Food delivery platform Zomato is all set to roll out a new feature called ‘Mehmaan Mode’ which will hide the prices of food items while placing order, after a suggestion from a user on LinkedIn caught the attention of Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. The feature aims to make group food ordering more comfortable by allowing hosts to pass around their phones without guests seeing the cost of individual dishes or the overall order.
The idea was proposed by LinkedIn user Ayushmaan Agarwalla, who shared a post suggesting that Zomato introduce a simple “Mehmaan Mode” for situations where friends, family members or guests are placing orders together. It has become increasingly common for hosts to hand over their phones to guests so they can choose what they want to eat, according to Agarwalla. However, the visibility of menu prices can sometimes create awkwardness, making people hesitant to order what they actually want.
In his post, Agarwalla suggested a feature that would make prices disappear from the screen while guests browse menus and select dishes. Once the ordering is complete, the host could take the device back and proceed with payment. He argued that removing price visibility would allow guests to order more comfortably, without worrying about how expensive an item might appear to the person paying for the meal. The proposal quickly received a response from Deepinder Goyal, who indicated that Zomato would move ahead with the feature. Replying to the LinkedIn post, the Zomato chief wrote, “Thanks for the suggestion. Shipping it this week. Wish you the happiest festive season ❤️.”
‘No price, no embarrassment, no hesitation’
“No price, no embarrassment and no hesitation,” he wrote, adding that the feature could be particularly useful during the festive season, when friends and extended families often gather and order meals together. Explaining the rationale behind the idea, Agarwalla wrote that a dedicated Mehmaan Mode would help eliminate the social discomfort that sometimes accompanies group ordering.