Digital menu boards are transforming how restaurants display and manage their menus. Here's what you need to know:
Key benefits:
Main features:
To choose and set up a digital menu board:
Aspect | Traditional Menus | Digital Menu Boards |
---|---|---|
Updates | Slow, requires reprinting | Instant, remote changes |
Cost | Ongoing printing expenses | Higher upfront, lower long-term |
Visuals | Static images | Dynamic content, videos |
Integration | Manual | Connects with other systems |
Analytics | Limited | Detailed performance data |
Digital menu boards are becoming essential for modern restaurants, offering flexibility, efficiency, and improved customer engagement.
Digital menu boards offer many benefits for restaurant owners. Here are the main advantages:
Digital menus make food items look more appealing. They use high-quality screens to show:
This helps customers choose what to eat and can boost sales.
Changing menu items or prices is simple with digital boards. Restaurant owners can:
This saves time compared to printing new paper menus.
Over time, digital menus can save restaurants money. Here's how:
Savings | Explanation |
---|---|
Less printing | No need to print new menus often |
No shipping costs | Digital updates don't require delivery |
Less food waste | Easy to remove items that are out of stock |
Digital menus can help reduce order errors. They do this by:
This leads to happier customers and fewer mix-ups.
In short, digital menu boards can improve how restaurants look, work, and serve customers. They offer a modern solution to many common restaurant challenges.
Digital menu boards have key features that help restaurants serve customers better and make more money. Here's what they can do:
Digital menu boards use high-quality screens to show:
These screens help customers see what's on offer and make choices quickly.
Digital menus can connect to the restaurant's cash register system. This means:
Benefit | Explanation |
---|---|
Accurate prices | Menus show the same prices as the cash register |
Quick updates | When items sell out, they can be removed from the menu right away |
Fewer mistakes | Staff don't need to update prices in two places |
Some digital menus use computer programs to suggest food to customers. These programs:
This can make customers happier and help restaurants sell more.
Digital menu boards come with tools that show restaurants how well they're doing. These tools:
By using this information, restaurants can:
These features help restaurants run better and make customers happier. They're a big step up from old paper menus.
When picking a digital menu board system for your restaurant, think about these key points:
Choose the right hardware for your needs:
Hardware | What to Consider |
---|---|
Screens | Size, picture quality, brightness |
Media players | Power, storage space |
Mounts | Wall or stand options |
Pick tough equipment that can handle daily use in a busy restaurant.
Good software makes managing your digital menu easy. Look for:
Make sure the software is easy to use and can grow with your business.
Think about how your restaurant might change:
Choose a system that can keep up as your restaurant grows.
Think about the costs and benefits:
Costs | Benefits |
---|---|
Buying screens | More sales |
Software fees | Happier customers |
Setup and upkeep | Less work for staff |
Figure out how much you'll spend and how much you might gain. Pick a system that fits your budget and helps your business.
Setting up a digital menu board is easy if you follow these steps:
Before you start:
You can use tools like Canva or Adobe Creative Cloud to make your menu look good.
Here's how to install your digital menu board:
Step | Action |
---|---|
1 | Put up your screens where people can see them |
2 | Connect your media player to the screen and turn it on |
3 | Install the menu software and set it up |
4 | Add your menu design and set when to show it |
Help your staff learn the new system:
Good menu content helps your digital board work well:
Here's how to make your digital menu look good and work well:
Make your menu easy to read:
Pick colors that match your restaurant:
Color Tips | Why It Helps |
---|---|
Dark screen on white wall | Stands out |
White screen in colorful room | Easy to see |
Use only 3 main colors | Keeps focus on food |
Make sure people can read your menu:
Use pictures and videos to show off your food:
Keeping your digital menu boards fresh and useful is key. Here's how to do it:
Show different menus at different times:
Time | Menu Type |
---|---|
Morning | Breakfast |
Midday | Lunch |
Evening | Dinner |
This helps you show the right food at the right time.
Keep your menu exciting:
This can make people want to try new things.
Let your menu update itself:
This saves time and keeps your menu correct.
Control your menu from anywhere:
What You Can Do | Why It's Good |
---|---|
Change prices | Keep up with costs |
Add new items | Show new dishes fast |
Fix mistakes | Keep customers happy |
This helps you run your restaurant better, even when you're not there.
Linking digital menu boards to other systems in your restaurant can make things work better. Here's how:
When you connect your digital menu to your inventory system:
Benefit | How it Helps |
---|---|
Menu updates automatically | Shows only what's in stock |
Removes sold-out items | Customers see what's available |
Helps manage stock | Less food waste |
This makes work easier and keeps customers happy.
