6 Tips for an Effective Menu Design

A good marketing plan is obviously a big part of running a successful restaurant business. When making the right marketing plan for your restaurant, you should probably divide your strategy into two parts: How to get people into your restaurant? How to get them to order a lot of food while they’re in your restaurant?

We’re going to focus on one of the most important issues related to that second part of your marketing plan. Your menus’ appearance is very important. Actually, the menu design is practically a science. Many studies have been conducted that show what people look at when they open a menu and how you need to design your menu in order to get the best results. You maybe have the best food in town, however, if your customers don’t order it, your restaurant business is doomed. That is why it’s very important to make sure your restaurant menu is as attractive as it can be.

So if you’re looking to give your menus a good transformation and make them more effective, here are five simple tips to start.

Plan

Before fixing a menu’s visual appeal, take stock of its existing items. Mark the most profitable items in every section, such as house specialties and signature dishes. Decide which add-ons should be highlighted to drive incremental sales and to increase check size, including desserts, beverages, side dishes and appetizers. Then examine other menus for inspiration, selecting features that could be incorporated into your new menu.

Structure

Long menus are awkward for customers, as drinks can easily be knocked over or their dining partners can be blocked out of view. Ensure your menu won’t become overcrowded by opting for no more than two columns every page. With a well-organized layout, a lot of information can be included without sacrificing readability or needing a huge amount of space.

Placement

Strategically located items can have a subtle effect on what your customers will order. Items on your menu will be ordered by positioning them in noticeable locations, such as at the top or the upper-right corner of your menu.

Descriptions

Designing your menu is more than just the appearance. Mouthwatering content that attracts the customer’s attention will likely make them order a lot from your menu. Use interesting and creative names for your menu items. Make meticulous descriptions for high-priced items, stressing flavors and textures and use short descriptions on less expensive dishes. This strategy will encourage your customers to order a more delectable food. Always include pricing at the end of descriptions rather than in an easily noticeable column and omit the dollar symbols or any symbol of your currency you’re using. Taking out the sign is another good idea to take away the focus of your customers from the price.

Design Elements

Visual organization is the most important component of menu design. Menus should reflect the theme and type of restaurant or any food business. Typography, page layout and imagery are vital to an effective menu design, as they create visual cues and direct their attention to more lucrative dishes. Select font styles and sizes that can be easily read by your customers. Incorporate a color scheme that mirrors the tones and hues of your restaurant decorations. Highlight food and beverage items with high-quality illustrations and images. Separately and clearly identify the sections with borders or color blocks and use a variety of regular and bold styles as well as multiple fonts.

Do you have any restaurant menu design tips? Let us know by sharing it in the comments below.

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