Your menu is one of the first things customers will see when they enter your restaurant. Elevate their experience with a menu that’s stylish, legible, and easily digestible (no pun intended). When you hand your guests a crisp and easy-to-read list of your offerings, they’ll be more confident in their order. Follow these tips to designing the perfect restaurant menu to ensure success.
4 Tips To Designing the Perfect Restaurant Menu
Direct the Eyes
Next time you’re at a restaurant, note where your eyes land when you open that menu. Where’s the first place you look? Most people start at the top right-hand corner, where many restaurants offer appetizers and other starter dishes.
Help them plan their meal by guiding them towards the best starters—or your most popular menu items! Use color and strategic graphic design to highlight your best sellers.
Banish Clutter
Whittle down your menu to the absolute best dishes you have to offer. Menus that are cluttered with too many items can confuse diners and make their choices more difficult. Build a selection of unique and popular offerings that will entice your diners to make a quick and confident choice.
While you’re trimming down your menu, eliminate dollar signs. When diners see that $ symbol, they’ll hesitate to spend money. If you put a simple number next to a menu offering, diners will know what it means. This choice also helps streamline your menu’s look.
Be Smart With Design
Font and paper choices play a huge part in your diners’ first impression. Depending on the nature of your restaurant, you may slip that menu into a plastic cover—or you could go sleek with hefty cardstock. House of Printing’s commercial same-day printing services in Maryland can help you choose sophisticated designs on the double.
When choosing a font, choose the most legible option possible. Sans serif fonts are quick and easy to read, and they won’t clutter up the page.
Create Logical Sections
Separate each category with clearly-marked titles. Place each one into its own box or section if you like. Appetizers, entrees, desserts—those should each be their own category. If you offer a variety of drinks, separate them into alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings.
Think like a customer. Every time you visit another restaurant, study their menu. Does it make sense? Is it easy to plan out a meal with a few quick glances? Avoid making your own diners feel like they’re studying for a test by outlining the menu in simple, clear terms.
If you run a restaurant, your menu is one of the most important elements of your business. Take care to make a smashing first impression by using strategic graphic design and creating an easy ordering experience. These tips to designing the perfect restaurant menu will get you well on your way!