How i solved Zomato's group ordering hassle

Chapter 1: My Office Party Disaster

Let me tell you about the day that changed how I think about group food ordering forever.

The Setup

It was our monthly office party, and everyone was excited about ordering food. I had Zomato Premium with free delivery and coupons, so naturally, I volunteered to handle the ordering. What could go wrong, right?

Everything.

The 20-Minute Restaurant Debate

The first drama started when I asked everyone what they wanted to eat. Most people gave me the classic response: "whatever you want." But here's the thing, it's actually terrifying to order for other people.

I opened Zomato and started scrolling through restaurants. "How about this Italian place?" I'd ask. Silence. "What about Thai food?" More silence. "Chinese?" Finally, someone would say, "I don't really like spicy food," and we'd start over.

Twenty minutes. It took us twenty minutes just to agree on a restaurant. I felt like a food democracy dictator, making decisions for people who wouldn't tell me what they actually wanted.

The Ordering Pressure

Once we finally picked a restaurant, I had to figure out what to order for everyone. The pressure was intense because:

• I didn't know their dietary restrictions

• I didn't know their appetites (Will one pizza be enough for four people?)

• I was afraid of judgment (What if they hate what I order? What if it's too expensive?)

• I was spending my own money upfront (hoping everyone would pay me back)

I ended up ordering way more than we needed because I was terrified of under-ordering and having hungry colleagues.

The Food Waste Guilt

When the food arrived, we were all excited until we finished eating and saw the pile of leftovers. Entire containers of food that no one wanted. I felt guilty about the waste, and awkward about the money I'd spent on food nobody ate.

We ended up giving everything to our office boy, but the guilt lingered. I'd literally thrown money away because I had no idea how much people actually wanted to eat.

The Money Collection Nightmare

Then came the fun part, asking everyone to pay me back. I had to:

• Calculate everyone's portion manually

• Figure out how to split shared items fairly

• Send awkward messages asking for money

• Deal with the one guy who just... never paid

To this day, months later, I'm still owed money from that office party. Every time I see that colleague, there's this weird tension about the unpaid food debt.

This picture sums up the entire scenerio :')

Chapter 2: From Personal Pain to Design Opportunity

This disaster got me thinking: if I, someone who works in UX had such a terrible experience, what about everyone else dealing with group ordering?

I realized that Zomato, and most food delivery apps, are designed for individuals. But in reality, people order in groups all the time. The disconnect between individual-focused design and group-focused usage was creating universal frustration.

My Pain Points Became Design Challenges:

1. The Decision Paralysis → How can we make group restaurant selection faster and more democratic?

2. The Ordering Pressure → How can we let people order for themselves while staying coordinated?

3. The Food Waste Problem → How can we help groups order the right amounts?

4. The Payment Nightmare → How can we eliminate manual splitting and awkward money collection?

I mapped out a flow where all of this could live inside Zomato itself and no more bouncing between apps.

Chapter 3: Researching Beyond My Own Experience

I needed to know if my experience was unique or universal. So I interviewed 15 people about their group ordering experiences.

What I Discovered:

I wasn't alone. Everyone had similar horror stories:

"I once spent 30 minutes trying to coordinate a pizza order for a birthday party. Half the people changed their minds after I'd already placed the order." ~ one reddit user

"I'm always the one who pays upfront because I have the credit card. I've probably lost 8,000 - 9,000 over the years from people who never paid me back." ~ Another reddit user

"We ordered way too much food for a team lunch because nobody wanted to admit they weren't that hungry. So much waste." ~ one of my friend

The data was clear:

• 78% of people had experienced payment collection issues

• 65% had dealt with significant food waste in group orders

• 89% found group restaurant selection stressful

• Average decision time was 15-20 minutes for groups vs. 5 minutes for individuals

I mapped out a flow where all of this could live inside Zomato itself and no more bouncing between apps.

Chapter 4: Designing Away My Own Frustrations

I started redesigning Zomato with one goal: make sure no one else has to go through what I went through.

Solution 1: Democratic Group Creation

My Problem: One person forced to coordinate every detail, leading to long debates and decision fatigue
My Solution: Let everyone participate equally in setting up the order

• One-tap “Create Group” with custom name, emoji/icon

• Define scope (nearby restaurants, cuisine filters, budget cap, cutoff time)

• Get added directly with you phone number linked in your zomato.

  

Solution 2: Democratic Restaurant Selection

My Problem: 20 minutes of painful group discussion
My Solution: Private voting system

Instead of public debates, I designed a system where:

• I create a "Group Order" and invite people via link/QR code

• The app suggests 3-5 restaurants based on location, budget, and dietary needs

• Everyone votes privately using a simple swipe interface

• The winner is revealed automatically—no more awkward discussions

Result: Restaurant selection now takes 2-3 minutes instead of 20.

Solution 3: Individual Ordering Within Group Context

My Problem: Pressure to order for others without knowing their preferences
My Solution: Personal ordering with group coordination

Now everyone orders for themselves:

• Each person browses the menu on their own device

• They can see what others are ordering for inspiration

• Individual dietary restrictions and preferences are automatically applied

• The group order stays coordinated while respecting individual choices

Result: No more guessing what people want, they tell you directly by ordering it themselves.

Chapter 5: Testing My Solution

The Human Impact

"This is exactly what we needed. No more arguing about restaurants, no more awkward payment requests. Just easy food ordering with friends." ~ My colleague (yes, the one who owed me money)

"I actually enjoyed the group ordering process for the first time. Usually it's so stressful." ~ My close friend (Sachin, Varun)

My office party nightmare taught me something crucial: when you solve your own real problems, you often solve problems for millions of other people too.

Conclusion: Turning My Worst Experience Into Everyone's Better One

My office party food ordering disaster - 20 minutes of restaurant debates, pressure to order for others, food waste guilt, and months of unpaid debt became the foundation for a solution that could help millions of people eat together without the drama.

The transformation:

• Restaurant selection: From 20-minute debates to 3-minute private voting

• Individual ordering: From guessing preferences to letting people choose themselves

• Food waste: From over-ordering to smart portion recommendations

The real success metric isn't just the improved user experience, it's the human stories it enables. No more frustrated organizers, no more awkward payment collections, no more food waste guilt, and definitely no more colleagues who owe you money months later.

When I think about that office party now, I don't cringe but I feel grateful. That terrible experience taught me that the best design solutions often come from solving your own real problems. Sometimes the worst user experience you can have is the best inspiration for creating something better.