Did you know that there is a whole science about a proper menu design? Menu engineering deals with the following issues: how to push on a client to spend more in your restaurant and how to encourage him to return.
A menu is the main tool of this science. We’ve made a list of tricks which will help you to create an effective menu without the help of professionals.
1. Use a descriptive language
Proper food descriptions may increase sales by 30%. People love beautiful words. Therefore, the term “correct description” you need to perceive as a “tasty description”.
Mention the origin of the products, describe how the dish is served. It increases customer confidence in food. For example, “baked piece of Pacific salmon on a cushion of vegetables” sounds much more appetizing than just “salmon with vegetables”.
2. Increase the number of words in the title
Few are aware that the length of the dish name directly affects not only on the perception of the dish but also on its price. If you analyze a large number of high-quality menus, you can see one tendency: the longer the name of the dish, the more expensive it is.
If you write just “pork steak” and specify the price of $40, it may seem that it is too expensive for a regular steak. But if you describe the origin of the ingredients and indicate that this is a signature dish, then the price will look reasonable.
It is very important not to overdo it. If you use too many strange words and phrases on the menu, it may seem to the customers that the restaurant is simply bidding up its value.
3. Use italics
It is not only important what is written, but also how it is. Font is an important element in a menu design as well as color, photos, and graphics.
For example, if you want to emphasize the high quality of dishes, use an italic font on the menu. Beautiful handwritten font can favorably affect the image of dishes.
You can also use the font concerning the taste of the dish. For example, a round font is associated with a sweet taste, while a pointed one — with a salty, sour or bitter one.
4. Add photos of several dishes
Using photos of the dishes on the menu often depends on the format of the restaurant. The menu where each dish is accompanied by a photo is associated with cheap and low-quality places.
But on the other hand, it is proved that photos on the menu increase the restaurant’s profit by up to 30%. Add 3-5 the tastiest photos of your favorite dishes. If you still don’t want to use photos on the menu design, a good alternative would be plain illustrations of the ingredients or dishes.
Would like to find out more tricks? Check out the second part of the article.
Now when you know some psychological tricks, it’s time to work effectively on your menu. Waitron.MENU is a perfect assistant for experimenting with your menu.
