Be Easy to Buy From
Great menus are not designed to just look good, they are designed to engage the patron and lead them to a decision. Patrons have already made the decision to dine at your establishment; now your challenge is to help them decide what to buy. A professionally designed menu can help you drive those decisions.
Graphics and Color
High-impact, full-color photography incorporated into your menu will elicit the mouthwatering engagement you need to earn high-profit margin sales. Colors play a vital role in meal selection as well. Green implies freshness, yellow grabs attention, and red is often used to drive action. Whether it’s the world’s best pub burger or the freshest seafood, vibrant graphics should be utilized to create higher levels of engagement.
Beyond the Imagery
While graphics help capture a customer’s eye, the description of the menu item is also a powerful sales tool. Using product-specific terms such as “hand-picked,” “sun-dried,” or “organic” increases the likelihood of a purchase.
Many restaurants leave off the dollar sign from their prices to reduce the perception of spending money, helping diners focus more on the food and overall experience rather than the cost.
Another tactic is to provide enticing and elaborate descriptions of the item, referred to as “storytelling.” All of these text-based strategies can be used in menu design to generate higher margin sales.
Optimized for Profit
Menu optimization is the practice of designing menus to boost profits while improving the dining experience. It involves identifying popular and profitable items and positioning them in a way that guides customer choices. Combining this design tactic with other elements, such as photography and descriptions, can improve revenue. An example of an optimized menu can be seen here.
Summary
Increasing the opportunity for higher profit requires expertise in menu design and optimization. Your menu is one of your most powerful marketing tools. It not only drives higher margins, but also keeps customers coming back.
About MenuWorks
MenuWorks® was founded in 1994 with the mission of providing independent restaurant owners with affordably priced menus that were creative in design and unique in construction. Today, we offer a unique, full turn-key experience for all your menu and restaurant marketing needs. Our client base now includes independent restaurant operators, multi-unit & franchise restaurant groups, hotel properties, and ad agencies located in the US, Canada, Mexico, Latin America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. From building and developing your brand, to maximizing menu profits, our team of consultants is here to help! Call us at 864-877-7007 today!