Imagine how Karangahape Road will be on a busy lunch hour on a Friday. There will be long lines winding out the door. There will be someone at the front of the line squinting at a sign to see what the lunch special is. There will also be someone at the front of the line yelling the same question in frustration. Now take that situation and multiply it by every restaurant in Auckland, and you will see why so many are choosing to use digital menu boards.
Digital menu boards provide so many benefits beyond just style. They help solve the problems of menu boards that are too rigid to adapt to changing times. Digital boards can easily update menu prices, and even help your staff and your patrons make decisions faster to help ease the burden of the busy lunch hour rush. If you are a restaurant owner and wondering if this is an expense you should incur, this guide will explain the benefits of digital menu boards and their ideal application all while showing you how to avoid the pitfalls that prevent most businesses from obtaining the value that they need from this investment.
Why Auckland Restaurants Are Changing Their Methods
To keep up in the hospitality industry, you have to be speedy and consistent. You also have to make small adjustments along the way. The cost of some popular ingredients might go up, or some popular dishes might even sell out in the middle of lunch and dinner shifts. The goal of many restaurants is to keep a rotating selection of fun and unique daily specials. Most of these things happen so frequently that no printed menu can keep up with reprints. Digital menu boards can completely eliminate these bottlenecks because with a digital menu system, changes to pricing, sold-out menu items, or the addition of a new special can be done in a matter of minutes without the need for an employee to leave the kitchen. In a fast moving and highly competitive environment like that of Auckland, the added flexibility of digital menu boards is incentive enough for many restaurant owners to make that change.
The Core Benefits of Digital Menu Boards
1. No More Costly Menu Reprints
The first benefit that most owners tend to notice is the ability to make menu board changes on the fly. Digital menu boards eliminate the need to wait for a print run or deal with the shabby handwritten changes that are taped to the old price.
2. Increased Average Order Value
Digital menu boards are able to highlight combos, upsells, and other higher-margin items in a way that print boards are unable to do, so they are more effective. Item pairings, especially, that are designed to encourage customers to make a purchase, are effective ways to increase the average order value.
3. Shorter Wait Times
Long wait times, especially during peak hours, can be frustrating for both customers and staff. Printed boards that are cluttered and difficult to read, can add to that friction. Digital boards can eliminate that by allowing staff to set everything in a clear, organized, and easily readable manner to help customers decide quicker.
4. Seamless Dayparting
One of the best features of digital menu boards is the ability to change to different menu offerings for different parts of the day (Dayparting). Digital menu boards eliminate the need to design and print different menus for different parts of the day.
5. Digital Menu Boards Create a Modern Look
Menus need to do more than serve a function. Having a digital menu board makes a menu look more modern, more professional, and more organized. All of which can attract potential customers from the streets of Auckland where some menus just serve their function.
6. Less Printing and Waste
Menus are not meant to be permanent. Digital menu boards mean you don’t have to constantly pay to print a new menu and waste your employees' time and resources. Digital menu boards mean you can change your menu every day without any additional costs.
7. Better Visibility for Promotions & Specials
How can anyone know there is a special if no one can see it? Digital menu boards can display special offers and promotions. Better yet, they can display them in a way that grabs a customer’s attention and can be easily changed once a promotion has ended.
8. Uniform Across All Locations
Restaurant groups with more than one Auckland location can rely on digital menu boards to keep every location in compliance with the latest menus and pricing. Each location can have a digital menu board that is easily updated with just a click.
Indoor vs Outdoor Digital Menu Boards
Not all menu boards stay inside. A lot of restaurants in Auckland want menu boards that customers can see from the street and from the drive-through. That's why it is important to understand Indoor vs Outdoor Digital Menu Boards.
Indoor Digital Menu Boards are designed for low lighting and close viewing distance. Indoor Digital Menu Boards are used for sharpness of detail and color. On the other hand, Outdoor Digital Menu Boards are used for brightness, as the boards will be placed in direct sunlight, and the Digital Menu Boards will need to be waterproof and used for outdoor Auckland weather.
If your restaurant is thinking of using an outdoor LED display screen for Drive-throughs and street-facing displays, outdoor displays should be prioritized, which are built for outdoor displays, over display screen size. A large screen that is designed for outdoor use display will underperform in a short time, even if it is large.
Business owners who are looking at outdoor screens in New Zealand for Digital Menu Boards should check the IP rating and outdoor use lifespan, because these factors change a great deal depending on the Digital Signage Company and are not obvious in promotional material.
Common Digital Menu Board Mistakes
Too Many Options
A menu board can lose its purpose if too much is crammed onto a single board. Find balance. Give your customers enough visual space to process the choices.
Boring is Permanent
Installing a digital menu board system, but continuing to use a boring, static, or dated design, is like making a permanent decision to look boring. The board will eventually fade into the background and become ignored.
Location, Location, Location
Poor placement of the screen can lead to placement of a board that will not be useful for very long. Eventually, the board will fail and cost you money to replace.
Readability Distance
Think about sizing and contrast for people standing in line versus people using a computer to design the distance the screen can be viewed from.
Staff Training is a Must
If tech support is still needed to update your digital board, you’ve really reduced the benefits of a digital board as compared to a static board.
Digital menu boards make it easy for diners to see each location's offerings. Here's where to begin.
1. Plan Your Menu Layout
Grouping and prioritizing your menu items helps you determine the digital layout you'll need. It's time to think about design via a software interface, but don't rush it.
2. Let Us Know If Your Boards Will Go Indoors, Outdoors, or Both
This decision helps us determine the hardware you'll need. Your digital menu boards will need to meet the requirements of your layout. Boards for inside your restaurant differ from those used outside to attract street traffic.
3. Decide Who's Responsible for Menu Changes
The easy to use content management system for your staff is more important than any system with a lot of flashy features.
4. Begin at the Highest Traffic Locations
For restaurant groups, demonstrating success at one location helps easily justify menu board installs for other restaurant locations in your group.
5. After a Month, Review How Many Times Digital Menu Board Items Were Sold
Measure the success of the digital menu boards between menu item sales and time taken to complete an order before deciding to update additional menu boards.
Where Digital Menu Boards Fit Into Broader Digital Signage
Digital menu boards represent one type of solution within the entire landscape of digital signage. Digital signage covers everything from indoor advertising displays to a full-spectrum digital signage kiosk that enables self-service ordering. Menu boards, in particular, have the most impact in a restaurant setting, as they are the most visible interaction point with the customer, as opposed to a secondary channel that may be used for promotional or marketing activities.
Some restaurants incorporate a digital signage kiosk for self-ordering during busy hours, but this usually happens after the menu board system is in place and has demonstrated value. When evaluating digital signage providers for these solutions, it is beneficial to inquire about their experience in the hospitality field. The speed, hygiene, and how often signs need to updated in a restaurant setting are very different from retail and corporate environments.
Conclusion
Auckland area restaurants can benefit from digital menu boards. Digital menu boards help with real-time price changes and with menu items becoming sold out. Printed menus can’t help with this. Digital menu boards can help restaurants with upselling, leading to a greater average order value. Weatherproof digital menu boards can be placed on a street-facing location. The right digital menu board in the right location can positively impact a restaurant’s service. The wrong choice can lead to a poor return on investment.
If you own a restaurant in Auckland and want to start using digital menu boards, call Dynamic Displays at +64 21 281 5009 for an honest recommendation regarding digital menu board placement and design.