System Requirements Document for food-ordering-restaurant

1. Introduction

This document specifies a complete, modern, responsive Online Food Ordering Website for a restaurant/food delivery business. The product lets hungry customers browse food categories, view food items with images, descriptions, prices and ratings, search for food, add items to a cart, customize items, change quantities, apply coupons, enter delivery details, choose a payment method, place an order, track order status, view previous orders, and manage their profile.

The website must feel like a modern food-ordering platform in usability — comparable to popular food delivery applications — while carrying its own original design and branding. It must not look like a generic template.

The primary audience is the Customer (students, families, late-night snackers — everyday hungry people ordering food for delivery). A second, internal audience is the Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator, who maintains the catalog and offers customers order from and continues received orders through the delivery lifecycle.

2. System Overview

The system is a first-party web application with its own application-owned identity. Customers can browse the public surfaces (Home, Offers, About, Contact, policy pages, FAQ) anonymously, and must establish identity to complete protected ordering work (Menu, Food Details, Cart, Checkout, Orders, Order Tracking, Profile). Operators are provisioned/invited and use protected operator workspaces (Catalog Management, Order Management).

Accepted behavior spans: catalog browsing and search; item detail with customization, special instructions and add-to-cart; cart with quantity control, coupon application and totals; multi-step checkout with address management, delivery option, payment method and order placement; order status tracking; previous-order history; and profile management. Operators maintain categories, food items and their attributes, customization options, offers and coupons, and continue received orders through the delivery lifecycle.

2a. Product Interpretation and Delivery Boundary

Delivery ownership. The website is a first-party application. All customer-facing and operator-facing surfaces are custom UI owned by the application. Identity is application-owned: customers self-enroll and returning customers verify; operators are invited/provisioned before their workspaces become available. Protected destinations (Menu, Food Details, Cart, Checkout, Orders, Order Tracking, Profile, Catalog Management, Order Management) require an established identity; public surfaces (Home, Offers, About, Contact, Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, FAQ, Login/Register) are reachable without one.

Current vs. future. Everything in this document is current scope. No future-horizon features are specified by the source; nothing here should be read as authorizing adjacent capabilities (e.g., loyalty programs, multi-restaurant marketplaces, driver apps, or account-management features beyond enrollment and returning verification).

Explicit exclusions. The design must not be a generic template; it must not use a blue/indigo palette; it must not use a white page ground (the base is warm cream); it must not use thin-line/outline icon sets; it must not use Inter, Roboto, Poppins, Montserrat or system-ui for headings or body; it must not use dark mode / near-black full-page grounds.

2b. Source Content Inventory

No reference directive in this project declares content_source authority, so no source content inventory is included.

2c. Page Content and Component Coverage

Home

• Information/state: Logo; nav (Home, Menu, Offers, About, Contact); search icon; location selector; Login/Register; cart icon with item count. Hero: large food image, heading "Delicious Food, Delivered To Your Door", short supporting text, "Order Now" CTA, "Explore Menu" CTA, delivery location/search input. Categories: Pizza, Burgers, Biryani, Indian, Chinese, Desserts, Beverages, Snacks (each with image/icon). Popular Food cards: image, name, short description, rating, preparation time, price, veg/non-veg indicator, Add button. Special Offers banners: 20% OFF on first order, Free delivery, Weekend special, Combo offers. How It Works: 4 steps (Choose your food, Customize your order, Place your order, Get it delivered). Customer Reviews: profile image, name, rating, review. Footer: About, Contact, Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, FAQ, social media links, app download links, copyright.
• Primary actions: Order Now; Explore Menu; category selection; Add (popular item); location/search entry; navigate to Menu/Offers/About/Contact; open Login/Register; open Cart.
• Supporting actions: search icon; location selector; social/app links; footer policy links.
• Domain entities: Category, FoodItem, Offer, Review, Cart (count).
• Component responsibilities: sticky floating header pill; hero block; category tile grid; popular-food card grid; offer banner band; How-It-Works band; review carousel/grid; footer.
• States: loading skeletons for categories/popular items/reviews; empty (no popular items / no reviews) with graceful placeholder; success (content rendered); error (content fetch failure with retry); recovery (retry re-fetches).

