Do you own a restaurant? Yes? Then I’m sure you have a menu to help showcase the foods and beverages you carry. How does your menu look? If you love your current menu… great! We have tips to make it even better! If you don’t love your menu.. We have tips for you as well!

Menu design is so important to any food and drink industry business; from cafes and bars, to steakhouses and food trucks. A great menu design can enhance the dining experience and help customers make satisfying choices to stimulate their appetite. Your menu is so much more than just a list of what you offer, it is one of the easiest advertising tools. Let’s take a look into the thought process that you should use when designing your menu.

• Eye Scanning Patterns – Where do customers look when they receive a restaurant menu? New research suggests that customers tend to read a menu like they would read a book, starting from the top left.
• Divide the Menu Logically – Arrange your items in sequential and logical groups, starting with appetizers and working your way through the courses. This makes it easier for customers to find what dishes they’re looking for.
• Hold Back on the Photos – Photos of food on the menu are commonly associated with big chain restaurants like Applebee’s; not high-end eateries. If you plan to use photos, make sure they are of professional quality. Keep in mind that not all food photography will appeal to everyone. If you’re torn between adding photos or not, we suggest to not add them and leave the quality of the food to the customer’s imagination.
• Use Illustrations Instead – While photos are not always the best menu addition, illustrations are a great way to add some flair to your menu. Illustrations can help communicate your restaurant’s brand and personality and will more likely resonate with customers.
• Leave Off Currency Signs – According to studies, customers are more likely to spend more when currency signs are omitted from the menu.This makes customers less aware of how much they’re spending. 
• Use Boxes – What better way to draw attention to specific menu item groups? Boxes are often used to display dishes with the highest profit margins.
• Typography – Selecting typeface is so important when designing your menu. Make sure you choose a typeface that is legible and communicates your restaurant’s brand. Using more than one typeface to distinguish dish name versus descriptions is a good way to help guide customers through your menu.
• Choose Colors Carefully – When choosing colors for your menu, take into account your target audience and the theme of your restaurant. Your color scheme will ultimately set the mood of your restaurant, so don’t use colors that don’t match your restaurant’s look and feel.

Menu design is a huge part of the restaurant business and we hope these tips help with the process. Do you need a menu, but aren’t ready to create it on your own? Awesome! There are professionals who do this every day. Here at TechKnow Solutions in Breese, IL, we are always helping clients design the perfect menu for their bar, cafe, restaurant, etc.; check out our work below. Worry about your business and let us worry about designing your menu! Call today at 618-526-1600 to schedule a consultation to help create the menu your restaurant needs.