Zitti (acquired by a Fortune 500 company) is a mobile and desktop app that streamlines back-of-house operations for restaurateurs. Operators can pay their bills, compare food costs, and place orders directly with their vendors through the app.
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I joined Zitti as its first hire, starting as a Senior Product Designer. Within a few months, I transitioned to Director of Product Design, leading design and shaping a user-centered product vision and strategy that scaled the platform from 0 to over 200 restaurants, 150 vendors, and 150,000 products.
Pricing for food and other goods within the restaurant food supply chain is notoriously opaque with a lack of visibility into market pricing. Smaller independent restaurants pay much higher unit prices than larger chains and don't have dedicated teams to monitor and negotiate prices with their vendors. To compare pricing across multiple vendors, restaurant operators must manually cross-reference pricing sheets and vendor portals. And then operators have to make a mix of phone calls and emails to their reps or log in to each vendor portal to place each order.
We recognized an opportunity to create a tool that would provide operators with real-time pricing insights from multiple vendors, enable seamless ordering, and allow for analysis of past orders.
We performed competitive analysis on existing ordering platforms such as Sysco, Baldor, US Foods, Choco, and Rekki, and we conducted user interviews and shadowed operators. Operators were not satisfied with any of the ordering platforms that they had experienced—citing Sysco and Choco as platforms that were the easiest to use. They highlighted pain points like unnecessary back-and-forth with vendors, lack of pricing transparency, unfriendly user experiences, and limited visibility into orders that were placed.
Some of these operators, such as David Battin at La Mercerie in New York City, did track orders in spreadsheets but expressed frustration with its inefficiencies and time-consuming nature. He emphasized that he needed an easier way to look back at past orders and see pricing at the time of ordering. This would help his team with reporting and ensure that they choose the lowest-priced items when possible without sacrificing quality. Operators also reported frequent misunderstandings when placing orders manually over email, leading to back-and-forths with vendors that they didn't have time for.
We also interviewed vendors to understand how we could help their side of the ordering process. These representatives talked about frequently receiving orders with incorrect item information or lacking required details.
We launched the ordering product in three stages: 1) universal order guide; 2) ordering capability; 3) order history
As we developed designs, we used Excel and Looker Studio to create a preliminary price comparison tool that consolidated order guides. Though not ideal for UX, this version helped gather valuable feedback on essential information and features. Operators were excited about viewing a consolidated product list across vendors, but the data volume was overwhelming. Whether chefs accessed it on mobile or managers on desktops, the in-app experience needed seamless scrolling, a clear information hierarchy with a way to isolate the best prices, and a strong search function.
We operated on a continuous release cycle, launching each part of the experience as it was ready. First, we enabled users to confirm their item list, allowing them to hide unwanted items and add new ones. Next, we introduced the universal order guide in-app, giving users a view of their item list with updated prices.
Following the order guide launch, we shifted focus to integrating ordering within the app. Users can scan their item list, quickly identify the best price, and add items to their cart. When ready to order, they select a vendor’s cart and proceed to checkout, specifying delivery or pickup, date, and any special instructions. Once placed, both restaurant and vendor receive an email with order details. By handling item selection and quantities in-app, we ensured complete, accurate orders, streamlining communication between restaurants and vendors.
The final piece was adding an in-app Order History with basic analytics to help managers and sous chefs monitor order trends. This feature allows users to review past orders and analyze price efficiency, making it easier to track spending, align with budget targets, and access a record of purchased items without sifting through invoice line items.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with operators reporting huge time savings. One sous chef, Chuy noted the order guide reduced his task time from six hours to 20 minutes.
Operators appreciated the ease of comparing vendor prices but requested a quick overview of vendor trends to support negotiations. In response, we added insights at the top of the Order Guide, including each vendor’s best-price percentage, out-of-stock items, weekly price changes, and category-based pricing comparisons. We also indicated the percent by which higher-priced items exceeded the lowest price, highlighting savings opportunities.
Based on user feedback, we incorporated vendor logos on item cards for quick recognition and enabled sorting options by category, product name, or price difference. To further improve clarity, we adjusted the product name’s background color, added numeric markers in checkout, and re-labeled fields that ESL users initially found unclear.
The ordering feature has significantly reduced ordering time, improved accuracy, and provided valuable food comparison insights. It not only allowed operators a way to look back and analyze past orders but also to make informed decisions at the time of ordering.
