The Call
A leading fast‑casual restaurant chain sought to modernize its portfolio of restaurant formats. Several designs had been introduced over the years, and leadership lacked clarity on how each format was actually experienced by guests.
While the brand had strong equity and high awareness, early signals suggested that certain layouts might not fully meet evolving customer expectations around comfort, flow, and the emotional tone of the dining experience. The company engaged Catapult Insights to:
- Understand how customers truly experience each format (both emotionally and functionally)
- Identify which design elements elevate—or detract from—the brand promise
- Translate insights into format‑specific hypotheses for redesign
- Partner with design teams to iterate, validate, and refine new concepts
Our Response
We conducted dual-mode ethnography to capture both intuitive and rational responses. To set clear guidelines for change, we included average customers and Brand Lovers in our research.
Online Ethnos (Virtual Missions)
Participants recorded their meal habits, first impressions of restaurant visits, real-time emotions, sensory experiences, and reactions to varied design formats. The virtual nature yielded genuine, instant feedback before respondents knew how to explain or rationalize them.
In-Restaurant Immersions
We observed and engaged guests at multiple locations, using stream-of-mind walkthroughs, design cue mapping, and emotional heatmapping.
The Celebration
The combination of approaches gave us a holistic view of behaviors and experiences. From hundreds of raw observations, we distilled several cross-format themes and format-specific hypotheses. These hypotheses became the bridge between exploratory research and design iteration.
By the end of the engagement, the client had:
- A clear hierarchy of which formats were most future fit
- A set of design principles grounded in real customer behavior
- Refined prototypes ready for real world testing
- A roadmap for ongoing format evolution
Most importantly, the organization gained a deeper understanding of the emotional logic behind how guests navigate and interpret fast casual environments—and a playbook for design to reinforce trust, hospitality, and modernity.
