If you’re a restaurant owner you probably already know how important print is for your industry. Printing is used for just about everything in the restaurant business, from the menus to rewards cards to wall graphics. So let’s take a look at some of the ways in which print has the biggest impact for restaurants of all kinds.
Menus
The menu is arguably the most important piece of print within a restaurant. This is the item which drives your sales, and so it’s vital that it looks good and is able to convey the information you want in a clean and concise format. A well designed and high quality menu can make all the difference when it comes to sales.
If you’re looking for some tips on how to design a great menu, here are some to keep in mind:
Pictures are worth a thousand words — including one or two pictures of your food per page is a great way to showcase some of your more visually appealing items. Too many pictures can be overwhelming though.
Simple designs are another key feature of great menus, and this goes along with not having too many images. Don’t be afraid of having a large amount of white space. You don’t need to fill every available space on the menu — that just makes it harder to read. And large, legible fonts will also make it easier to read, especially if the lighting in your restaurant is on the darker side.
Specials which are swapped out frequently should be featured on removable menu inserts. It’s much easier to replace these inserts than the entire menu every time you want to change specials.
Limit groups of items so they only include a few different options. Too many options makes it difficult for customers to decide on what they want. Instead, limit the available options to the most popular items and those you’re most confident in.
Table Tents
Table tents are an interesting option for your recurring specials, promotions, and “optional” items. Menus are often removed from tables after customers have ordered their meals, but table tents stick around.
Specials, whether they’re weekly or seasonal, are a good choice to put on table tents. Think of these as menu inserts which don’t get removed with the menus after orders are placed.
Promotions such as happy hours are also prime candidates for table tents for two reasons. First, customers may return for those promotions after seeing them advertised on their table. Second, customers may order extra items they normally wouldn’t have if they notice that a promotion is currently ongoing.
“Optional” items include things like appetizers, desserts, and specialty drinks. These are often offered year-round, but are items customers may order in addition to their meal.
Business/Rewards Cards
Business and rewards cards may look similar, but work in slightly different ways. A business card will remind customers about your restaurant in the future. They should include the name of your restaurant, address, hours, phone number, and website. A reward card, on the other hand, is an incentive for customers to come back to your restaurant. Both types of cards should be displayed near the host area or counter, depending on the type of restaurant.
Floor and Wall Graphics
Floor and wall graphics are forms of large format printing that may not work for every type of restaurant. However, for restaurants that do use them, they can be major points of interest. Wall graphics can be used to accomplish a variety of goals. They could be purely aesthetic, include subliminal advertising such as imagery of people enjoying your food, or even a giant menu.
Floor graphics are a bit different. You likely won’t be placing menu graphics or images of people on the floor, but they can be used for aesthetic reasons. In many cases, floor graphics are also used to denote where a line begins, where ordering takes place, or where to pick up take-out orders.
Posters
There are three main ways posters can be used within restaurants, and which way they’re used largely depends on whether they’re inward or outward-facing. An inward facing poster is one which is meant to be seen by those within your restaurant. These will often either be purely aesthetic — maybe with some subliminal advertising — or showcase special menu items. Outward facing posters are found on the windows of restaurants and can be viewed by those outside. These typically feature ongoing promotions and serve to entice new customers inside.
Labels
Labels may not be quite as important as the other items on this list, but they’re not to be overlooked. You can slap them on takeout containers, or just about wherever else you like. The only real use for them is to increase brand awareness and recognition, but that in itself is an important task. However, that doesn’t mean your labels need to merely have your restaurant’s logo on them. For some additional engagement, try adding a QR code which takes visitors to a special page on your website where they can get a discount on their next order.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many different ways printing can be used within a restaurant — and this isn’t even an exhaustive list. Some items like menus and table tents directly drive sales. Others such as graphics and posters can make your space look more attractive. And items like business/rewards cards and labels serve to increase your brand recognition and remind customers to come back.
Safeguard Premier Branding Solutions
For all of your printing needs — whether you’re in the restaurant industry or not — choose Safeguard Premier Branding Solutions. We shop around for the best prices on the highest quality products so we can pass those savings on to you. Contact your local Safeguard Premier rep today to learn more about our branding solutions for restaurants.