Why are Printed Bar Menus Still Important?
We’ve all walked into a packed bar and struggled to find the menu, only to discover that a dimly-lit chalkboard in the distance holds the list we so desperately seek. Then a shining sheet of paper comes into view: a glorious printed menu that delivers us from our crippling uncertainty about which beer to order. This is just one example of a time when printed menus still matter. It can be easy to forget about the importance of paper menus in today’s digital age, but there are a lot of reasons print menus still matter in today’s bar or restaurant.
They’re Easy to Read (and Order From!)
Few people are blessed with 20/20 vision. Stationary chalk or digital menus can be difficult to read from afar and often require a person to sit or stand in a specific spot. Not so with printed menus! A print menu is always close at hand and easy to read. This might be a make or break for a group determining whether to move on from your establishment. Menus that are right there in front of you make it harder to leave and easier to order another round. Be sure to check out our tips for menu design to maximize selling power.
[LEARN MORE] INCREASE SALES WITH PROFESSIONAL PRINT MENUS
They Provide More Space for Information
There’s only so much space for information on a chalkboard or digital screen. This limits your opportunity to provide enticing details about the food and drinks you serve. If these are your only types of menus, you may be missing out on a chance to up-sell customers and ensure they love their order. Printed menus give you a lot more space to include a description of each menu item. This is ideal because there can be a wide variation within a single style of alcohol. You can include an official description from the producer of the beverage or you can write your own tasting notes. Either way, this gives your customers a much better idea of what they’re ordering. Adding detailed descriptions can help your customers make more informed decisions and improve the chance that they will order something they will love.
Modern Technology Makes Printed Menus Easy
This last point is geared towards the question of whether printed menus are worth the effort. Some bars whip up simple (and frankly not very professional-looking) menus in Microsoft Word. Others veer to the other extreme and pay for custom designs, making their menus difficult to update when a tap or appetizer changes. While these are viable solutions that numerous businesses use every day, we believe that Evergreen print menus offer the best of both worlds. Evergreen menus let you configure your menu design once and then easily update that template. Every time you add a happy hour item or a new cocktail within the Evergreen dashboard, the content on your print menu automatically updates. You can then immediately print out updated menus without any hassle. You can also auto-fill beverage descriptions and details from our database of 300,000+ drinks.
Regardless of how you choose to put together your print menu, we’re convinced that a printed bar menu is still important in today’s digital age. When you provide a printed menu, you are providing a better customer experience. Your customers will thank you for it by coming back again and again!