Offers

• Information/state: promotional banners — 20% OFF on first order, Free delivery, Weekend special, Combo offers — each with its terms and applicable coupon code where relevant.
• Primary actions: view offer; apply/claim offer (routes to Menu/Cart with coupon context).
• Supporting actions: navigate to Menu.
• Domain entities: Offer, Coupon.
• Component responsibilities: asymmetric offer banner blocks; coupon code display.
• States: loading skeleton; empty (no active offers); success; error with retry.

Menu

• Information/state: search field; category filters; Veg/Non-Veg filter; price filter; rating filter; sort control (Popularity, Price low to high, Price high to low, Rating). Food cards: image, name, description, rating, price, discount, preparation time, Add to Cart button.
• Primary actions: search food; apply/clear filters; change sort; Add to Cart; open Food Details.
• Supporting actions: reset filters; pagination/infinite scroll.
• Domain entities: FoodItem, Category, Cart.
• Component responsibilities: sticky filter rail; fluid card grid; sort control; result count.
• States: loading skeletons; empty (no results for filters/search) with clear-filters recovery; success; error with retry; toast on add-to-cart.

Food Details

• Information/state: large food image; name; description; price; rating; ingredients; nutritional information; preparation time; veg/non-veg status; customization options (Pizza sizes: Small/Medium/Large; extra toppings: Cheese, Mushrooms, Olives, Paneer; spice level: Mild/Medium/Spicy; add-ons: Coke, Fries, Dessert); special instructions field; Add to Cart button.
• Primary actions: select size/toppings/spice/add-ons; enter special instructions; Add to Cart.
• Supporting actions: quantity selection; back to Menu.
• Domain entities: FoodItem, CustomizationOption, Cart.
• Component responsibilities: detail layout (page or modal); option groups; instructions input; add-to-cart control.
• States: loading skeleton; success; validation error (required option not chosen); error with retry; toast on add-to-cart.

About

• Information/state: restaurant/business information.
• Primary actions: read; navigate to Contact/Menu.
• Supporting actions: footer navigation.
• Domain entities: none.
• Component responsibilities: static content block.
• States: static success; error with retry if content is fetched.

Contact

• Information/state: restaurant contact information and contact entry point.
• Primary actions: view contact details; submit contact entry.
• Supporting actions: navigate to About/FAQ.
• Domain entities: ContactMessage.
• Component responsibilities: contact info block; contact form.
• States: success (message sent confirmation); validation error; error with retry.

Terms & Conditions

• Information/state: terms content.
• Primary actions: read.
• Supporting actions: footer navigation.
• Domain entities: none.
• Component responsibilities: static content block.
• States: static success.

Privacy Policy

• Information/state: privacy policy content.
• Primary actions: read.
• Supporting actions: footer navigation.
• Domain entities: none.
• Component responsibilities: static content block.
• States: static success.

Refund Policy

• Information/state: refund policy content.
• Primary actions: read.
• Supporting actions: footer navigation.
• Domain entities: none.
• Component responsibilities: static content block.
• States: static success.

FAQ

• Information/state: frequently asked questions.
• Primary actions: expand/collapse question; read answer.
• Supporting actions: navigate to Contact.
• Domain entities: FAQItem.
• Component responsibilities: accordion list.
• States: static success; empty (no FAQs).

Login/Register

• Information/state: customer self-enrollment form; returning-customer verification form; operator entry point (provisioned/invited).
• Primary actions: register (customer); log in (customer); operator login.
• Supporting actions: switch between register and login; password recovery entry.
• Domain entities: Account, Session.
• Component responsibilities: tabbed auth forms; validation; error messaging.
• States: success (redirect to intended protected destination); validation error; credential error; error with retry.

Cart

• Information/state: per item — food image, item name, selected customization, quantity controls, individual price, remove button. Order summary: subtotal, delivery fee, taxes, discount, coupon discount, total. Coupon input; Apply Coupon button; Continue Shopping; Proceed to Checkout.
• Primary actions: change quantity; remove item; enter coupon; Apply Coupon; Continue Shopping; Proceed to Checkout.
• Supporting actions: view applied coupon; clear coupon.
• Domain entities: Cart, CartItem, Coupon.
• Component responsibilities: line-item list; quantity stepper; summary panel; coupon control.
• States: loading skeleton; empty cart with Continue Shopping recovery; success; invalid-coupon error; error with retry; toast on quantity/remove/coupon actions.

