The Dynamics of Digital Menu Boards

By: Andrew Fyfe, Franchise Management Expert

Every food service outlet uses menu boards. Some still use blackboards, some have their boards pre-printed and some have light boxes or magnetic strips. The reality is, the menu board is key to all food service businesses for showcasing menu items, pricing and enticing pictures of the products they sell. 

One of the known complexities in running restaurants and bars is having the ability to manage changes to the menu boards. 

Reasons for constant change 

• Chefs - Artists in their craft and always evolving (flair, reputation, experimentation, uniqueness)
• Suppliers- Seasonal produce and its availability, cost of goods fluctuations
• Competition- Maintaining competitive pricing, product selection and times of sale
• Consumer demand- Retaining or removing items from the menu based on popularity
• Point-of-sale – Items often sell if they are displayed 

With change comes additional cost. For every change made to a dish, item, price or picture the menu board needs updating. If black boards are used then the chalk comes out and menu boards are crafted. The person with the best hand is used. For menu boards, new pictures are required, photos taken and graphical companies are consulted and new items are printed and inserted.

If you are part of a QSR chain or group then this whole process takes place for every store. If you have 100 stores then this is a massive cost. In the launch of a new promotion or marketing campaign all stores require change; often all at once. This is reliant on man power, manual processes and time. 

With exciting and readily available technology and digital screens – there is a solution. And, with this solution there are tremendous reductions in costs.

Introducing Digital Menu Boards 

• Change is simple, quick and precise
• Digital screens allow for better quality graphics to entice guests to purchase products
• Digital Menu Boards can be managed centrally for chains (perfect for the QSR market)
• Central management will reduce labour costs and improve consistency
• Digital Menu Boards can be linked to the POS system to ensure pricing is correct, menu items are available and certain items can be displayed as set meal periods such as breakfast, lunch and dinner
• The price of digital screens continues to drop
• The investment in technology has a quick ROI
• Allows the business owners to make change when they wish and with the skill set in house

So who are the early adopters of Digital Menu Boards in the market today? McDonalds often lead the industry with new products and services including the adoption of Digital Menu Boards particularly in the McCafe concept. Digital Menu Boards are also proving popular in club bistro and bar environments (See Crown Plaza Terrigal Digital Menu Board below). 

 Find out more about what MICROS can do for you! For more information contact us at info@micros.com Phone: 866.287.4736 (US and Canada)