Menu design for a restaurant is not just a pretty list of dishes. A good menu helps a person to choose quickly, understand the prices, notice the most important offers and feel the mood of the restaurant. If the menu is chaotic, even good dishes can seem weaker. That's already the case. The eyes tire faster than the appetite.
The first thing you need is neat content
Before starting the design, you need to have a clear list of dishes. Titles, descriptions, prices, allergy information, categories and additional options. If this information changes every five minutes, the layout will take longer.
Menu creation becomes much smoother when the texts are presented in one document instead of several letters, photos or messages. Simple but very important.
- names of dishes
- brief descriptions
- prices
- allergens or special tags
- structure of drinks, desserts and daily specials
The menu should be easy to read
Print design sometimes ruins good content just because the font is too small. In a restaurant, a person reads the menu under different lighting, sometimes he is in a hurry, sometimes he chooses several times. Therefore, font, spacing and contrast are very important here.
A nice but difficult to read menu is not a good menu. Especially if the customer has to ask the waiter where to find the main dishes or what is included in the lunch of the day.
Structure helps sell
Restaurant menu design can help you focus on what's most important. These can be popular dishes, seasonal offers, sets or desserts. You don't need to highlight everything equally. If everything matters, nothing matters anymore.
The same logic as for websites comes into play here. A clear user path, neat blocks, good contrast and a clear call to action. The only difference is that instead of a button, a highlighted dish or special offer often works.
What to prepare for the designer
Before the layout, it is a good idea to prepare the logo, brand colors, photos if they will be used, menu format and printing requirements. Will the menu be A4? Or a leaflet. Or table card. Is digital PDF. Layout decisions depend on it.
If the menu will be printed, it is important to know the print shop requirements: bleed, colour mode, paper and folding. The print layout should be prepared so that last-minute corrections are not needed.
Menu design should match the character of the place
One rhythm is suitable for a fast food place, another for a cozy restaurant, and yet another for a cafe. The menu design should match the interior, the price level and how the place wants to look to the customer. If the restaurant is calm and delicate, the menu should not shout with colors. If the place is energetic, too restrained design can look boring.
If you need other printed formats alongside the menu, it is useful to review the article about publication layout for businesses. There is more about catalogs, PDF material and orderly arrangement of information.
What saves the most time during layout
Layout goes much more smoothly when information is in one place. It's best to have a document that clearly lists categories, dish names, prices, descriptions, and special tags. If part of the information is sent by photos, part by text, and the prices are still changed over the phone, the risk of errors increases.
If the menu will be printed, it is important to know the format, paper, folding and how often the menu will be updated in advance. This topic is related to print file preparation, so it is worth also reviewing the article how to prepare design files for printing.
- one final text document
- clear meal categories
- confirmed prices
- list of allergens or special tags
- format and print requirements before design begins
If the menu already needs an update or a new venue is being prepared, get in touch. We can review the content, format and print requirements in advance so the layout process goes more smoothly.