Checkout

• Information/state: multi-step experience. Delivery Address step: add new address, edit address, delete address, select saved address; fields — Full name, Phone number, House/Building, Street, City, State, ZIP/Postal code, Delivery instructions. Delivery Option step: Standard Delivery. Payment step: choose payment method. Review/place step: order summary and Place Order.
• Primary actions: add/edit/delete/select address; choose delivery option; choose payment method; place order.
• Supporting actions: back/next between steps; edit cart.
• Domain entities: Address, DeliveryOption, PaymentMethod, Order.
• Component responsibilities: numbered step rail; address form/list; delivery option selector; payment selector; order summary; place-order control.
• States: loading skeleton; validation error per step; payment failure with recovery; success (order placed → Order Tracking); error with retry.

Orders

• Information/state: list of previous orders with date, items, total, and status; entry to each order's tracking.
• Primary actions: open an order; re-order (add items back to cart); open Order Tracking.
• Supporting actions: filter/sort by date.
• Domain entities: Order.
• Component responsibilities: order list; order summary row; status badge.
• States: loading skeleton; empty (no previous orders) with browse-Menu recovery; success; error with retry.

Order Tracking

• Information/state: current status of a submitted order; progress rail; order details.
• Primary actions: view status; refresh; open order details.
• Supporting actions: navigate to Orders/Profile.
• Domain entities: Order, OrderStatus.
• Component responsibilities: status progress rail; order detail panel.
• States: loading skeleton; success; error with retry; not-found recovery.

Profile

• Information/state: customer profile details; saved addresses; account settings.
• Primary actions: edit profile; manage saved addresses; save changes.
• Supporting actions: log out; navigate to Orders.
• Domain entities: Account, Address.
• Component responsibilities: profile form; address list; save control.
• States: loading skeleton; success; validation error; error with retry; toast on save.

Catalog Management

• Information/state: operator workspace for categories, food items and their attributes (images, descriptions, prices, ratings, preparation times, veg/non-veg status), customization options, offers and coupons.
• Primary actions: create/edit/delete category; create/edit/delete food item; manage customization options; manage offers and coupons.
• Supporting actions: search/filter catalog; toggle item availability.
• Domain entities: Category, FoodItem, CustomizationOption, Offer, Coupon.
• Component responsibilities: catalog list; item editor; option editor; offer/coupon editor.
• States: loading skeleton; empty (no items) with create recovery; success; validation error; error with retry; toast on save.

Order Management

• Information/state: operator workspace listing received orders and their lifecycle state.
• Primary actions: view order; advance order status through the delivery lifecycle.
• Supporting actions: filter by status; search orders.
• Domain entities: Order, OrderStatus.
• Component responsibilities: order queue; order detail; status control.
• States: loading skeleton; empty (no orders); success; error with retry; toast on status change.

3. Functional Requirements

Each requirement is a distinct story point with provenance and observable acceptance.

1. As a Customer, I should browse food categories so I can find the kind of food I want. (explicit) — Trigger: open Home or Menu. Result: category list (Pizza, Burgers, Biryani, Indian, Chinese, Desserts, Beverages, Snacks) rendered with images/icons. Failure: content fetch error with retry. Continuation: selecting a category filters the menu.

2. As a Customer, I should view food items with images, descriptions, prices, and ratings so I can evaluate what to order. (explicit) — Trigger: browse Home popular items or Menu. Result: food cards with image, name, description, rating, price. Failure: fetch error with retry. Continuation: open Food Details or add to cart.

3. As a Customer, I should search for food so I can quickly find a specific item. (explicit) — Trigger: enter query in search (Home search icon or Menu search). Result: matching items listed. Failure: no results → clear-filters/clear-query recovery. Continuation: open item or refine filters.

4. As a Customer, I should add items to cart so I can collect what I want to buy. (explicit) — Trigger: Add / Add to Cart on a food card or Food Details. Result: item added; cart count badge updates; toast confirms. Failure: add error with retry. Continuation: continue shopping or open Cart.

