A restaurant menu template is a marketing tool used to inform customers of all the dishes or meals served at a restaurant. It is the first thing that customers interact with. By having a menu, customers know what they are ordering as well as make choices they would prefer.
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How to make a restaurant menu?
Here are the steps to make a professional and easy-to-use restaurant menu;
Choose a theme of your choice
An overall visual design of a menu is a theme. You have to make it consistent with the overall branding of your restaurant. Consider the cuisines and include other contents in the menu.
Specify the names of the items and their costs
In the next step, you have to make a menu items list that contains the name of the food or meal and its price. Include a morning menu (breakfast and lunch) and an evening menu (lunch and dinner) for a restaurant that operates throughout the day. Don’t include more than 10-12 items for a new restaurant. An important determinant of profitability in a restaurant is pricing. Thus, consider the profit margin or markup percentage while setting the price of a menu item. Revise the ingredients list or modify the menu item recipe in case the prices don’t translate to reasonable profit margins.
Explain each dish in 10 words
Use at least 10 words to explain each food or drink item. Don’t write lengthy descriptions that put off readers and guests. Assign descriptive titles to the dishes that provide the customers with enough information to make choices. It’s up to you whether or not to provide a brief description of the ingredients used. It would be recommended to add anecdotes for dishes that are spicier or hotter.
Organize the item in a logical way
In order to make the restaurant menu easier for customers to understand, you should organize the items sequentially and logically. Include the following in the standard sections and subsections;
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Appetizers
- Beverages
- Soup
- Salad
- Pasta
- Main courses
- Cocktails
After categorizing, organize the menu items in chronological order.
Select the colors according to your restaurant style
Your restaurant menu should follow your brand’s philosophy. Also, it stands out as unique that attracts your customers. Make use of color psychology in order to find color themes that have different psychological effects. To make an impact on your customers, you can also use color associations. In addition, an effective strategy for attracting customers is creating the restaurant menu’s color scheme to match or complement the interior design.
Choose a presentation style
Horizontal and vertical are the most common presentation styles. It will be easier for customers to read if you use horizontal or vertical presentation styles on the basis of the menu layout and the number of items in each section. Print the restaurant menu on a binder, wooden clipboard, or any other alternative. Moreover, there are certain things on which the type of presentation you use would depend;
- Causal brunch spots can use wooden clipboards
- Placemats can be used for family dining restaurants
- Upscale restaurants can use binder menus
Include illustrations of the food
To make the restaurant menu appealing to restaurant customers, include text and visuals in it. Add a drawing or illustration of each food item on the menu to make it look more beautiful. This way, they are also used to communicate the restaurant’s personality.
Take prints
Use high-quality printers and paper to print your restaurant menu. Although home printers are a cheaper option, don’t use them. In the effectiveness of the restaurant menu, professional printing plays a huge role. In addition, before printing the final number of needed menus, print a few copies of the menu to have samples.
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Conclusion:
In conclusion, a restaurant menu template is an effective way to promote your venue and sell food. Use the correct elements like visual aids, text, and color to make more effective menus. An effective way of creating a functional menu is to tailor it according to the restaurant’s brand philosophy.
