Too much creativity? Why restaurant brands need to prioritize function over flash

As seen on Nation’s Restaurant News Let’s get one thing straight: I love a good creative flex as much as the next guy. A slick animation, a bold color palette, an immersive digital experience that makes your brand feel like...

As seen on Nation’s Restaurant News

Let’s get one thing straight: I love a good creative flex as much as the next guy. A slick animation, a bold color palette, an immersive digital experience that makes your brand feel like it’s dripping with personality — there’s real value in standing out. But here’s the hard truth for restaurant brand marketing leaders running large multi-unit systems: If your digital experience is so creative that it’s slowing down your guests or confusing them, you’re not just losing their attention — you’re losing their money.

In the restaurant game, speed and convenience aren’t buzzwords; they’re table stakes. Your guests aren’t sitting there marveling at the artistic genius of your online ordering system or waxing poetic about the avant-garde layout of your mobile app. They want their food, they want it fast, and they want to pay for it without friction. When your team gets too caught up in the “art” of digital design, you risk building something that looks like a masterpiece but functions like a maze. And trust me, no one’s sticking around to solve it.

The creativity trap

I’ve seen it happen too many times. A multi-unit restaurant brand hires a hotshot agency or an in-house creative team with big ideas. They pitch a digital experience that’s going to “redefine the category”— think parallax scrolling, interactive menus that dance across the screen, or a homepage that feels more like a short film than a functional tool. Everyone in the boardroom claps, the budget gets approved, and six months later, your conversion rates are tanking. Why? Because your guests aren’t art critics — they’re hungry.

Take online ordering as an example. A guest lands on your site or app, ready to spend $50 on a family meal deal. But instead of a clean, intuitive flow — menu, options, cart, checkout — they’re greeted with a visually stunning but overly complicated interface. Maybe the “add to cart” button is buried under a cascade of animations. Maybe the menu categories are so stylized they’re hard to read on a mobile screen. Suddenly, that $50 order turns into a “forget it, I’ll just hit the drive-thru somewhere else” moment. That’s not a design win; that’s a sales loss.

Form follows function — always

Here’s where we need to channel our inner Bauhaus: form follows function. Creativity isn’t the enemy, but it has to serve a purpose. Your digital experience isn’t a gallery exhibition — it’s a tool to drive transactions, build loyalty, and keep your guests coming back. The best restaurant brands I’ve worked with understand this balance. They use design to enhance utility, not obstruct it.

Think about your guests’ journey. They’re on your site or app for a reason: to order food, check locations, or maybe redeem a loyalty reward. Every creative decision — every font choice, every transition, every image — should make that journey faster and easier. A bold hero image of your signature dish? Great, as long as it doesn’t take 10 seconds to load. A playful tone in your copy? Love it, as long as it doesn’t obscure the call-to-action. Art should guide, not distract.

What guests really want

Let’s talk about your audience for a second. The people hitting your digital channels aren’t there for an emotional rollercoaster — they’re there to solve a problem. They’re busy parents ordering takeout after a long day, office workers grabbing a quick lunch, or late-night regulars craving comfort food. Speed and convenience are their love language. A 2024 study from the National Restaurant Association found that 68% of guests prioritize ease of use over aesthetics when ordering online. That’s not a suggestion; that’s a mandate.

I’ve sat in enough focus groups to know: when guests complain about a digital experience, it’s rarely “this isn’t pretty enough.” It’s “this took too long” or “I couldn’t find what I needed.” Overly creative designs often trade clarity for flair, and that’s a trade your P&L can’t afford. Every extra click, every second of lag, every moment of confusion is a chance for them to bounce — and they’re not bouncing to your competitor’s artsy site; they’re bouncing to the one that works.

Using creativity wisely

Now, I’m not saying strip your digital presence down to a soulless, utilitarian skeleton. Your brand’s personality — your vibe — matters. It’s what sets you apart in a sea of sameness. But creativity needs guardrails. Here’s how the smartest multi-unit restaurant brands I’ve partnered with get it right:

• Prioritize speed: Test your site and app load times relentlessly. If your creative elements — high-res images, fancy scripts — are dragging performance, cut them or optimize them. Google says every second past three on mobile increases bounce rates by 32%. Don’t let your art be the bottleneck.
• Simplify navigation: Your menu isn’t a treasure hunt. Make it scannable, searchable, and mobile-friendly. Use visual cues like color or icons to guide guests, not overwhelm them.
• Test, then test again: Run A/B tests on your creative ideas. That funky new checkout animation might look cool, but if it drops conversions by 5%, it’s not worth it. Data doesn’t care about your feelings — or mine.
• Focus on the money-makers: Highlight your high-margin items and upsell opportunities with smart design — think subtle highlights or pop-ups, not flashing banners that scream “look at me.” Creativity should nudge, not shove.

The bottom line

As marketing leaders of large restaurant systems, your job is to drive revenue, not win design awards. A digital experience that’s too creative at the expense of function is like a chef who cares more about plating than taste — it might look good, but it won’t fill seats. Balance is everything. Use art to elevate the experience, but never let it slow down the transaction.

Your guests don’t need a masterpiece. They need a meal, delivered fast and easy. Build your digital strategy around that truth, and you’ll see the sales numbers — and the guest loyalty — follow. Creativity’s a tool, not the goal. Wield it wisely.