The menu for a restaurant is arguably the most important aspect to attract customers. Sure there are other factors that can influence whether people come inside (i.e. a great ambience, price, nice staff). However, the food you serve will ultimately determine whether or not someone wants to eat at your establishment. Therefore, the menu design is crucial to attracting their interest and getting them to sit down for a meal. Fortunately, with the following 4 things can help you properly design an enticing menu.
1 – A Good Layout
First, all menus should have a good layout. This means that the food you serve should be divided into sections. Typically, these sections include the following:
However, it is important to realize that sometimes restaurants serve several different types of main courses. In these instances, it might be necessary to divide the main courses by type of food. For example, salads will be grouped in a section and hamburgers will be grouped in another section. This allows the guests at your restaurant to find what they are looking for.
2 – The Right Price
Next, when you are selecting food items for your menu, you will also determine a price for them. This should take time and effort. After all, if you price items too low, you might not make any money. However, if you price items to high and your restaurant does not reflect that vibe, then you might lose customers. Although it can be challenging to find the right price, the following suggestions can help you:
It also might be smart to choose a few value items to highlight on your menu. These can attract customers who are budget conscious.
3 – Colors and Font
Furthermore, once you know the details of the menu, you will need to select the colors and a font for the text of your menu. It is important that these coordinate with the theme of your restaurant. After all, if you are a fancy restaurant with white tablecloths, then a colorful menu option might be the wrong choice for you. However, a simple, clean, elegant menu will most likely match the style and theme of your restaurant. This helps customers get the right idea about your restaurant – especially if they decide to look over a menu before they come inside.
4 – Menu Descriptions
Finally, when you are designing your menu, it is important to consider the descriptions you include. Obviously, you will want to include some information about your restaurant. In addition, each menu item should have a description. However, it is important to be concise with these descriptions. Generally, simpler is better. Otherwise, it can be overwhelming for people to try to select something to order.
Hopefully you can remember these 4 areas when you are designing your menu. Remember, your menu does not have to look like every other restaurant’s. It just needs to be professional and easy to understand. Besides that, have fun with your menu design and enjoy presenting your restaurant on paper for everyone to see.