Menu Design to Influence Sales

From VANEEpedia

The Power of Design

Just like the way big headlines, colorful photos and bold fonts lead us to read certain newspaper articles over others, the layout and design of a menu influence customers’ ordering decisions.

Guests look at menus for an average of 109 seconds before choosing their order, according to a recent Gallup poll. By making certain items stand out, you can increase the odds that high gross profit items, appetizers, desserts and beverages will be noticed in those short 109 seconds.

The menu is the only piece of printed advertising that you are 100 percent sure your customer will read. This being said, it is only logical to take advantage of this powerful tool by investing sufficient time, thought and resources into your menu or menu board. Here are a few menu design techniques that will help your “silent salesperson” boost check averages and guest loyalty.

Design to Influence

Firstly, most people do not “read” a menu from page to page like a book. Instead, they “scan” the menu with their eyes. If you want to feature specific menu items, they need to be placed where the eye goes first. Do not leave this to chance. The use of “eye magnets” helps direct the gaze of the reader to that particular section.

• Item Placement People most often remember and buy the first two items or the last menu item in each menu category. Place your menu items with the highest gross profit in these spots on the menu.

• Boxing Impact and Graphics Highlight 10 to 15 percent of the space on your menu by boxing menu items. As a general rule box one out of every 7 to 10 items. Use type and color changes to draw attention to certain items. Add photos or graphic effects to highlight menu items with the best gross profit.

• Page Positioning On two-panel (page) menus people most often look at the top right-hand side first. On three-panel (page) menus, people most often look at the center panel first, and then move counter clockwise. Consider putting your high profit items such as specials or specialty drinks in these spots. (See figure right.) When choosing columns for your menu, try and keep each panel to a maximum of two columns. Any more than that and your menu could start looking like the classifieds.

• Showcasing Highlight types of foods by including menu headings such as "Chef Specialties" or "Fresh Salads" rather than using generic terms such as “Entrees”.

• Color and Font Make sure your menu colors reflect your brand and overall restaurant feel. If you are a kid-friendly operation, using bright colors and graphics would be in order. However, these may not be appropriate for a French Bistro. When choosing fonts, also keep feel in mind, but remember not to choose anything that is too gimmicky or hard to read.

• Test Run Have a sample audience read your menu and give you feedback. And don’t just give it to family and friends! Give it to people who you know will give you an honest opinion. Ask them if it is easy to read, if they understand the descriptions, and does it make your dishes sound appealing?

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