Traditional paper menus suffer from a number of drawbacks. The top one is that you can’t easily update prices or menu items. That severely hampers your ability to change your menu on the fly.
Making matters worse is the problem of expensive reprints, which means you’re faced with a hefty bill every time you want to add new items or raise prices.
Fortunately, there’s a solution that lets you update your menu at the drop of a hat: digital menu boards. In this article, we’ll tell you what digital menus are, how they work, their benefits, and what branding opportunities are offered by these powerful new tools.
Restaurant digital menus are menus that are accessible via a screen, smartphone, or tablet. You can put your menu on your website, offer a QR code for customers to look up the menu on their personal devices, or you can place digital menu boards above the counter so customers can easily browse different menu items as they’re standing in line.
Even self-service kiosks operate as functional digital menu boards. You can make use of affordable Android or Apple tablet devices that are placed either at the checkout at the front of the restaurant or directly at the customers’ tables.
Digital signage lets customers quickly and efficiently look through beloved favorites and new items. Plus, they offer multiple advantages, such as lower costs and quicker alterations, over traditional paper menus for both customers and business owners alike.
Restaurant digital menus have caught on with all sorts of restaurants from quick-service restaurants (QSR) to midrange sit-down eateries.
Digital menu boards connect customers to your electronic menu. Older models of restaurant digital menus might’ve required you to download electronic menus directly onto a tablet device or to transmit your menu from a server located inside your restaurant.
However, modern online menus are completely cloud-based meaning you don’t have to stress over storage worries. Simply sign up for a hosting service, and upload your restaurant menu. If you don’t have a graphic design background, don’t worry. Free restaurant menu templates are available for download from any number of websites.
Simply download your template of choice onto your computer. Then, you can input your own menu items into the template. Once you’re done, upload it to a cloud-based server that connects to your restaurant’s website, social media platforms, and digital menu devices, like a tablet.
If you want a custom-made online menu or don’t trust yourself with a template, consider hiring a freelancer from an online marketplace like Fiverr or Upwork.
You can also take advantage of digital menu board software to create the perfect menu screen for your business. The design will be built right in, so this can save time. Plus, some apps, like KioskBuddy, even let your customers order directly off your digital menu.
Not every restaurant will benefit from a digital menu. Many upscale restaurants, for example, haven’t made the switch over to online menus because they don’t fit with a black-tie customer experience.
However, for most restaurants, restaurant digital menus offer a fantastic way to drive customer engagement while giving business owners greater flexibility when it comes to quick menu alterations.
With a digital menu, you can grab your customers’ attention by adding in images that show what items look like and pique interest. In addition to written descriptions of the food, you can include photos of the different entrees and sides right there on the digital menu.
When you have digital versions of your menu on your website, you can easily share it across your social media channels. You can even update your online menu in real time with promos that let your social media customers take advantage of special deals. Plus, the images you took for your digital menu can double as social media posts.
One of the greatest advantages of a digital menu is the ability to easily update prices and menu items. The dramatic inflation brought about by the COVID-era supply chain shocks drove home the importance of being able to quickly, cheaply, and easily update your menu. Although we’re no longer grappling with pandemic-level double-digit inflation, restaurant prices have risen almost 8% in the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
You can do a complete menu overhaul or tweak a single menu item in minutes. If there’s a shortage of a key ingredient, you can simply remove the item from your menu until it’s available again.
Alternatively, you could add a note telling customers that supplies are limited, or you could update the menu item to reflect a last-minute ingredient substitution or price change.
A custom-designed paper menu isn’t the only way to express your restaurant’s brand. You can include branding elements via your digital menu as well.
In addition to expressing your restaurant’s character through your images and descriptions, you also ensure your digital menu reflects your brand through its design. For example, with the KioskBuddy app, you can upload your logo and change the colors and styling so that the digital displays match your brand.
You can drive sales for your restaurant with a digital menu using limited-time special offers, such as happy hours. The flexibility offered by digital menus lets you easily add and subtract menu items. You can mark prices up or down to balance costs and profits, reflect current market conditions, or offer flash sales.
Digital menus allow you to streamline the ordering process. Consider using a self-serve digital kiosk that lets your customers browse the menu and order from one device.
Self-service kiosks have taken the restaurant industry by storm by allowing restaurant owners to easily manage a total digital menu while also slashing front-of-house labor costs. That’s because self-service kiosks mean you don’t have to pay servers to take customer orders.
Many fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Burger King, have already embraced self-service kiosks as a way to cut back on labor costs. Also, at least one study has shown that customers are more likely to spend more when they’re using a self-service kiosk.
You can get rid of your restaurant menu board and paper menus and replace them with eye-catching digital signage and/or self-service kiosks. Restaurant digital menus give you higher levels of flexibility and lower your cost structure.
Digital menu boards let you easily update your menu items without the need for expensive and time-consuming reprints. You can alter a single menu item or go in for a completely new menu. Plus, digital displays let you advertise happy hours and other time-limited events.
KioskBuddy lets you transform your tablet into a fully functional self-service kiosk. It’s easy to import your menu and adjust the design to match your brand’s style. Get started with your free 30-day trial today!