5. As a Customer, I should customize food items so the order matches my preferences. (explicit) — Trigger: open Food Details and select options (Pizza sizes Small/Medium/Large; extra toppings Cheese, Mushrooms, Olives, Paneer; spice level Mild/Medium/Spicy; add-ons Coke, Fries, Dessert). Result: selections reflected in price and in the cart line's selected customization. Failure: required option missing → validation error. Continuation: Add to Cart.

6. As a Customer, I should change quantities so I can order the right amount. (explicit) — Trigger: quantity controls in Cart (and quantity selection on Food Details). Result: line quantity and totals update. Failure: invalid quantity → validation. Continuation: proceed to checkout.

7. As a Customer, I should apply coupons so I get the discount I'm entitled to. (explicit) — Trigger: enter coupon in Cart coupon input and press Apply Coupon. Result: coupon discount reflected in the order summary. Failure: invalid/expired coupon → error message; recovery: clear or try another. Continuation: proceed to checkout.

8. As a Customer, I should enter delivery details so my order reaches the right place. (explicit) — Trigger: Checkout Delivery Address step. Result: address saved/selected with fields Full name, Phone number, House/Building, Street, City, State, ZIP/Postal code, Delivery instructions. Failure: validation error per field. Continuation: choose delivery option.

9. As a Customer, I should choose a payment method so I can pay how I prefer. (explicit) — Trigger: Checkout Payment step. Result: selected method recorded for the order. Failure: payment failure with recovery (retry/change method). Continuation: place order.

10. As a Customer, I should place an order so my food is prepared and delivered. (explicit) — Trigger: Place Order on Checkout. Result: order created; confirmation; order appears in Orders and Order Tracking. Failure: placement error with retry. Continuation: track the order.

11. As a Customer, I should track my order status so I know when my food arrives. (explicit) — Trigger: open Order Tracking for a submitted order. Result: current status shown on a progress rail. Failure: fetch error with retry. Continuation: view details or return to Orders.

12. As a Customer, I should view previous orders so I can review or repeat past purchases. (explicit) — Trigger: open Orders. Result: list of past orders with date, items, total, status. Failure: fetch error with retry. Continuation: open an order or re-order.

13. As a Customer, I should manage my profile so my details and saved addresses stay correct. (explicit) — Trigger: open Profile. Result: profile and saved addresses editable and saved. Failure: validation error. Continuation: return to ordering.

14. As a Customer, I should add, edit, delete, and select saved addresses so checkout is fast and accurate. (explicit) — Trigger: Checkout Delivery Address step. Result: address list updated; selected address used for the order. Failure: validation error. Continuation: proceed to delivery option.

15. As a Customer, I should choose a delivery option so I know how my order is delivered. (explicit) — Trigger: Checkout Delivery Option step. Result: Standard Delivery selected. Failure: none selected → validation. Continuation: payment step.

16. As a Customer, I should add special instructions to a food item so the kitchen knows my preferences. (explicit) — Trigger: Food Details special instructions field. Result: instructions attached to the cart line. Failure: length/validation error. Continuation: Add to Cart.

17. As a Customer, I should see promotional offers so I can take advantage of discounts. (explicit) — Trigger: Home Special Offers section or Offers page. Result: banners for 20% OFF on first order, Free delivery, Weekend special, Combo offers. Failure: fetch error with retry. Continuation: apply offer at cart.

18. As a Customer, I should see how ordering works so I understand the process. (explicit) — Trigger: Home How It Works section. Result: 4 steps shown (Choose your food, Customize your order, Place your order, Get it delivered). Continuation: start ordering.

19. As a Customer, I should read customer reviews so I can trust the food quality. (explicit) — Trigger: Home Customer Reviews section. Result: reviews with profile image, name, rating, review. Failure: fetch error with retry.

20. As a Customer, I should self-enroll before protected ordering continuity so my cart, orders, and profile persist. (required_inference) — Trigger: attempt protected action without identity. Result: anonymous entry to Login/Register; on success, redirect to intended destination. Failure: validation/credential error. Continuation: complete protected action.

