Wahaca – Augmented Reality Menu

The challenge

Wahaca wanted to showcase the vibrancy and deliciousness of Mexican food by bringing it to life with an AR menu, in a way that paper table menus couldn’t.

They also wanted to make the menu experience accessible to as many people as possible, making Web AR the best choice, as it only requires customers to have a smartphone.

Finally, Wahaca wanted to enable contact-free experiences and payments for all their customers directly from the table, making it an ideal option during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Our approach

Wahaca commissioned a Web AR menu experience which allows customers to augment their paper menus and interact with them, accessing additional information about dishes, such as ingredients, allergens and sustainability practices.

Customers are able to access the experience by scanning the paper menu using their smartphone camera.

Upon opening the AR experience, customers are greeted by an animated 3D model of Wahaca co-founder Thomasina Miers, who instructs them throughout the AR experience. Customers are then able to navigate the menu, tapping on different menu sections to access pictures of dishes and descriptions.

The experience is also linked to a digital payment system enabling contact-free payments directly from the table.

Wahaca branding remains consistent throughout the experience, with details such as the appearance of co-founder Thomasina Miers and information on key Wahaca values such as their social impact efforts, such as their Carbon Neutral and Zero Waste to Landfill initiatives. These enable for a more immersive experience of the brand as a whole.

A key priority for Wahaca was to create a UX that is easy to navigate, regardless of the level of experience of the customer or their knowledge of AR. This resulted in an experience that is memorable and which encourages returning customers.

Our approach

A QR code linking to the AR experience was printed on more than 60,000 physical menus at Wahaca restaurants. These can be easily scanned by customers using their smartphone.

At Wahaca we have always sought to inspire our guests, both in the restaurant with our food and service and in the wider world. We’re very excited about collaborating with Poplar Studio as this AR experience brings our menu to life to visually inspire our customers about our food, ingredients and sustainability.

Mark Selby, Wahaca Co-Founder