Menu Sizing: Be Effective Not Extra
Finding the perfect size for your menu can be challenging. Too big, too small, too crowded, too sparse; it can seem like a guessing game.
First, you have to determine the actual content inhabiting the menu itself. How much information are you trying to display? If you only have a handful of items, you may have the space to add longer descriptions or more art assets. If your menu is more extensive, there will be less free space to work with. Remember, not everything has to go on the menu. There are things that the kitchen will have covered, and the waitresses will be able to relay that can remain unwritten. Things like adding condiments, or possible substitutions can mostly be taken care of by the waitresses relaying the information to the customer aloud. However, allergy information is important enough to print, and make sure to do so boldly, especially if an item wouldn’t normally look like it contains an allergen.
Start slow. Start with the format. Decide what kind of menus you will need on a base level. Do you do sit down dining? If so, you will need a dine-in menu, usually, these are non-disposable, multi-page menus. Some restaurants may have a two-sided or even one-sided single-sheet menu. It all depends on how many items you have to place on the menu itself. Standard printer paper is 8.5x11. Try writing down your menu items on this kind of paper spaced out in a legible way. Is it too crowded? If so, it may be best to increase the size of the menu a bit. Even if the menu looks a tad sparse this way, it’s best to not make your menu too small. According to Vitamix.com, “The less your restaurant is open, the smaller your menu should be.”
Dinner establishments that are only open after 4/5:00 p.m. should streamline their menus by featuring no more than ten appetizers, ten main courses, and six desserts, according to Ezra Eichelberger of the Culinary Institute of America.
The National Restaurant Association has found the most common-sized menu was 9 inches by 12 inches. But, don’t let that hold you back. There are plenty of other common sizes.
Single-page menus are most commonly for fine dining restaurants in the 9×12 size or 11×17. According to Must Have Menus, typically, fine dining restaurants choose a single column and wide margins for simple, elegant appeal. This is also true of other limited-selection menus, like daily specials or happy hour menus. However, family-oriented restaurants often use multiple columns on the front and back to contain their wider range of items, as do cafes and pubs. Here is an example of a well-balanced menu with a large logo and art, while still showing off the menu items.
Choose colors that make sense. Brand yourself according to your preferences, but also keep one logo design consistent throughout. Keep one font style throughout as well. Keeping a consistent feel will keep the customers focused on the content of the menu not on what “feels off” about it.
Remember, your menu is never really set in stone. You should be reviewing and updating it a couple of times of the year, and adjusting your prices according to the market and ingredients.
If you have an idea for your menus and aren’t sure how to bring it into reality, contact us here, and let us help you take the next steps!