You’ve perfected your signature dish. You know the secret sauce that will set your food apart from your competition. Now, you’re ready to build out the piece of collateral that will give your customers the key to tasting your delicious food: the menu.
Design your menus with logic in mind.
A menu isn’t a novel, and menu engineering hints that most people won’t read a menu from left to right. When a customer picks up your menu, they do a cursory scan to see what catches their attention. Dividing the menu into logical, clearly labeled sections makes that scanning easier, and your customers can find what they want to eat faster. If customers get more than one course at your restaurant, try organizing in order of courses offered. If people opt for small bites and then desert, pull your appetizers and dessert menus toward the top or center of the menu where they take a place of prominence.
Be strategic with food photos.
Photos aren’t necessarily good or bad; it all depends on the type of clientele you want in your restaurant. Family-friendly restaurant chains like IHOP do a great job of incorporating photos of their food into the design. However, upscale restaurants or specialty eateries keep their menus slimmed down with minimal (or no) photos of the food.
Streamline your color usage.
While it might seem fun, too many colors can overwhelm a restaurant patron who just wants to read your menu. Stick to neutrals and strategically incorporate your brand colors in section headings or icons. The key to any successful menu is legibility, and the colors used on your menu should enhance how someone reads your menu rather than distract.
Consider separate menus for short-run items.
Seasonal menus and limited-edition specialty items keep your patrons coming back for new and exciting specials. However, you probably won’t want to redesign your menu to accommodate every single change. Short-run menus (or even disposable menus) can give you a cost efficient way to feature new items without shelling out for new full-sized menus every quarter.
Include a QR code for digital menu options.
The pandemic brought QR codes back into prominence. When it comes to your design, make sure it works just as well on a web page or on someone’s smartphone. And when considering how your QR code is styled, draw attention to it with brand colors or easy-to-read stickers and signage.
At Xerographics, we’ve helped restaurateurs of all experiences get well-designed custom menus into the hands of their customers. Our talented team knows how to help your items look they’re best, whether they’re seasonal half-sheeters or laminated four page booklets. Give us a call at 407-490-0690 to ask about how we can help with your restaurant needs.
