| A key part to any restaurant marketing plan is often | | | | want people to pay particular attention to, make sure |
| overlooked because it's right in front of everyones | | | | they stand out. List them in a different font, place an |
| eyes: the menu. It's very important to have a | | | | asterisk near them, or print a picture next to the |
| well-crafted menu because it's one of the first things | | | | item's name. You can do the same with new dishes |
| customers look at when they sit down. A menu will | | | | as well, once you get your restaurant underway, so |
| reflect the taste and the personality of a restaurant | | | | repeat customers will know if you've added |
| while selling the meals that are available by offering | | | | something since their last visit. |
| well-written descriptions of plates and drinks. Plus, as | | | | You should also design your menu to reflect the |
| you're designing a menu, you'll be able to figure out if | | | | personality of your restaurant. If you are a simple, |
| you're selling meals that will cost enough to cover | | | | down to earth establishment, let your menu reflect |
| your budget, or that will cost so much that it will turn | | | | that. Make it simple, less image-intensive, and easy to |
| away your target demographic. So, as important the | | | | read. If you are a lavish, upscale restaurant, give your |
| menu design is to the customers who read it, it's also | | | | menu some elegance to it. Colour it and design it to |
| important to the restaurant itself as it is being put | | | | appeal to customers who will probably be a little |
| together. | | | | more scrutinizing. If you know the personality of your |
| Before you actually start to put together your | | | | restaurant, you'll find that putting together and |
| restaurant, you need to do some research in order | | | | designing a great menu will come to you easily. |
| to be able to make it the best it can be. Take this | | | | There are a number of mistakes that people tend to |
| into consideration when you're planning your menu: | | | | make when designing a menu as well. If you know |
| 80% of your typical customers will come from | | | | what these are, you can stop yourself from making |
| people living within a 10-minute drive of your | | | | the same mistakes and ruining a menu. First, make |
| restaurant. So, take a look at the neighbourhood | | | | sure that your menu is easy to read. Lettering should |
| around your restaurant. Get to know what type of | | | | be big enough for people to see clearly, and the |
| people live there and also look at the other | | | | language you use needs to be clear as well. If a |
| restaurants in the area. You can compare prices of | | | | customer questions what he or she is ordering, it |
| other restaurants as well as the types of food that's | | | | may create conflicts when the food is actually |
| being served. This way, you can be able to tailor | | | | brought out. If you are serving foreign cuisine, make |
| your menu to be affordable and unique, and | | | | sure to have English-language translations for all the |
| therefore attractive to the people who happen to | | | | words people might now know. Again, this will clear |
| live around you. | | | | up any confusion. |
| Now onto actually creating your menu, which takes | | | | As you can see, there are quite a bit of things you |
| steps that are both creative and systematic. Menu | | | | need to think about when designing the menu for |
| design for a restaurant isn't rocket science, but it's | | | | your restaurant, but in reality it will be very easy. As |
| best to keep things in a certain order, one that | | | | long as you have done research into what other |
| mimics the dining experience. Start by listing the | | | | restaurants do with their menus and you have a very |
| appetisers, soups, and salads, then move onto the | | | | clear vision of what you're selling, the perfect menu |
| meals, then the desserts. If there are items that you | | | | can be easily crafted. |