Making Menu Navigation Easier: Introducing Dietary Restriction Icons & Filters
In today's diverse dining landscape, customers have more dietary needs and preferences than ever before. Whether driven by allergies, health conditions, religious beliefs, or lifestyle choices, diners expect restaurants to accommodate their requirements—and to make that information easily accessible. That's why we're excited to introduce our new Dietary Restrictions Icons & Filters feature in Order with Flavor.
Why Dietary Restriction Labeling Matters
The food service industry has evolved dramatically over the past decade. According to recent industry research, a significant portion of consumers now follow specific dietary patterns or have food allergies that require careful menu navigation. For food businesses, this shift isn't just about meeting customer expectations—it's about safety, inclusivity, and competitive advantage.
The Business Case for Clear Dietary Information
Safety First: Food allergies can be life-threatening. When customers can quickly identify safe options, you reduce the risk of allergic reactions and the serious consequences that follow. Clear labeling demonstrates your commitment to customer wellbeing.
Expanded Customer Base: By making dietary information prominent, you welcome customers who might otherwise skip your establishment entirely. Vegans, vegetarians, those with celiac disease, and customers with religious dietary restrictions will feel confident ordering from you.
Reduced Order Errors and Support Calls: When customers can self-serve their dietary needs through filtering and labeling, your staff spends less time answering the same questions repeatedly. This streamlines operations during peak hours.
Enhanced Customer Experience: Nothing frustrates a customer more than having to click through dozens of menu items hoping to find something they can eat. Filters transform this tedious process into a seamless experience.
Competitive Differentiation: As more consumers prioritize dietary preferences, restaurants that make accommodation easy will stand out in crowded markets.
Introducing Dietary Restrictions Icons & Filters
Our new feature brings dietary restriction information front and center across all your digital ordering channels—Mobile App, Kiosk, and Online Ordering.
Two Powerful Settings
The feature consists of two complementary settings that you can enable independently or together:
Show Dietary Restrictions on Menu Items: This setting displays dietary restriction labels directly on item cards throughout your menu. Customers can see at a glance that an item is Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, or meets other dietary needs—without having to open each individual item. This visual scanning capability dramatically speeds up the browsing experience.
Dietary Restriction Menu Filter: This setting adds filter options to your menu interface, allowing customers to narrow down the entire menu to show only items matching their dietary requirements. Looking for vegetarian options? One tap, and only vegetarian items appear. This is particularly valuable for customers with multiple dietary restrictions who need to cross-reference requirements.
Simple Setup
Getting started is straightforward:
1. Navigate to Store Settings → Catalog Settings
2. Enable one or both dietary restriction settings based on your preference
3. Ensure dietary restrictions are properly configured for items in your catalog (accessible through item settings)
When both settings are disabled, your menu functions normally without any dietary labels or filters appearing—giving you complete control over when and how to roll out this feature.
The Complete Experience
When a customer with dietary restrictions visits your ordering platform, they can now:
- Scan quickly through menu items and spot dietary labels at a glance
- Filter comprehensively to view only items that meet their needs
- Order confidently knowing the information is clearly presented
- Save time by avoiding items they can't consume
For your business, this means happier customers, fewer mistakes, and a reputation for being accommodating and customer-focused.
Best Practices for Implementation
To get the most from this feature, we recommend:
- Audit your catalog: Review all menu items and ensure dietary restrictions are accurately assigned
- Be comprehensive: Include all relevant dietary labels (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, etc.)
- Train staff: Make sure your team understands which items carry which labels so they can answer questions confidently
- Promote the feature: Let customers know you offer dietary filtering through your marketing channels
- Keep it updated: When menu items change, update dietary information accordingly within your dashboard
Learn More
For detailed setup instructions and additional information, visit our Catalog Settings resource page.
The future of food service is inclusive, transparent, and customer-centric. With Dietary Restrictions Icons & Filters, you're not just adding a feature to your ordering system—you're making a statement that every customer matters, regardless of their dietary needs. Start enabling this feature today and watch customer satisfaction soar.
