most in-demand sections at the top, for example, "Mains". You could even consider adding a "Favourites" section at the top of your menu for the most popular items.

4. Use descriptions

Utilise menu section descriptions to help guide customers. For example, if you have a "Meal Packs" section, the description could be "Convenient, curated meal packs. Perfect for busy days, families, or stocking up for the week".

5. Review regularly

Your menu evolves, so it's best to regularly review and adjust your menu, including the menu structure, based on customer feedback and sales patterns.

Common menu structures

Across the Cookaborough Cook community, most menus fall into one of two patterns. Each can work well - choose the one that suits your food and customers best.

1. Structure by meal or course type

This style mirrors a sit-down restaurant menu. It’s intuitive and helps customers build a complete order.

Example categories:

• Staple favourites

• Mains

• Starters

• Soups

• Sides & salads

• Sweets

• Frozen items

Why it works

This structure mirrors the way people typically think about meals; starting with lighter options like soups or starters, then moving on to mains, sides, and finally something sweet. It’s familiar, easy to navigate, and works especially well for customers building a complete order. It also gives you the flexibility to showcase staple favourites or frozen items in their own section without disrupting the overall flow.

2. Structure by dish type or ingredient

This style groups meals based on the main protein or dietary type.

Example categories:

• Vegetarian

• Chicken

• Beef

• Pork

• Lamb

• Seafood

Why it works

Organising your menu by ingredient type - like beef, chicken, seafood or vegetarian - makes it easy for customers to find meals that align with their preferences or dietary needs. This style works particularly well if your menu focuses on mains or is centred around rotating protein-based dishes.