For some people, one of the the enjoyable aspects of trying out a restaurant is studying the menu. It could be just a single piece of white laminated paper or a large multi-page plastic booklet, but it wouldn’t matter — whether you’re picking out the next slice of pie to try at your new favourite diner, choosing a savoury bowl of soup to start off a romantic dinner with your spouse, or trying to make up your mind about the unfamiliar yet exciting offerings at an international-themed restaurant, pinpointing your preferred items out of the presented selection can build up excitement and anticipation for the wonderfully filling meal to come.
In quick-serve dining establishments, however, people are guided straight to the counter to place their orders, which they can select from large boards displayed above it. While consumers are familiar with this routine, from time to time they will also experience certain inconveniences from it. For example, not all of the menu items may be indicated on the boards for spacing reasons. Other establishments, on the other hand, attempt to cram all of their offerings up there, causing customers a great deal of difficulty in finding the items they want. The store could also neglect to indicate changes in price or the unavailability of some items for the day, causing customers to spend more time at the counter because they need to change their order or count out a different payment.
Digital Menu Boards
In place of the traditional large printed boards, restaurants can introduce digital signage menu boards to address these problems and provide customers with a much improved ordering and dining experience. Here are some reasons why they’re better than those old printed menu boards:
1. They are a cost-effective way of displaying all the important information in a highly visible and dynamic manner. The boards can present all the vital information like menu items and prices, promotions and specials, advertisements, and even nutritional and allergen information (to help restaurant meet menu labelling laws). Digital signage can also be a more convenient solution to menu day parting practices; you can simply change the display from breakfast specials to the lunch menu, and from lunch items to the dinner offerings, instead of physically switching menu boards throughout the day. This saves the company a lot on printing costs, too.
2. They can announce the latest products or promotions in one or more restaurant branches, or even across the entire chain at the same time. Digital menu boards can be easily managed from a centralised location, so adding and removing displays can be done with the least amount of effort. Any errors can also be corrected from all of the displays with a single action.
3. They can be used for messaging purposes. The management can utilise digital menu boards to communicate instantly with staff members as well as customers. And because the digital display works much better in capturing the attention of people than a simple printed board can, delivery of messages is more effective.
An increasingly tech-savvy customer base will respond better to more advanced technologies — especially involving activities that are often part of their regular routines, such as enjoying a meal at a restaurant. Digital signage menus can greatly improve restaurant experiences and keep customers coming back for more.