21. As a Customer, I should verify my identity on return so I can resume my orders and profile. (required_inference) — Trigger: log in at Login/Register. Result: session established; protected destinations accessible. Failure: credential error with retry. Continuation: resume ordering.

22. As a Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator, I should be invited or provisioned before my workspaces are available so only authorized staff manage the catalog and orders. (required_inference) — Trigger: operator invitation/provisioning. Result: operator account active; Catalog Management and Order Management accessible. Failure: invalid invitation → error. Continuation: sign in.

23. As a Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator, I should maintain categories, food items and their attributes so customers can browse and order. (required_inference) — Trigger: Catalog Management. Result: categories, items (images, descriptions, prices, ratings, preparation times, veg/non-veg status), customization options, offers and coupons created/edited/deleted. Failure: validation error. Continuation: items appear on Menu/Home.

24. As a Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator, I should continue received orders through the delivery lifecycle so customers see accurate status. (required_inference) — Trigger: Order Management. Result: order status advanced; customer's Order Tracking reflects the change. Failure: update error with retry. Continuation: next order.

25. As a Customer, I should see loading skeletons and toast notifications so the interface feels responsive and confirms my actions. (explicit) — Trigger: data fetch or action. Result: skeletons during load; toasts on add-to-cart, quantity change, remove, coupon apply, save. Failure: toast error variant. Continuation: normal use.

4. User Personas

Customer

Product context. Everyday hungry people — students, families, late-night snackers — ordering food for delivery from a restaurant/food delivery business. They arrive on the Home page, often on mobile, and want to decide quickly.

Primary goal. Receive a correctly customized order at their chosen delivery address, with a known status and a record of past orders.

Distinct accepted responsibilities. Browse food categories; view food items with images, descriptions, prices and ratings; search for food; add items to cart; customize food items; change quantities; apply coupons; enter delivery details; choose a payment method; place an order; track order status; view previous orders; manage their profile. They also self-enroll and verify on return, and manage saved addresses.

Relevant inputs or decisions. Category and filter choices; search queries; customization selections (size, toppings, spice level, add-ons); special instructions; quantities; coupon codes; address details; delivery option; payment method.

Interactions with other accepted participants. The Customer's placed order becomes work for the Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator, whose status updates appear in the Customer's Order Tracking. The Customer's success depends on the Operator maintaining an accurate, orderable catalog and advancing order status.

Observable success. Order placed and confirmed; status visible and progressing; order appears in previous orders; profile and addresses saved.

Restaurant/Food Delivery Business Operator

Product context. Staff of the restaurant/food delivery business who keep the catalog customers order from accurate and continue received orders through the delivery lifecycle.

Primary goal. A maintained, orderable menu and offer set that customers can browse, customize, and purchase from, and orders that progress correctly to delivery.

Distinct accepted responsibilities. Maintain categories, food items and their attributes (images, descriptions, prices, ratings, preparation times, veg/non-veg status), customization options, offers and coupons; continue received order records through the delivery lifecycle.

Relevant inputs or decisions. Item attributes; customization option definitions; offer and coupon definitions; order status transitions.

Interactions with other accepted participants. The Operator's catalog work directly determines what the Customer can browse and order; the Operator's status updates determine what the Customer sees in Order Tracking.

Observable success. Catalog items appear correctly on Menu/Home; offers and coupons are applicable; order statuses advance and are reflected for the Customer.

5. Core User Flows

Flow 1 — Customer browses and orders a customized item

1. Customer lands on Home (anonymous). Sees hero, categories, popular food, offers, How It Works, reviews.
2. Customer selects a category (e.g., Pizza) or uses the search icon / delivery location input.
3. Customer opens Menu (protected; if not signed in, routed to Login/Register to self-enroll or verify, then returned to Menu).
4. Customer applies filters (category, Veg/Non-Veg, price, rating) and sort (Popularity, Price low to high, Price high to low, Rating).
5. Customer clicks a food card → Food Details.
6. Customer selects customization (size, toppings, spice level, add-ons), enters special instructions, and presses Add to Cart. Toast confirms; cart badge pops.
7. Customer opens Cart. Adjusts quantities, removes items if needed.
8. Customer enters a coupon and presses Apply Coupon. Coupon discount appears in the summary.
9. Customer presses Proceed to Checkout → Checkout.
10. Delivery Address step: Customer selects a saved address or adds/edits/deletes one (Full name, Phone number, House/Building, Street, City, State, ZIP/Postal code, Delivery instructions).
11. Delivery Option step: Customer selects Standard Delivery.
12. Payment step: Customer chooses a payment method.
13. Customer presses Place Order. Order is created; confirmation shown.
14. Customer is taken to Order Tracking; status visible on the progress rail.
15. Failure/recovery: invalid coupon → error, clear or retry; payment failure → retry or change method; placement error → retry.
16. Continuation: Customer later opens Orders to view previous orders or re-order.

