How quick meals giants get you spending MORE – from intelligent use of colors to animated menus and digital kiosks to erase ‘disgrace’ ordering

It started innocently enough: you were feeling a little peckish, so you swung by a well-known burger restaurant for a portion of fries. 

But by the time you left, you found yourself holding not just fries, but two burgers and an Oreo milkshake. How did that happen?

You’re not alone. In fact, it turns out that fast food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, and Domino’s have more tricks up their sleeves than just secret sauces and spice blends. 

People often think of fast food restaurants as great value options for a treat, but dozens of popular chains across the UK may be getting you to spend much more than you wanted to. 

However, according to one digital marketing expert, Britain’s £23.1billion fast food industry has become a master of a phenomenon known as Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO).

Simply put, CRO increases the amount customers spend without even realising it. And those flashy digital menus offering 99p burgers for a limited time? They might just be one of the culprits. 

So, before you start blaming your hunger cravings for making you ‘accidentally’ upgrade to a double burger combo, Jade Jordan, a UX and Conversion Manager at Add People, reveals some of the sneaky tactics luring customers to spend more.

Blame ‘ROY ‘

Many people think Ray Kroc is the mastermind behind McDonald’s massive profits, however, there may be another ‘ROY’ McDonald shareholders should be thanking.

Fast food giants such as McDonald’s possess a secret weapon known as ‘ROY’ – a colour scheme featuring hues of Red, Orange, and Yellow on logos and food packaging.

McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Popeyes, Wendy’s and Pizza Hut are standout examples of fast food chains that use these colours as part of their branding. 

According to Jordan, these colours are designed to trigger your appetite, increase your heart rate, and make you feel hungrier. 

Studies have shown that people tend to eat faster and more when surrounded by these bright, attention-grabbing colours. 

Jordan said: ‘Thanks to their constant use within food branding, humans have come to associate fast food with these colours.’

Animated menus 

Ever notice how the priciest items on the menu appear to be more animated? 

Fast food chains know you’ve got a favourite order, but they also want you to try something new – and more expensive.

To draw customers’ attention to these premium options, they often use movement or extra space on the menu, making them impossible to ignore. 

Savvy customers might also notice the higher price items pop with brighter colours, are animated or move more as opposed to options on the static value menu, 

This means you’re more likely to consider splurging on that new ‘limited-edition’ Hat Trick Burger. 

Jordan said: ‘Since our eyes are naturally drawn to movement, we notice and consider those items more often.’ 

Self-service kiosks 

Thanks to the prevalence of self-service kiosks, many customers feel less hurried by the cashier and more comfortable making additional selections when ordering. 

Yet, according to Jordan, that’s exactly what the fast food industry wants. 

The digital machines don’t just process orders – they’re programmed to encourage you to spend more, using algorithms to suggest exactly what you’re most likely to want.  

Furthermore, without a person to judge you for adding that extra milkshake or selecting a large portion of fries over a medium, you’re more likely to make additional purchases.

Jordan said: ‘The lack of human interaction means that customers are inclined to spend more, without the “shame” of ordering an extra burger or supersizing your meal.’

Upgrades and recommendations  

Digital kiosks are designed to be more than just convenient – they’re calculated to encourage you to add on that extra burger or fries. 

Let’s face it: most of us have found ourselves upgrading our meal to a large once a pop-up appears on the screen, notifying us that it costs only 20 pence more than a medium. 

The algorithm behind the kiosk tailors suggestions to your order, such as suggesting you upgrade the portion size of your meal or recommending an extra snack, ensuring you never leave without considering a large drink or a side of onion rings. 

Jordan said: ‘This is particularly effective with machines, because unlike with a person, the machine will never forget to ask you to go large or to recommend additional items, and can use algorithms to predict what each order is most likely to add on.’

Appetising pictures

If you manage to avoid the self-service kiosk, you’re not quite off the hook yet.

As you approach the counter, prepare to be bombarded with large pictures of mouth-watering food displayed on brightly lit, colourful menu boards – but you won’t be able to check the prices until you’re physically ordering your meal. 

Jordan said: ‘The menu boards feature a snapshot of their menu items, and include big pictures with tiny writing, only allowing you to see the key prices when you are close to the counter and the server is asking you for your order.’

In essence, this creates pressure as customers ideally want to avoid holding up people waiting in the queue, so they are forced to make rash decisions.   

That often means customers will most likely opt for something in their eyeline, meaning pricier items.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Fast food chains are experts at creating the fear of missing out (FOMO). 

You might see a sign for a 99p cheeseburger outside, but when you step inside, it’s nowhere to be found on the main menu. 

Why? Because it’s tucked away on a side wall, in black and white, designed to make you question if the deal is even available. 

Jordan said: ‘Promotional deals, such as a 99p cheeseburger, are often promoted online or outside to passers-by, but are rarely listed on the main board.  

‘Customers who can’t see the promotion may be embarrassed to ask for fear of looking cheap, or making them doubt the promotion exists.’