Make a digital menu board and you’ll revolutionize your restaurant.
Customers appreciate the visual fare that tantalizes taste buds. Cross-selling and up-selling become practically automatic. Plus, eliminating paper flyers means going green without sacrificing promotions. Basically, a digital menu board provides the kind of benefits you can’t do without. And we’ll show you how to do it.
What to expect
- Why digital menu boards are a game-changer for restaurants
- Practical benefits like efficiency, cost-savings, and remote control
- How to create your first digital menu board step by step
- Frequently asked questions to guide your next move
What can a digital menu board do for you?
If your food is Instagram-worthy, you’re already ahead. A digital menu board:
- Makes sales easier through visual persuasion
- Spotlights your culinary creations
How do digital menu boards work?
Visuals sell. There’s nothing more persuasive than food visuals. A digital menu board helps you:
- Showcase a playlist of daily specials with photos and videos
- Replace faded paper menus with enticing on-screen displays
- Convert visual appeal into sales instantly
“A picture is worth a thousand words – and even more when it’s of food.” – MarketingProfs Food Trends Report 2024
Digital menu boards make your business more efficient
Lots of business experts talk about efficiency in abstract terms. A digital menu board certainly offers you increased efficiency in very concrete, very practical terms. And here’s how:
Increase effeciency
You can:
- Update specials, seasonal items, or pricing in seconds
- Skip reprints and handwritten chalkboards
- Use free templates for quick changes
Bonus: More time for your staff to engage with customers.
Automate menu changes with scheduling
Create different boards for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With Yodeck’s scheduling feature:
- Menus change automatically by time of day
- You tailor promotions to the crowd (e.g., healthy options for early birds, burgers for teens)
Manage remotely
Whether you run multiple locations or work from home:
- Upload content from anywhere
- Customize each board per location
- Maintain full control over branding and pricing
According to NRA Restaurant Industry Report, 57% of quick-service restaurants plan to increase investment in digital signage to improve customer experience.
Up your profits with a digital menu board
Sounds a bit far-fetched that one screen can help bolster your financials significantly? However, countless business owners have raked in extra money by switching to a digital menu board. And the reasons are simple.
Up-sell and cross-sell easily
- Promote daily specials, combo deals, or limited-time drinks
- Tempt customers with mouthwatering visuals
Example:
Display a video of your daily special and follow it up with a photo of a side dish that’s on sale. Let customers know that they can super-size their favorite drink. Got a brand new milkshake flavor you want to promote? Keep it up on screen to entice buyers. If customers see what else you’ve got on the menu, they get more tempted to add extra dishes to their order. Getting a visual of a steaming hot cup of cocoa or a freshly-grilled sandwich is just too much for anyone to resist. And there you go. You’re up-selling and cross-selling without actually putting in any extra time or effort.
Cut printing & design costs
- Eliminate printed flyers and menus
- Make unlimited changes instantly
- Present a polished, high-end look without the cost
Target sales by time of day
- Promote lunch options to office crowds
- Push dessert deals after dinner
- Use schedules to maximize relevance and revenue
Enhance customer experience
What’s the one thing everyone hates about going out to eat? The long lines. Customers are hungry and impatient. They’ve already checked their social media a billion times. What’s there to do (other than get more frustrated)?
- Keep customers engaged while they wait
- Showcase branding through fonts, colors, and layout
- Connect via QR codes to your website or social media
Let your board promote more than your menu – become a part of your local community.
Who can use digital menu boards?
Short answer? Everyone.
- Restaurants, bars, cafés, and bakeries
- School cafeterias and fast food chains
- Catering companies
Undeniably, you might be concerned about the initial cost. Don’t be. You can undoubtedly find an impressive but cost-effective TV. And user-friendly, affordable signage software like Yodeck makes creating content a breeze, no matter your tech skills. You’ll certainly recoup your investment soon with menu boards for restaurants.
How to create a digital menu board (step-by-step)
It’s easy. We promise. Just follow our step-by-step guide and you’ll have your digital menu board up and running in no time.
#1: Create a playlist of menu offerings using your own images
If you already added images and videos to the Yodeck Portal, skip straight to step 9, so you can start creating your Playlist. If not, you’ll have to add images and videos first, so follow the steps below.
- Sign in to Yodeck.
- Watch this video tutorial that shows you how to add images and videos.
- You’ll then see a list of all the images you added to Yodeck. Click on the ‘Edit’ icon (the little pencil) to the right of the image you just added.
- Click on the bar under the image that says ‘Open with Pixie Image Editor’.
- In the top left corner, you’ll see an orange circle with a pencil in it. Click on that and you can add text and other graphics in order to type in the name of your menu item, the price and any other information you want.
- When you’re done, click on the orange ‘Save’ button in the top right corner to save your edits.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button at the bottom of the page.
- Repeat steps 1-7 for any other images you want to use in your digital menu board playlist.
- Create a playlist quickly and easily using both your images and videos, by following the steps in this video.
There you go! You just created your first digital menu board!
#2: Use one of our free digital menu board templates
Check out the steps below, or watch our quick tutorial on using templates for your restaurant. You can personalize them – just add your own logo, branding, prices, images and other media, too.
- Sign in to Yodeck.
- Click on ‘Layouts’.
- Select ‘Add Layout’.
- Next, click on ‘Menu Boards’.
- Choose whichever template you prefer (they’re professionally designed, so you know they’ll engage your customers).
- Then click on the ‘Import template’ button.
- Give your layout template a name by typing it into the ‘Name’ field in the ‘Layout Settings’ window that appears on the right.
- Each template zone (like the text, image, video, app or playlist zone) can be fully customized and personalized for your business. Simply click on the zone you want to edit.
- A zone settings menu appears to the right. Scroll down and you can customize each element in the layout template zone. You can also change the font, text size and color, and if you scroll down you can replace that image, video or playlist with one of your own. You can even add your own logo. If you want to change the text, including the Menu Item placeholder text and price list, just click on the text you want to change and type your changes in the template.
- Next, click on the ‘Insert’ button if you want to add more elements to the layout template. You can layer images, videos and more
- Click on ‘Save’ after you finish editing and customizing the layout template.
You now have a sophisticated, attractive and effective digital menu board. Or create a playlist of layouts if you want.
A digital menu board revolution
A digital menu board transforms your restaurant operations:
- Boosts sales through upselling and visual promotions
- Saves time and money with real-time updates and remote control
- Improves customer experience and brand identity
Switching to digital doesn’t just look better – it is better.
FAQs
Do I need design skills to use digital menu boards?
No! Yodeck provides templates and drag-and-drop tools anyone can use.
Is this only for big chains?
Absolutely not. Independent cafés and local diners benefit just as much.
Can I use videos?
Yes! Videos are a great way to grab attention and boost sales.
What kind of screen do I need?
Any TV or monitor will work, no need for expensive equipment.
Can I test this for free?
Yes. Yodeck offers a free trial for one screen so you can explore before committing.