You might think menu design isn’t that crucial. After all, isn’t the actual food you serve more important? While it’s true that a well-designed menu won’t do you much good if your food is terrible, the truth is that a poorly-designed menu might mean that customers never even order your food at all! Your menu sets the tone of the meal and says a lot about your restaurant. If you want to make sure it’s saying good things, read on to find out 5 signs you need a new menu design.
1. Your menu doesn’t match the rest of your restaurant.
It’s important that everything in your restaurant—from your decor to your employee uniforms to, yes, your menus—is on brand. This means that if you have a casual restaurant, you don’t want to have formal, stuffy-looking menus. And if your restaurant is upscale, a casual-looking menu isn’t a good idea. A menu design that doesn’t fit your restaurant will only confuse customers. Be sure your menu design fits your brand.
2. Your menu sections are out of order.
There’s a reason that appetizers are usually first on a menu—because people order them first. Don’t move things around on your menu, or customers won’t be able to find them. Appetizers should always be at the front, while desserts should always be at the end of the menu. Remember, your customers want to eat, not hunt around to find what they’re looking for. Be logical in your design.
3. You use clip art or bad photos.
Clip art has no place on a restaurant menu! Even the most casual restaurants need to step up their graphics game. Clip art just clutters your menu and doesn’t really help your customers decide what to order. And bad food photos are even worse! If your dishes don’t even look appetizing, why would customers order them? If your photos don’t make your food look appetizing, it’s time for a new menu.
4. Some dishes don’t get ordered.
Maybe you have a fantastic prime rib that you know is the best dish on your menu. So why doesn’t anyone ever order it? It might have to do with your menu design! Menu readers’ eyes are automatically drawn first to the upper right quadrant of your menu. That’s where you should place the dishes that you want to be best sellers. Also try highlighting your star entrees with (great) photos or graphics.
5. You have a ton of errors.
If your customers are pointing out typos or other mistakes that you didn’t even notice, that’s a sign that you should probably redesign your whole menu—this time, with a professional who can help you avoid mistakes! You might think that small mistakes aren’t that big of a deal, but what message do they send to customers? If they can’t trust you to notice the details on your menu, can they trust you to get their orders right?
Look over your menu with a critical eye. Are you making any of these mistakes? If so, it may be time for a new menu design!
Article provided by Buzztime.
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