Menu Boards and Digital Menus for Restaurants and Takeaways

• Counter-service cafes and takeaways where customers read the menu while queueing
• Food-court and kiosk-style outlets with limited wall space
• Restaurants that put a menu panel at the entrance
• Drive-through or collection-window outlets, subject to site requirements and approvals
• Coffee shops with frequently changing specials
• Bakeries and delis with many products and price points
• Multi-outlet operators that need menus consistent across sites

There are three main formats, and many venues use more than one.

• Static menu boards: printed or engraved panels in metal, acrylic or composite. Best for fixed menus and premium venues.
• Changeable menu boards: slide-in frames, snap frames, letter boards and chalk or marker surfaces, so staff can update prices and specials.
• Lit menu boards: backlit panels or lightbox menus with changeable inserts, readable in dim or evening trade.
• Digital menu boards: screens that run changing content. These are subject to technical assessment and confirmed availability, and need power and content management.
• Entrance menu cases: a lockable case or framed display outside the door so passers-by can read the menu.
• Combination boards: a fixed brand header with changeable price panels beneath.

The material should suit the venue and the cleaning regime. Painted aluminium and stainless steel are tough and wipe clean. Acrylic suits clean, modern boards and backlit formats. Timber-effect composite suits warm, rustic venues. Chalkboard and marker surfaces suit specials, and printed vinyl on rigid board suits low-cost fixed menus. Choose matt finishes to limit glare under spotlights and keep fixings concealed where the board is within reach of customers.

Menu lighting affects how food and prices read.

• Slimline LED lightboxes give an even glow behind a changeable menu insert.
• LED lightboxes suit larger menus above a counter.
• Edge-lit panels give a premium, minimalist look for short menus.
• Screens can display photographs, animation and time-based menus, subject to technical assessment and confirmed availability.
• Avoid sharp spotlights that reflect off gloss surfaces and avoid cold white light that makes food look unappealing.

• Choose a static board for a stable menu where the board is part of the interior design.
• Choose a changeable or lit board when prices or specials change often and you want staff to update the menu.
• Choose a digital menu when content changes by time of day or you need photography and promotions on rotation.
• Choose restaurant signs for the full exterior-to-interior set; the menu board is one part of it.
• Choose point-of-sale signs for smaller counter displays and table-top items.

• Viewing distance and size: as a rough guide, many designers allow around 25 mm of letter height per 10 m of viewing distance. Menus read across a counter from a few metres can use much smaller text. Queue distance and board height decide the real figure, and we confirm on site.
• Contrast and glare: text must stay readable under spotlights and sunlight through windows.
• Mounting: walls, bulkheads and glass each need different fixings, and boards over counters must be secure.
• Heat and grease: boards near fryers and extraction collect residue, so choose finishes that wipe clean.
• Power and data: lit and digital menus need power, and digital menus may need network access.
• Approvals: any menu board visible from outside, or on a pavement, may need landlord, body corporate or municipal approval. These are checked during the survey and design stage.

• Board size and number of panels
• Static, changeable, lit or screen-based format
• Material and finish
• Lighting and electrical work
• Screens, players and content management for digital menus
• Artwork design and number of menu changes
• Installation height and access
• Number of outlets in a rollout

Wipe menu boards with a soft cloth and a cleaner suited to the surface, keeping moisture out of lit boxes. Replace faded or stained menu inserts promptly. Check lit boards for dark sections and screens for dead pixels and loose cables. Keep your master menu artwork on file so reprints match. Our LED repair service can fix faulty modules and drivers in lit menu panels.

We design menu displays from our Rivonia base and install by appointment across Gauteng. Food outlets are especially common in:

• Sandton
• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Midrand
• Centurion
• Randburg