Saturday, April 14, 2012

Designing Menu Covers That Boost Word Of Mouth And Encourage Return Customers

By Chloe Gib


Menu covers speak volumes about your restaurant. High-quality, elegant menus can be the perfect compliment while themed menus can create a memorable experience for diners. The meal list is your restaurant's final sales pitch to the customer and some people may leave then if they don't like the message that it communicates to them.

Determine the amount you want to spend on your menus. This figure will set the design limitations that you can work within when designing your cover. Plastic covers could cost only a small amount while embroidered leather covers could get quite pricey. Custom designs can also push this price higher. The right price for you will depend on the message you are trying to convey, practicality, and your budget.

The next design aspect to consider is the materials you are going to have the cover made from. This will tie-in heavily with your budget, but it's also very important to consider the type of restaurant you have and what message you are trying to convey. If you have a fast food restaurant or a small cafe then practicality and costs dictate that simple plastic menus will be the best fit. However, if you are designing for an expensive a la carte restaurant a cheaper cover would send the wrong message. Some of the options to consider in ascending order of price are paper, plastic, wood, metal and leather.

Another important consideration is the practicality of your presentation design. Larger, book-style covers are well suited to large tables with plenty of space while thin tri-fold styles are better suited to small cafe restaurants. Other designs can be used to including flip-up style, static front-and-back lists and even electronic ones as mentioned earlier.

Once you have picked your materials and practical design you should consider how it will be decorated. This includes writing, logos and patterns that are on the cover. Great cover decorations are typically simple, stylish, and memorable. If your restaurant already has a memorable sign or logo those same designs can be used on your menus for continuity. If you don't have a logo or design yet, it may be worth considering hiring a graphic designer to create one for your menus.

Another option that may be appropriate for your restaurant is a novelty menu. If you have a family oriented or heavily themed eatery a novelty menu can be a lot of fun. A really unique novelty menu can also be very memorable and can be a huge hit with kids or at parties.

Don't forget that customers really take note of the small things when they eat at restaurants. Inappropriate or poor quality menu covers or an awkward design can make for a poor start to a meal. Pay attention to details like this because your customers certainly do.




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1 comment:

  1. Nice blog,
    Really you are sharing nice article for us. It's helped me a lot. Thank you so much.
    Restaurant menu covers

    ReplyDelete