Why You Should Invest in Digital Menus

While 2020 and 2021 accelerated the transition to digital everything, a lot of the technological advancements are still relevant for long-term growth and success. This is particularly true in the restaurant world. For example, contactless technology has become standard. 

There are various opportunities for F&B outlets as diners return to experience restaurants and bars in-person, too. Physical menus were formerly deemed among the dirtiest aspects of a restaurant since they’d pass through so many hands on any given day. Turning your TV into a no touch digital menu is a perfect alternative and brings many additional benefits. 

Square’s Future of Restaurants 2021 Report revealed a lot of data around this trend. The survey found 92% of restaurants plan to make changes to their menus this year. More specifically, 88% said they’re considering swapping out physical menus for digital ones.

Here are a few reasons to consider a switch to web-based menus.

They’re Great for Your Bottom Line

Digital menus are great for increasing your bottom line. They help enhance operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and increase revenue. Think of all the money you’ll save on purchasing items to produce physical menus each time you need to make a change.

You can also lay out your menu in such a way that makes it more appealing to customers watching their budget. For example, avoid a “price columns” layout so pricing is associated with each item and not directly in line with the next price. This will help to eliminate price shopping, especially when your item costs vary significantly.

Digital menus also help to increase your efficiency and further reduces costs. Time is money, and digital menus save an exorbitant amount of time. Since web menus are simple to update with a few clicks, you can seamlessly create, publish, schedule, and update menus anytime, from any device. 

Furthermore, digital menus can also help generate advertising revenue. Consider selling advertising space to local businesses, vendors, or partners. Similarly, you can also use your digital menu as a marketing tool for your own business, eliminating the need to outsource those marketing initiatives to third-parties. 

They’re Visually Appealing

Whether you’re a brewery, cocktail bar, or burger joint your customers will love your eye-catching digital menu. You and your staff will love how easy it is to customize and update. Intuitive layouts and options make it easy for you and your staff to design and edit your digital board. See some of our examples here.

Visual menus also provide the opportunity for you to be creative. There are tons of layouts, colors, and fonts from which to choose. You can alter the overall look and feel of your menu based on seasonality, day of the week, specific on-site happenings, etc. 

You can also test different layouts and vibes for your menu. For example, test adding a remove photos of menu items or partner logos. Integrate a social media feed to show your latest posts and encourage your diners to share on their own social networks.

They’re Great for Customer Service

Digital menus make communicating with your guests much easier. Since the menus can be updated in real-time, this allows you to adjust your offerings when a certain item is out-of-stock, for example. 

You can easily convey specials or seasonal offerings as well as nutrition information. This allows guests with specific allergies or dietary needs to plan their orders more strategically. You can also promote and upsell specific items you’d like to feature. This allows you to indirectly influence your customer’s choices much more than a print menu ever could!

Digital screens help enhance the overall customer experience. The right mix of graphics, videos, and text can keep customers entertained and informed. When your customers are more engaged with the ascetic of your restaurant, you increase the probability of a higher dollar spend per customer while at the same time increasing the probability of repeat business. 

Conclusion

Digital menus are a seamless way to modernize the experience for your guests. Digital menus are easy to manage and great for your bottom line. They allow to you convey your brand and offerings in a revolutionary new way. Contact us to learn more about how to take your menus to the next level!