If you’ve been trying to find great restaurant menu design software, you’ve come to the right place.
Customers spend an average of 109 seconds looking at a restaurant menu. During this time, you must capture their attention, highlight popular dishes, and convince them to order.
You also need to entice them with other delicacies to come back for more in the future. Repeat customers are important!
So, how do you do this? Well, smart menu design is a great starting place.
To create a menu that converts browsers into buyers, you first need to invest in restaurant menu design software to help you achieve this goal. Let’s take a look at what menu design software is, the types of custom menus, and what to look for in your restaurant menu maker.
What is Restaurant Menu Design Software?
Restaurant menu design software streamlines the menu creation process through easy-to-use templates and editing software.
With this software, restaurants can easily create their own menu or choose from a catalog of templates until they find a design they like.
You can further the design by adding your own logos and famous dishes. You can also edit the font, borders, and more.
What design software offers ranges from basic menu templates with a few font options, to full-blown design services with customizable templates, cost calculators, and automatic ingredient and allergy checkers.
Types of Restaurant Menus Design Software
There are many types of restaurant menus and many design software options that can be used for each. Let’s have a look at some of these options.
Online Software
Online menu software allows you to create basic menus and showcase them online. This is the type of menu you’ll find on restaurant websites and apps. It is also the most common type of menu.
The software for these types of menus has basic features and a user-friendly interface. You can also use these menu designs as print menus and social media posts.
Self-Service or Kiosk Software
To create menus for self-service machines, you’ll need a kiosk restaurant menu maker. This type of software showcases your menu items on a dynamic screen and manages guest profiles.
It allows users to not only browse the menu but also to create a guest profile, choose a food item and the quantity they want, and make a purchase without the help of a staff member.
Dynamic Software
Dynamic software makes real-time digital menus. They are compatible with third-party software and can be regularly updated to keep customers in the know. This is the type of menu you’ll see on delivery apps or with franchise restaurants that regularly run out of stock.
POS Menu Software
A point-of-sale (POS) menu maker incorporates the item's sale into the online menu. You can use this software to manage loyalty programs, card points, and discounts for clients. An advanced version of this software can integrate with kitchen management software and give to insights into inventory and sales.
What Features Should the Restaurant Menu Maker Have?
Not all menu maker software was created equally. We’ve compiled some menu software features that you should consider when choosing which software platform to use.
Ensure that you look for features that you will use and that you might need in the future. If you own a small, new restaurant, you’ll choose a different platform than a huge franchise. If you decide to use software with lots of extra features that you don’t need right now, you can expect to pay more than you otherwise would.
Technology in restaurants is ever-evolving and there are many budget-friendly options. Take a look at the features, isolate the ones you want, and use them to determine which software matches your needs and your budget.
Professional Menu Templates
A restaurant menu design software option should offer an extensive library of pre-designed templates, which you can browse and test out. You should be able to choose a menu template, create a professional menu, and add your own logo and images to your creation.
The template’s customizability will depend on the software you choose. Some options offer complete design control while others only offer basic drag-and-drop customizability.
There are also many free options to consider if menu design is all you need right now. If you don’t want to break the bank, and just need a simple tool, consider Canva, Adobe Spark, or Design Bold. These also offer paid versions that will unlock all the features.
The majority of these software options also offer copyright-free images that you can use if you haven’t taken professional photos yet.
.jpeg)
Custom Menu Builder
If you don’t want to use a template, you can create your menu with a menu builder. Custom menu builders offer drag-and-drop sections with font and border options. The advanced graphic design features are usually behind a paywall.
Creating a custom menu is a great option if you have the restaurant menu professionally designed but still need access to edit it and keep it up to date. It’s also much easier to highlight important dishes when you are creating your version of the perfect menu.
Third-Party Integrations
If you are using dynamic, kiosk, or POS menu software, the design system needs to allow third-party integrations. This allows users to connect the menu to other apps, software, and machinery like the self-service station.
For example, combining the menu, sales, and restaurant inventory management will streamline restaurant management and make optimize your operations!
Order Operations
If you offer online orders, then you should look into software that offers order operations.
Menu order processing will almost completely automate the ordering process. Customers should be able to browse your menu items, use a search bar to find specific ones, choose an item and a quantity, easily create an order profile, place the order, and receive a detailed receipt with clear collection or delivery instructions.
Advanced versions should also work on mobile devices, be it through a web page or a mobile app.
Sales Analytics
Restaurant owners need to know how business fares and the best way to do this is with analytics and reporting. Software with dedicated analytics tools will provide a detailed snapshot of sales, trends, seasonal impact, customer feedback, etc.
If you know which dishes work best and when others are more popular, you can curate a menu that is period specific. You can also keep track of the dishes that aren’t doing well. This can help save money that you might be spending on ingredients that end up not being used.
Inventory Reporting
Similar to sales analytics, inventory reporting is essential for food service businesses. This type of feature keeps track of sales and the inventory used from these sales.
Advanced software will also provide data on ingredients that have expired. It’s a great way to keep menus updated and decrease food waste. Not only is this much more sustainable, but it will save money in the long run.
Robust Security
If customers are placing orders with the menu software, it needs to have encrypted payment portals. Keeping customer information safe and secure is a must. Ensure the software you use is using a reputable payment system that can guarantee customer safety.
Conclusion
Your perfect menu is right around the corner!
Restaurant menu design software does much more than design custom menus. In just a few minutes, you can create a professional menu, distribute it to your clients on social media or through your website, and connect it to your POS for fast and easy sales.
Use the above checklist to ensure your restaurant menu design software has everything you need to create the perfect menu and increase your revenue. Remember, all restaurants don’t need the same software, and you need to find the features that work for you!
If your restaurant is used to host events, you’ll need top-tier restaurant management software. Try Perfect Venue for free today.
