Menu merchandising refers to any technique used to stimulate sales within the Food and Beverage facility. The efficient menu merchandised will affect the popularity of the food and beverage facilities. Some Menu merchandising tools that can be used
inside an F & B establishment are :
- Floor stands displays used at the reception to display menu of the day
- Tent cards – are placed on the tables to promote special events, attractions and encourage upsells.
- Posters are displayed in reception areas, lobby walls, elevators, cloakrooms, in the restaurant dining area itself.
- Wall Displays and clip on’s
Elements to Strengthen Menu Merchandising
Merchandising a menu includes certain elements that can yield more profit:
- Design in Style – The design of the menu is the first thing your guests will notice. Hence, your menu shouldn’t look like just another laminated take-out sheet. Design your menu with intention, employing visually consistent elements and easy-to-use materials.
- Illustrative Images – It’s a visual world we’re living in, so displaying your dishes with images may be an effective tactic. The images of your dishes will inspire visitors to buy them. Adding images of your best dishes and specialities to your menu will sell more than a clever turn of phrase. The words “smoked meat” will probably not evoke the same amount of drool as one image of delicious-looking red meat.
- Provoking Content– Content must be descriptive and to the point. There is no use going on about how delicious your dishes are. The words and phrases you use should make guests want to taste them. Tell your visitors what they get and employ prompting words like “free,” “special,” “best,” “chef’s choice,” etc. Your content should also be easily legible; you don’t want your guests to squint their eyes trying to read it.
- Compatibility is a Must – Design your menu to complement the interiors of your restaurant; it enhances the ambience you’ve created. If chocolate items are a speciality of your restaurant, then consider interior design elements in shades of brown and a complementing menu with the same chocolate-brown colours with a cream edge.
- Presentation is Important – Cleanliness and elegance are the keywords. Your guests don’t want to look at tattered, worn-out pages. Torn, dirty menus will likely repel guests and prompt concerns about the overall cleanliness of your establishment. Imagine being handed a sticky menu encrusted with assorted food particles. Yuck! This means no sale, no return guests, and bad word of mouth. Make checking and wiping down the menus a daily side duty for servers or hostesses.