Connecting digital menus to online ordering helps:
This makes it easy for customers to order and helps you make more money.
Putting social media on your digital menu can:
What to Show | Why It's Good |
---|---|
Customer reviews | People trust other customers |
Food pictures | Makes food look good |
Social media contests | Gets people excited |
This gets customers more involved and can make them want to share about your restaurant.
To see how well your digital menu board works, keep track of these numbers:
Metric | What It Shows |
---|---|
Sales data | Which items sell well |
Customer interaction | How people use your menu |
Menu item performance | Which foods are popular |
Try different menu designs to find what works best. Test these things:
See which ones help you sell more food.
Ask customers what they think about your menu. You can:
Ask them:
Keep improving your digital menu board:
Action | Why It Helps |
---|---|
Update menu often | Keeps things new |
Look at your numbers | Shows what to fix |
Try new ideas | Stays ahead of other restaurants |
Digital menu boards will keep getting better in 2024. Here's what we might see:
AR menus will make ordering more fun:
Feature | What It Does |
---|---|
3D food models | Shows dishes in 3D |
Virtual kitchen tours | Lets customers see the kitchen |
Personal suggestions | Recommends food based on what you like |
These changes will help customers see and understand the menu better.
You might be able to order by talking to the menu board:
This makes ordering easier, especially for people who have trouble reading or using screens.
New menu boards will use less power:
Feature | How It Helps |
---|---|
Auto-brightness | Screen gets brighter or darker as needed |
Power-saving mode | Uses less power when not busy |
Solar power | Some boards might use sun power |
These changes help restaurants save money and use less electricity.
Menus will show food just for you:
This helps you find food you want faster and might make you want to come back more.
Restaurants need to follow certain rules to make sure their digital menu boards are legal and easy for everyone to use. Here's what you need to know:
The FDA says restaurants with 20 or more locations must show calorie info on their menus. This helps customers make smart food choices. To follow this rule:
What to Show | Where to Show It |
---|---|
Calorie counts | Next to each menu item |
Calorie info for different sizes | For items with size options |
Calorie info for combos | For meal deals |
The ADA wants digital menu boards to work for people with disabilities. Here's what menus need:
Feature | Why It's Important |
---|---|
Colors that stand out | Easy to read |
Big, clear letters | Easy to see |
Works with screen readers | Helps blind customers |
Captions for videos | Helps deaf customers |
Can use without a mouse | Helps customers who can't use one |
Restaurants can check if their menus follow these rules with an ADA tester.
It's good to have menus in different languages. This helps:
Keep your digital menu board software up to date:
Check with your menu board company often for updates and follow their steps to install them.
Take care of your menu board equipment:
Task | How Often |
---|---|
Clean screens | Weekly |
Check for wear | Monthly |
Test cables | Quarterly |
Make a plan to do these jobs regularly.
Here's how to fix common issues:
Problem | What to Do |
---|---|
Screen won't turn on | Check if it's plugged in |
Menu not changing | Look at internet and updates |
Screen too dark or bright | Change settings or get help |
If you can't fix it, ask your menu board company for help.
Call your menu board company when:
They can give you support, fix things, and show you how to use your menu boards well.
This guide has covered key aspects of digital menu boards for restaurants. Here's a quick look at what we've learned:
Topic | Key Points |
---|---|
Benefits | - Easy content updates - Better looks - Cost savings |
Setup | - Choosing the right system - Installing screens - Training staff |
Management | - Updating menu content - Linking with other systems - Tracking performance |
We've shown how digital menu boards can help restaurants work better and make customers happier.
Digital menu boards will keep getting better. Here are some things we might see soon:
New Feature | What It Does |
---|---|
AR menus | Show food in 3D |
Voice ordering | Let people order by talking |
Smart suggestions | Offer food based on what you like |
To stay ahead:
With a good digital menu board, you can:
Digital menu boards can help restaurants sell more. Here's how:
Benefit | How It Helps Sales |
---|---|
Show best-selling items | Makes people want to buy more expensive food |
Display special offers | Gets customers to try new things |
Look nice | Makes people enjoy ordering more |
These boards can also quickly change what's shown. This helps move sales from cheap items to more expensive ones, which can make more money for the restaurant.
Digital menu boards are good for restaurants because:
Reason | How It Helps |
---|---|
Help people choose faster | Customers can decide what to eat while waiting |
Show fun facts | Keeps people happy while they wait |
Display ads | Tells people about new food or deals |
When customers are less bored and frustrated while waiting, they often:
This makes digital menu boards good for both the restaurant and its customers.
Get started with Loman today and never miss another customer lead.