While menu design doesn’t directly correlate to a restaurant’s food quality, a great menu can help sell a particular dish, drink or dessert. At Xerographic, we’ve helped plenty of restaurants create and print exceptional menus that appeal to customers and help drive sales. Here are a few basic tips from our team on how to nail menu design:
The Golden Triangle of Design
The Golden Triangle is a concept menu creators have used for years. There are three points in any menu where someone’s gaze goes, and they typically go there in a particular order:
- The middle: The first stop for a patron’s eyes, the middle is a great spot to put your fan-favorite menu items or seasonal specials.
- The top right: The next spot is great for additional entrees, specialty drinks, or other eye-catching items.
- The top left: The top left is traditionally reserved for starters and appetizers. The upper left of a menu can accentuate all the extras someone might want.
The bottom of the menu is the last place someone will go, so prioritize your food accordingly. Typically, restaurants reserve their standard soft drinks or non-alcoholic beverages lists for the bottom of the menu.
Font size and legibility
If your customers can’t read it, they won’t order it! The font design of your menu can influence what people order. Stick with legible fonts, especially those that can stand out in lower light levels. While the logo of your restaurant might be in a script font, we recommend avoiding scripts as they can be tough to read. Use a sans serif font to complement the logo on your menu.
Streamlined choices
Have you ever been to a restaurant where they’ve had a dictionary-sized booklet for a menu? (A certain dessert-based chain might come to mind…) While those extensive booklets can become part of the restaurant’s brand association, more often than not those lengthy menus overwhelm customers. Those long menus can also affect table turn time, meaning fewer people are in your restaurant or experience longer wait times than necessary. Keeping menus short and curated can lead to an inviting design and also improve your restaurant’s functionality!
Balanced descriptions
People want to know what they’re eating, but they don’t need to read 500 words describing each dish. Use smaller descriptions that combine the ingredient information alongside cooking details. For example, you can say things like “pan-seared tilapia with smashed fingerling potatoes” and give your customers just enough information to make an informed decision.
Go for color
Even if you’re not using photos of your food as part of your menu design, you should still look for ways to include your brand’s colors throughout. Color keeps customers engaged with what’s on the page. Consider the theme of your restaurant and brand, and use menu colors to help set the mood before the food ever arrives.
Separate drink or dessert menus
If your restaurant has an extensive drink or dessert menu, consider giving those items room to breathe on a secondary menu. This is an easy way to prevent overcrowding on your main menu while also making those drinks or desserts feel like specials. This also gives you an opportunity to design unique menus for limited-run dessert or drink specials.
Keep digital design in mind
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that online ordering can be critical to a restaurant’s success. Any menu design needs to be optimized for online viewing. It’s not just for those looking to order online, either! Plenty of people will check a menu before ever stepping foot in a restaurant to get a feel for what they’ll want. Be sure to have an HTML version of your menu online so that guests with screen readers can also access your menu!
At Xerographics, we’ve helped restaurateurs of all backgrounds get well-designed custom menus into the hands of their customers. Our talented team knows how to help your menus sell, whether they’re seasonal half-sheeters or laminated booklets. We also help restaurants streamline their menu printing by equipping them with custom portals. This is perfect for chains with multiple locations and varying specials. Give us a call at 407-490-0690 to find out how we can help with your restaurant needs.
