RD Menu Design
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4 ❖ Restaurant Digest ❖ February, 2005 News Techniques for Great Menu Design By Elizabeth Orr Restaurant Digest G ood menu design can boost restaurant sales by 2 to 10 percent, according to National Restaurant Association research in 2000. But the question remains — what is good menu design? For lo- cal designers, it’s a menu that com- bines user-friendliness with a cer- tain restaurant-specific flair. For example, restaurant man- ager Jay Coldren of Indebleu, Washington, D.C., designed menus with a “found object” theme to match the international atmosphere of the restaurant, which blends French and Indian food. An art major at college, he was able to take over the menu design when efforts by a graphic design firm didn’t work out, he says. He started with a palette of col- ors inspired by those used in the restaurant’s interior design, such as warm oranges and creams, then chose a “modern but exotic” font. In keeping with the found object theme, he designed a cocktail menu that looks like a Washington, D.C., Metro map and a main dining menu with a passport theme. He also drew an Indebleu seal, which is featured on the cover of every menu. The results, he says, are designed to make the menu a fun as well as a necessary part of dining out, which was one goal of the menu design. “It’s hard to make adults smile,” Coldren said. COLDREN ESTIMATES that all told, he spent about two months working on the menus part-time. For restaurants that wish to hire an outside design firm, a typical price tag is $3,000 to $6,000, depending on the vendor and whether the de- signer is also working on a restaurant logo, table tents, or other pieces for the restaurant. Freelancers are often the best, and least costly, option for a simple menu redesign, says Carolanne O’Neil, creative director at West & As- sociate, McLean, Va. A designer typically starts with a visit to the restaurant and a conver- sation with the chef. Louanne Welgoss, principle of LTD Creative, Design should match decor and help increase user-friendliness. Frederick, Md., likes to start by talk- ing about the restaurant’s logo and theme, which helps tell her in which direction to take the menu. “If it’s a sports bar, you don’t want some- thing feminine and pretty,” she says. When designing a menu for one res- taurant that used chalkboards in its decor, LTD creative found similar il- lustrations to those already used in the restaurant and used them to cre- ate a chalkboard effect for the menu. Similarly, when Alexandria-based firm Grafik worked on menus for the Inn at Little Washington, Washington, Va., partner G r e g g Glaviano used a section of a mural in the restaurant’s hall as a menu cover. The choice of colors can help tie the menu into your restaurant, O’Neil says. “Not colors that make you hungry, like red and yellow. I tend to go with colors I think are tasty — like chocolate brown, lime green, strawberry — something you could apply to food.” THE TYPEFACE used can be as key to presentation as the colors, design- ers say. “Typography is No. 1,” Glaviano says. “You want elegance and a clean organization.” The type- face used in the menu should line up with a restaurant’s general feel, he says. While he used a classic- looking font for the Inn, he has also resorted to more modern-type de- sign for contemporary restaurants. How the information is organized is also important, O’Neil says. The most prominent place for specials and other items the restaurant wants to promote is the top of the inside right page, she says. The least prominent real estate — the back of the menu — can be reserved for beverages, any children’s menu, and other things that don’t need as much prominence. It’s also important to group the information in an orga- nized way, to make it easier for cus- tomers to find what they want. Common problems on menus in- clude typos and spelling errors, de- signers said. “Typos bother people,” O’Neil says simply. Designers are also bothered by overly long or complex menus. “People want to see the menu item, what it is, and the price immediately. You shouldn’t need a ruler to sort through it,” Welgoss says. Another challenge in menu design is finding the right paper — some- thing that will look clean and crisp even after being handled with greasy or wet fingers, and can be replaced if prices or specials change. To help one restaurant accomplish this, O’Neil created plates for the printer that had all of the colors ex- cept the black ink used for the prices. Being able to only change one plate out of the four-color pro- cess allowed the customer to run a higher number of menus at a better price per sheet, she said. Coldren used a similar approach for Indebleu menus, stockpiling a paper base that could be redone in the restaurant’s laser printer. To get the right paper for the menu, he scanned in passports from res- taurant staff, then ordered 1,500 sheets printed with the design that could be finished in a laser printer. “You want elegance and a clean organization.” — Gregg Glaviano, graphic designer, Grafik This menu, designed by Carolanne O’Neil for Saint Germain in McLean, uses an easy-to-follow organization and a “tasty” color scheme.
