Habesha Cravings: Visual Dining
A high-fidelity digital storefront and visual tableside menu concept designed to capture local Edmonton search traffic, eliminate diner hesitation, and streamline operations.
The Challenge
Habesha Cravings is an Edmonton favorite, serving rich and authentic communal platters out of a beautiful, historic converted house in Oliver. However, two primary digital friction points were holding back their growth:
1. Online Ordering Hesitation: Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine is visually stunning and communal, but text-only menus on third-party delivery apps failed to guide newcomers. First-time guests struggled to visualize dishes like Doro Wat (spicy chicken stew) or Beyaynetu (vegan split-pea/lentil platter), leading to cart abandonment.
2. In-House Operational Friction: During peak hours, waitstaff spent significant time explaining dishes and dietary specifications (vegan, gluten-free) to guests. This slowed down ordering, increased kitchen ticket times, and delayed table turns on their highly popular patio.
Our Solution
We designed a mobile-first digital storefront (`habeshacravings.ca`) alongside **"The Cravings Menu"**—a fully visual tableside menu integrated with custom, print-ready table QR codes.
1. A 100% Visual Experience: We eliminated text-only hesitation by pairing every key dish with vibrant, high-fidelity photography. This allows new diners to browse, tap, and confidently select communal platters.
2. Clear Dietary Mapping: Given the rising demand for vegan and gluten-free dining in Edmonton, we integrated prominent badges highlighting Gluten-Free Teff Injera and 100% plant-based platters directly at the top of the menu tabs.
3. Delivery & Dine-In Synergy: Rather than competing with third-party delivery services, the website acts as a traffic controller. A clear, frictionless funnel routes visitors either to zero-commission direct table reservations or to direct links on Skip, DoorDash, and Uber Eats.
Explore the Live Staging Site
We believe in showing, not just telling. Click below to experience the fully responsive homepage, visual navigation tabs, and tableside ordering flow just like a diner would on their phone.
Launch Live DemoSpeculative Case Study Disclaimer: This project is a speculative design concept and pre-sales case study developed by Studio Desta. It is a showcase of strategic product design and conversion rate optimization (CRO) capabilities. It is not officially commissioned by or affiliated with Habesha Cravings.
Ready to grow your
business?
Let's collaborate to build an impactful online presence for your brand.
Let's Talk