Menu Design: A Guide to Restaurant Menu Design

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A good menu design is one of the most important aspects of a restaurant's marketing plan. When you design your restaurant's menu, it should represent your eatery's personality and keep your brand fresh in your customer's minds. By looking at your menu, diners should be excited to eat at your restaurant. A great menu keeps customers coming back and recommending your eatery to close family and friends.

In this article, we'll discuss what menu design is and how to design a menu that attracts and creates loyal customers.

What Is Menu Design?

Menu design involves brainstorming what kinds of foods and beverages your restaurant will be serving. But that's not all. When designing a menu, you're also deciding on its layout and how it will be presented to customers. For example, designing a menu involves choosing a color scheme, picking a font, determining the price of meals, and figuring out how you'll arrange items on the menu.

How to Design a Menu

Now that you have an idea of what menu design is, you're ready to get the design process started. Here are some general tips to follow for a beautiful menu design.

1. Keep your goals in mind

   One of the first things to do when designing your menu is to think about your goals. What do you plan to accomplish with your menu? Do you want customers to spend more on your menu? Do you want to stand out from the competition? Whatever your goals, it's important to keep them in mind when designing your menu.

2. Stand out from the competition

   To achieve an efficient menu design, make sure you're paying attention to what your competitors are doing. Look at their websites, menus, and marketing efforts to see what they're doing right and how you can apply the same techniques with your own unique twist.

   Next, consider your competition in terms of location. How can you make your menu different from other restaurants in the area? What menu items do you have in common? How does pricing compare? Does your menu offer more variety than other menus? Paying attention to these factors will give you a good starting point when designing your menu.

3. Price your menu wisely

   Determining the right prices will help diners see how your items match up value-wise against your competition. Follow these pricing guidelines:

   • Keep everyday items around $1 more or less than your competition
   • Price items unique to your restaurant a bit higher than other items.
   • Don't use dollar signs. According to one source, people spend more money as a result.
   • Spell out the price. (Ex: ten dollars instead of 10)
   • Throw expensive dishes on the menu. This makes other menu items look like a deal.

4. Consider visual appeal

   Your menu is one of the first thing customers see when they walk into your restaurant, so it should be visually pleasing. Color, font, and organization are key visual components.

   Here are some guidelines when thinking about color:

   • Green: fresh food, just picked from the garden
   • Orange: stimulates the appetite
   • Yellow: promotes happiness
   • Red: grabs attention

   Effective typography communicates your restaurant's brand. Choose a font that appeals to you, but make sure it's legible. You could also use more than one typeface to distinguish the names and descriptions of menu items, which can help to guide customers through the menu.

Conclusion

Organization matters as well. Be sure to divide your menu into logical sections based on category. Also, arrange items sequentially. Appetizers should go first, while desserts should be last. For greater readability, you can also use boxes to showcase a group of menu items.

By now, you've learned that restaurant menu design isn't as simple as listing your items and scribbling a price. It's a brainstorming process.