A DIGITAL MENU DISPLAY CAN BE YOUR ULTIMATE WEAPON OR YOUR ULTIMATE DEMISE.

Digital menu boards are no longer a futuristic concept. They are in drive thru’s and inside restaurants, becoming a no-brainer decision for many QSRs wanting to stay current with today’s technology. The question is no longer if you should upgrade to a digital menu board, but when you should make that upgrade.

Moreover, this new way of showcasing a restaurant’s food and beverage is starting to show the good and bad trends in menu promotion.

To help you in making the best out of the inevitable switch or in updating what you already have, use these three concepts when making your digital menu board decision.

FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE

Digital displays are now replacing older menu boards, although they are definitely not cheaper, they are considerably more cost-effective. With that said, here is what you are paying for:

1. An inevitable future. Society won’t be going back in time, only forward. Digital displays and technology will transform brick-and-mortar. You can choose to make the upgrade to a digital menu board now or later, but you will be doing it.

2. Easy customization. Digital menu boards can efficiently change out items and update text. It is impossible to lose a letter to a sign, and easy to add or take away items. There’s no more sending an employee outside to flip the menu for the next day part — it can all be done from a computer.

3. Less labor. You can keep your crew focused on tasks at hand, not stopping what needs to be done to go outside and update some signage. It’s also a lot more efficient to simply update the back end of a menu, instead of waiting on new panels to come in, finding out one of them is broken, returning it, ordering a new one, etc.

USE THE GOLDILOCKS PRINCIPLE

In the fast-casual and quick-service restaurants you walk into that already have digital menu boards, some most likely have too much going on, or too little.

A lot of visuals today are represented by icons or simplistic images. But, if your menu is all looks and no personality, customers will not understand what they are looking at, and you may lose sales opportunities. Detailed images of your food, people enjoying your food, and chefs making your food are pleasing to the eyes. But if that’s the only thing to be seen on the menu, people will forget they are supposed to order, and will only see a slideshow of food.

Manuals, directions, brochures, and other explanatory literature use a lot of text to get a point across, because that’s the easiest way to communicate an idea. However, people read those things usually because they have to, not for fun. Too many descriptions of your food leaves customers sitting at your menu, reading, instead of buying—making for a less efficient business.

By balancing a combination of easy-to-understand icons, captivating graphics, and helpful, to-the-point content, you have the ingredients for a perfect menu. That perfect menu will have exponential ROI on your digital menu board investment.

MAKE IT FUN

Buffalo Wild Wings uses their digital screens to display interactive games for customers. Because they do a good job of using their digital screens, BWW is top-of-mind for gathering, socializing, and enjoying games/sports.

Take that BWW example and run with it. How can your restaurant engage with your customers? What do you want your restaurant to be known for? Making your customers’ dining experience a fun one is a key factor in becoming a top-of-mind brand. Use your digital menu display the right way by interacting with those who look at your menu.

Delphi Display Systems offers digital menu display solutions for both indoor and outdoor menu boards. If you are thinking about installing digital menu boards in your store, contact us. We can answer your questions and help you in your quest.