The menu is described by Rewards Network as the only kind of marketing that all of a restaurant’s customers will see. The menu is a guide that establishes the dining decisions that are made within the restaurant. When a menu is thoughtfully designed, it can pull sales towards particular items and impact total revenue. Increasing spend is one of the main ways of increasing restaurant sales, and menu optimization is an excellent way to achieve this.
The length of the menu is a critical consideration in its design. You do not want to exasperate your customers with an overly lengthy menu that offers too many choices from which they may have to make a hasty decision. Enhance the design of your menu to balance the limited amount of time the average customer spends on scanning a menu against the impression of variety contained in the menu.
Your menu should be structured so that items are arranged into several categories; for example, appetizers, sandwiches, pasta and desserts. More categories will offer the perception of more choices without the risk of the customer feeling too overwhelmed. The position that certain items hold on a page can also increase the sales of these items. The top right corner of the first page and the top or bottom item in each category, are hot spots. Vertical designs are the most effective. The design should include graphics, colors, and other elements that will highlight your money-makers, specials, or dishes that need a boost and should also reflect the image and style of your brand. Use a voice which is in line with your marketing strategy to describe your dishes.
Isn’t it time you learn how to optimize your food and beverage menu? You can start now by pursuing the eCornell Food and Beverage Management certificate.
eCornell courses are approved by SkillsFuture Singapore for SkillsFuture Credit as well as by HRDF Malaysia under its SBL Scheme.