You may have noticed something different in the past year at one of your favorite restaurants. Ordering at a fast casual restaurant has become easier, faster and perhaps, more entertaining. That’s because many chains are in the process of developing and adding digital menu boards to all of their units! Implementing a digital menu board as part of your digital signage plan could be the solution to improved sales and efficiencies for your restaurant.

What is a digital menu board?

Digital menu boards are LCD, Plasma, TV or LED screens that take the place of static menu boards in restaurant venues. Content is delivered to the menu board through a central content manager and changes are displayed to the menu dynamically based on the requirements of the venue.

Restaurant companies enjoy the benefits of digital signage like the ability to make changes to menu pricing, food images and promotional messaging on the fly. The industry seems to enjoy the features of presenting attractive, moving HD images of product or commercial clips. These crisp components are simplifying their operations, better engaging customers and even changing their point of sale. It is also helping them to manage their overstocked inventory by pushing those specific items that are over-supplied.

What does a digital menu board look like?

A digital menu board is any menu that is displayed on a screen. See a screen that doesn’t display menu items? That’s what’s called digital signage – a more broad term to describe the use of screens in restaurants or other venues to provide information or entertainment to customers. Think trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings, weather updates on screens at an airport or suggested combos on a digital screen at a restaurant.

While there isn’t enough data yet to identify the change in sales due to digital menu boards, some chains such as McAlister’s Deli (307 unit deli of Ridgeland, Mississippi) have cited a 12 month break-even point for the technology in their stores (according to their provided data). More data will come out in the next year but for now, most chains have not shared any details about how the technology has impacted their sales.

More and more companies will be using digital signage in the next few years, and it’s going to encompass all industries, not just the restaurant business.

Interested in learning more about digital menus or signage design? Contact us!