Using a digital menu board.

The design and feel of many quick serve restaurants is about to undergo a major change, with the U.S. Federal government passing a bill for food labeling that is expected to be enforced later this year. However various digital signage solutions stand on the side lines ready to help QSR’s comply with this bill.

What is a digital menu board?

Now, let us look at what makes up a digital menu board, as this type of electronic menu are spreading in demand like wildfire.

A digital menu board solutions use some form of flat panel display connected to a media player that holds the adverts.

Multiple Outlet solution.

There are other variations on this that include networked media players so that the content can be controlled from one central office and ideal for multiple outlet chains of restaurants. And this gives the head office control over their brand image of the company and promotions can be synchronized throughout the outlets, or can provide local menu variations depending on locally sourced products.

Single Outlet solution.

These usually have a commercial grade LCD display and a USB Media player built-in, these offer a very cost-effective solution and give the restaurant owner/manager total control of the menu. The only down side is that any update for a new food item or promotional has to be added to the media player manual, this only takes a minute at the most.
The digital menu board is the way in which a restaurant can display its menu using images and videos. These are also used to of offer promotions with “saver meals”, using local produce that is the season and plentiful thus resulting in a more profitable meal for the restaurant and a more cost effective lunch for the customer.

What is the ROI for digital menu boards?

With over 200,000 QSR’s having to comply to the new food labeling bill by displaying nutritional information for each of the food item on the menu and restaurants are desperate to provide a solution. With many QSR’s already cluttered menu boards, restaurant owners are considering installing a digital menu boards to comply with the new bill.

The return on investment is pretty quick for a digital menu board, as these electronic menu boards are quick and easy to update compared to traditional menus that are printed. Just think if you have printed a new menu for your restaurant only to find a spelling mistake, and the entire process would have to be repeated to rectify the problem with a cost implication.

Now comparing this to a digital menu board, should an error be found, it can be corrected in a matter of seconds without any costs incurred. On the other hand, if you had to have a special on the menu or you will have to do is take a picture of the food, write a description and add the nutritional value and refresh the digital menu board now the special has been added to the digital signage.
The initial investment for digital menu boards various from a $1000 for the basic electronic menu to $5000 depending on the screen size and if the media player is USB or networked.

When using seasonal produced for the specials, profits can be increased dramatically ensuring that the return on investment for the digital signage can be seen in less than two months.

How simple are digital menu boards to deploy?

These electronic menus can be mounted in either landscape or portrait and are as simple as hanging a picture frame on the wall.
What about outdoor digital menu boards?

Now some outlets that of the facility for a drive thru are deploying standard indoor digital menu boards outside, but are using digital menu board enclosures to protect them from the weather and possible damage from any careless drivers.

DOOH Limited is a specialist supplier to QSR’s supplying various digital menu board solutions, more details can be seen here.