If you are managing a food outlet, whether it is a café, bar or restaurant, you will want to do everything that you can to attract potential customers. The most effective way of achieving this is through the use of menu signage that is bright, appealing and interesting and which is displayed prominently, so that prospective diners are able to see what food and beverages you are offering and at what price.
Menu Design
In terms of the first of these two factors – the design of the menu – there are, of course, many different options available. The key is to choose the one that is most likely to attract custom to your business and thereby increase your revenues. There are a number of issues that you will need to consider, including whether you wish to use images and, if so, whether these are intended represent the meals that you are serving. You need also to bear in mind the importance of the menu’s accuracy in terms of the items offered and the prices, the size of the text, grammar, spelling and colour. Finally, you should include details of special menus and if you offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten free or organic items, this should be clearly spelt out in the menu, as it might well attract new customers with special dietary preferences or needs.
Menu Display
Displaying the menu is, of course, just as important as its design. If the customers that you want to attract are unable to easily access the menu, all the hard work and thought that you have put into its design will be wasted. Some display options that you may want to consider are:
- LED back and top lit menu boxes
Illuminated menu boxes are an ideal way to highlight a menu. They are versatile and can be placed in whatever position of prominence you choose, including outside your establishment to increase the chances of attracting customers and, of course, they can effectively showcase a menu at night as well as during the daytime.
- Digital menu boards
Many establishments now use digital restaurant menu boards to display their menus in preference to static means of signage. The use of digital displays can take the form of behind the counter displays, designs that are individually tailored to the aesthetics of an establishment or the use of existing TV screens to double up as menu displays. The main advantage of digital menu displays is that they are much less limited than printed signage, enabling establishments to showcase more of their menu products through, for example, the use of slideshows and other digital solutions.
- Scrabble tile menu boards
An alternative to the more technological type of menu display is the scrabble tile menu. This type of menu is a quirky way of showcasing your products on a board using magnetic scrabble tiles. Its beauty comes from its simplicity and the ease with which it can be amended when new meals and/or prices are introduced.
- Pin menu boards
Similar to scrabble tile boards, pin menu boards are inexpensive to create and alter and are easily portable, enabling you to place them wherever they are most likely to be seen by your customers.
- Chalk boards
The simple chalk board remains the choice of many food outlets, representing another cheap and simple way to display menus, which can be altered on a regular basis according to your menu requirements.
The importance of menu design and display in any retail food establishment cannot be overstated. Getting both of these crucial matters right is likely to attract those all important new customers and thereby increase your profits. Whatever your design ideas or manufacturing requirements Technical Signs have the skills and experience to create whatever you need to wow your clientele.
