6 Reasons Why You Should Display Your Menu Outside

When you walk down your local high street, there will be a number of food and drink establishments that display their menus outside. It may seem like the 'done thing' for businesses in this industry but there are some very sensible reasons behind why this is a good tactic and why you should employ it for your own business.

Entice customers in

This seems like an obvious one, but how many times have you 'ummed' and 'ahhed' about which restaurant to eat in? Chances are, you've probably pondered over the outdoor menu for a few minutes before making your decision. It could be the variety, the price or the overall impression that decides whether this is the place to eat or not. Either way, the menu has played a key role in encouraging your decision.

Outdoor dining

For cafes or pubs who display menus inside on large boards, or in poster frames, displaying your menu outside in a similar fashion is a great option if you have an outdoor dining area. The last thing you want to do is isolate your outdoor customers and make them feel less valued, so an outdoor menu is a great way of solving this.

24-hour

Irrelevant of whether you're open or closed, displaying your menu outside gives your potential customers 24-hour access to what you have to offer. This allows your offerings to reach people despite being unable to serve them there and then, which means they might just come back in the future.

Branding

An outdoor menu is an opportunity to extend your branding. Although this is unlikely to be the main reason you supply an outdoor menu, it's an opportunity you can't afford to miss should you decide this is something you want to do. Displaying your branding wherever you can is incredibly important for sending subliminal messages to your customers.

Image

Similar to branding, the overall image of your establishment will be conveyed via an outdoor menu as well and a certain amount of expectation or atmosphere can be predetermined by this. This is where an outdoor menu can become a clever marketing ploy and one that is worth taking note of as to how effective it can be.

Eye-catching

If people are walking past your premises, an external menu may be what catches their eye. It could be exactly what you need to stand out from the crowd and make your establishment noticed compared to your competition – it would be worth noting whether or not your competitors have an outdoor menu and why you might think that is. If they don't, can you exploit this to your advantage, and if they do, does the general public perceive you as being behind on the times? Unfortunately these are difficult questions to ask, but important ones nonetheless.

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