Menu design will play a key role in your restaurant’s success and can create a long-lasting impression on your customer base. Essentially, the purpose of a menu is to deliver information about what your restaurant offers. It should list all of the food and beverage items that are available and potentially list meal discounts, ingredients, side dishes, and customizations to be made. A restaurant menu should be attractive, easy to understand, and clear in its communication. Some restauranteurs will design the menu themselves, while others will hire a talented artist to create the menu. However, your restaurant chooses to design the menu, a lot of creativity and thoughtfulness should go into the menu’s arrangement. Here are five aspects to consider that will help with the menu design.
The cover page is the first page that’s printed on the front cover. Some restaurants opt to have the menu items displayed on the cover page, sometimes all on one page. Others will have the restaurant’s brand design and logo printed on the cover page, alongside introductory details about the restaurant. Try to create a menu front page that’s eye-catching to a customer.
Sectional organization will play a part in menu design. While reading through the listed options, the customer should find the menu easy to navigate because of the organized sections. You can order sections by breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, kid’s meals, vegan meals, and other dietary restrictions. Most restaurant menus have a separated drinks section, including a listing for alcohol. Think about what categories work best for your restaurant and then divide by each section.
This step is ideal for creating modern convenience. Many customers are choosing to visit restaurants online, reading menus that are placed on the business website. Some restaurants will make the menus downloadable, while others have the menus listed on the front page. When developing the website for your restaurant, make sure that the menu is accessible and easy to read.
During the final stages of menu design, you should consider what to feature for each listing. Some restaurant owners like to include prices, calorie amounts, food ingredients, and the customizations that each dish offers. How you present the items will be important; you don’t want to overwhelm the customer with a cluttered listing, but you also don’t want it to be vague.
Avery Restaurant Consulting is a team you can trust when your restaurant needs consulting expertise. With our decades of experience and commitment to high standards, we can help your restaurant reach new levels! Contact us today to get started!