Flow 2 — Customer tracks an order

1. Customer opens Orders (protected).
2. Customer selects an order → Order Tracking.
3. Customer views current status on the progress rail and order details.
4. Failure/recovery: fetch error → retry; order not found → return to Orders.
5. Continuation: Customer returns to Orders or Profile.

Flow 3 — Customer manages profile and addresses

1. Customer opens Profile (protected).
2. Customer edits profile details and manages saved addresses.
3. Customer saves changes; toast confirms.
4. Failure/recovery: validation error → correct and retry.
5. Continuation: Customer returns to ordering.

Flow 4 — Customer self-enrolls and verifies on return

1. Customer attempts a protected action (e.g., opens Cart) without identity.
2. Customer is routed to Login/Register (anonymous entry).
3. Customer registers (self-enrollment) or logs in (returning verification).
4. On success, Customer is returned to the intended protected destination.
5. Failure/recovery: validation/credential error → correct and retry.
6. Continuation: Customer completes the protected action.

Flow 5 — Operator maintains the catalog

1. Operator is invited/provisioned; signs in at Login/Register.
2. Operator opens Catalog Management (protected).
3. Operator creates/edits/deletes categories, food items and their attributes (images, descriptions, prices, ratings, preparation times, veg/non-veg status), customization options, offers and coupons.
4. Operator toggles item availability so items appear correctly on Menu/Home.
5. Failure/recovery: validation error → correct and retry; fetch error → retry.
6. Continuation: Operator continues to Order Management.

Flow 6 — Operator continues received orders through the delivery lifecycle

1. Operator opens Order Management (protected).
2. Operator views the received order queue and opens an order.
3. Operator advances the order status through the delivery lifecycle.
4. The Customer's Order Tracking reflects the updated status.
5. Failure/recovery: update error → retry; empty queue → no orders state.
6. Continuation: Operator returns to the queue for the next order.

Flow 7 — Customer favorites food items

1. Customer opens Menu or Food Details (protected).
2. Customer taps the heart icon to favorite or unfavorite a food item.
3. Customer opens Favorites (protected) to view saved foods.
4. Failure/recovery: fetch error → retry; empty favorites → browse-Menu recovery.
5. Continuation: Customer opens a saved item or adds it to cart.

Flow 8 — Customer views offers and applies a coupon

1. Customer opens Offers (anonymous) and reads promotional banners, discount cards, coupon codes, expiry dates, and terms and conditions (e.g., GET20, 20% OFF, minimum order ₹499).
2. Customer applies/claims an offer, routing to Menu or Cart with coupon context.
3. Customer enters the coupon in Cart and presses Apply Coupon.
4. Coupon discount appears in the order summary.
5. Failure/recovery: invalid/expired coupon → error, clear or try another.
6. Continuation: Customer proceeds to checkout.

Flow 9 — Customer reads restaurant information and contact

1. Customer opens About (anonymous) and reads the restaurant story, images, opening hours, address, phone, email, customer ratings, facilities, and Google Maps placeholder.
2. Customer opens Contact (anonymous) and views contact details or submits a contact entry.
3. Failure/recovery: validation error on the contact form → correct and retry.
4. Continuation: Customer navigates to Menu or FAQ.

Flow 10 — Customer reads policy and FAQ content

1. Customer opens Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, or FAQ from the footer (anonymous).
2. Customer reads the content; on FAQ, expands/collapses questions.
3. Failure/recovery: empty FAQ list → graceful placeholder.
4. Continuation: Customer returns to ordering or Contact.