How do you make sure that your customers will know what you have? How do you ensure that the items that catch their eyes the most are the ones that will bring you the most revenue?

The simple answer is a well-designed menu.

How a Well-Planned Presentation Makes Purchasing from Your Menu Easier for Your Customers

You’ve put a lot of time into planning just the right menu – from the right sizes and prices for your specialty drinks, to the supplier of your beans, to the right desserts, you’ve thought it all out.

You made long lists of pastries and desserts that you want to offer. You’ve figured out which brand and what flavors of syrups that you’ll be using to create your specialty drinks. You’ve asked your family and friends and business partners what they think you should include. You’ve spent time looking at where your prospective customers already go for lunch.

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And you didn’t stop there! You’ve chosen all the best items to compliment your beverage options. You’ve selected foods that are easy to prepare, to serve and to eat. You’ve made sure that the items you’ll be adding can be prepared in advance and that there will be enough demand that little – if any – goes to waste.

And after all of that work, which wasn’t easy, you went to see how your competitors had priced similar items – not because you want to undercut their prices, but because you want to be sure that your prices are in line with what your customers could purchase elsewhere.

But how do you make sure that your customers will know what you have? How do you ensure that the items that catch their eyes the most are the ones that will bring you the most revenue?

The simple answer is a well-designed menu.

A menu should be hung where it will be easily seen and read. Also, you should have your in-house menu designed professionally.

A professional design will help to ensure the following:

  • Your menu will be easy to read.
  • Your menu will be designed with colors and fonts that are easy for your customers to see and understand.
  • Your menu will include pictures and graphics (including your logo) that are well done and compliment the listed items.
  • Your menu will not only list the items but will also provide brief descriptions so that a customer who is unfamiliar with the name of a product will still be able to know what they are getting.

A professional design will also help the ensure that your customers are provided with a well-organized menu. In order to provide clear organization, your should be sure that your menu contains distinguishable categories such as coffee, tea, specialty drinks, breakfast, lunch, and pastries.

Though you want to be sure that you are making your customers aware of your products, you also want to keep them from feeling overwhelmed. Therefore, limit your descriptions to information that is relevant.

For example, which of the following is more clear:

  • Cappuccino: Espresso with steamed and foamed milk; or
  • Cappuccino: One or more shots of espresso pulled by our barista. Your choice of skim, 2% or whole milk steamed in such a way as to create a dense foam which is then poured into the cup.

While both are descriptive of the item, the more brief description is of a greater advantage to your customers. Why? Because if it is not what they want, they will be able to quickly move on to the next item on your menu.

Similarly, it is important to not list every item on your menu. That way, you can have a greater focus on the important items – like your specialty drinks and breakfast items – that will appeal to more of your customers. It also allows you to focus less on the items that fewer customers will be interested in such as all of the flavoring syrups you have available.

Another advantage? You will be better able to focus on your more popular and (ideally) more expensive items. That is sure to help you to boost your bottom line – which was likely the purpose of the menu to begin with.

Of course, another way in which you can boost your sales is to compliment your in-house menu with an easy to pick up carry out menu. If you have used a professional designer to lay out your menu, you should also consider using them to design your carry out menu.

This way, you will be sure that your to go menu will contain all of the following elements:

  • Your company logo;
  • Your physical store address, phone number and other contact information such as email addresses and your web site;
  • A map showing how to get to your store;
  • Business hours;
  • A listing of your most popular items with enticing descriptions and prices; and
  • A coupon – something to encourage the customer to return.

By investing in your menu, you will better be able to communicate with your customers. And good communication will make them return time and time again.