What Are Best Practices for Your Restaurant’s Digital Menu?

What Are Best Practices for Your Restaurant's Digital Menu?

Having some form of a digital menu at your restaurant is always a good idea. Whether you utilize tablet menus or have a QR code for guests to scan with their own devices, customer access to a digital menu is important in the current restaurant industry. However, putting together a digital option is a little different from a physical menu, so here are some of the best practices for your restaurant’s digital menu you can follow.

Avoid a PDF

One common mistake restauranteurs make when creating a digital menu is uploading a PDF file. PDF menus are typically long, awkward to scroll through, and much harder to edit when changing or upgrading your menu.

Include Category Tabs

When implementing the best practices for your restaurant’s digital menu, consider what makes things convenient for your guests. Does your digital menu offer an option to go straight to the burgers and sandwiches section for any customer, or will they have to scroll through the entire menu to find it? Providing easy-to-navigate tabs to take diners to any category they want to browse is a distinct advantage of digital menus.

Use Images Sparingly

Providing photos of every item on your menu may seem like a good idea, but it often creates more problems in the long run. Images take up a large portion of the screen—especially on smartphones—and may take additional time to load, making it more cumbersome for customers looking through the menu. We recommend showing one or two specialty items from each category and allowing a brief yet helpful text description for the rest.

For more information on electronic menus for restaurants, eMenu International has a variety of helpful articles for building your digital dining experience. Learn more about the advantages of incorporating technology into your business, or contact us with any specific questions or comments.

How Using Multilingual Menus Can Bring In More Customers

How Using Multilingual Menus Can Bring In More Customers

Multilingual menus are an excellent opportunity to expand your clientele. Throughout America, many regions have populations that may not speak English as a first language. Using multilingual menus can bring in more customers, which is beneficial for your business. Read on to learn more about these benefits.

A More Authentic Experience

Depending on the type of restaurant you run, it’s usually a good idea to consider having menu options in the language of the cuisine you sell. If you run an Italian restaurant, consider having menu options written in Italian with English translations; the same goes for Chinese, Mexican, German, and other cuisines. Putting in the effort to have a menu that matches the culture of the cuisine sends a message of authenticity and creates a better experience for diners, whether they speak the language or not.

A More Welcoming Experience

Another way using multilingual menus can bring in more customers is by including languages that may not be relevant to your food. Do you serve Italian food but live in an area where many residents speak Polish as their first language? Including a Polish menu option is a great way to embrace local culture and allow patrons to enjoy all that your business offers.

Competitive Advantage

One significant advantage of using multilingual menus to bring in more customers is that the more language options you have available, the more you can expand your customer base. One popular option these days is to utilize digital menus, which allow for quick and easy menu translations into a large variety of languages. The more inclusive you are to those who speak other languages, the more likely these guests are to come to your establishment over other places that may serve similar food.

If you’re interested in restaurant iPad menus and the different ways they can improve the quality of your eatery, eMenu International has the knowledge you need to help you successfully run your business using new technology. Contact us today for more details or to have one of our experts address your questions and concerns.