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Transcript of RD Menu Design
4 ❖ Restaurant Digest ❖ February, 2005
News
Techniques for Great Menu Design
By Elizabeth Orr
Restaurant Digest
Good menu design canboost restaurant salesby 2 to 10 percent,according to National
Restaurant Association research in2000. But the question remains —what is good menu design? For lo-cal designers, it’s a menu that com-bines user-friendliness with a cer-tain restaurant-specific flair.
For example,restaurant man-ager Jay Coldrenof Indebleu,Wa s h i n g t o n ,D.C., designedmenus with a“found object”theme to matchthe internationalatmosphere of the restaurant, whichblends French and Indian food. Anart major at college, he was able totake over the menu design whenefforts by a graphic design firmdidn’t work out, he says.
He started with a palette of col-ors inspired by those used in therestaurant’s interior design, such aswarm oranges and creams, thenchose a “modern but exotic” font.
In keeping with the found objecttheme, he designed a cocktail menuthat looks like a Washington, D.C.,Metro map and a main dining menuwith a passport theme. He also drewan Indebleu seal, which is featuredon the cover of every menu.
The results, he says, are designedto make the menu a fun as well as anecessary part of dining out, whichwas one goal of the menu design.“It’s hard to make adults smile,”Coldren said.
COLDREN ESTIMATES that alltold, he spent about two monthsworking on the menus part-time.For restaurants that wish to hire anoutside design firm, a typical pricetag is $3,000 to $6,000, dependingon the vendor and whether the de-signer is also working on a restaurantlogo, table tents, or other pieces forthe restaurant. Freelancers are oftenthe best, and least costly, option for asimple menu redesign, says CarolanneO’Neil, creative director at West & As-sociate, McLean, Va.
A designer typically starts with avisit to the restaurant and a conver-sation with the chef. LouanneWelgoss, principle of LTD Creative,
Design should match decor andhelp increase user-friendliness.
Frederick, Md., likes to start by talk-ing about the restaurant’s logo andtheme, which helps tell her in whichdirection to take the menu. “If it’s asports bar, you don’t want some-thing feminine and pretty,” she says.When designing a menu for one res-taurant that used chalkboards in itsdecor, LTD creative found similar il-lustrations to those already used inthe restaurant and used them to cre-ate a chalkboard effect for the menu.
Similarly, when Alexandria-basedfirm Grafikworked onmenus for theInn at LittleWashington,Washington,Va., partnerG r e g gGlaviano useda section of a
mural in the restaurant’s hall as amenu cover.
The choice of colors can help tiethe menu into your restaurant,O’Neil says. “Not colors that makeyou hungry, like red and yellow. Itend to go with colors I think aretasty — like chocolate brown, limegreen, strawberry — something youcould apply to food.”
THE TYPEFACE used can be as keyto presentation as the colors, design-ers say. “Typography is No. 1,”Glaviano says. “You want eleganceand a clean organization.” The type-face used in the menu should lineup with a restaurant’s general feel,he says. While he used a classic-looking font for the Inn, he has alsoresorted to more modern-type de-sign for contemporary restaurants.
How the information is organizedis also important, O’Neil says. Themost prominent place for specialsand other items the restaurantwants to promote is the top of theinside right page, she says. The leastprominent real estate — the backof the menu — can be reserved forbeverages, any children’s menu, andother things that don’t need as muchprominence. It’s also important togroup the information in an orga-nized way, to make it easier for cus-tomers to find what they want.
Common problems on menus in-clude typos and spelling errors, de-signers said. “Typos bother people,”O’Neil says simply.
Designers are also bothered byoverly long or complex menus.“People want to see the menu item,
what it is, and the price immediately.You shouldn’t need a ruler to sortthrough it,” Welgoss says.
Another challenge in menu designis finding the right paper — some-thing that will look clean and crispeven after being handled withgreasy or wet fingers, and can bereplaced if prices or specials change.
To help one restaurant accomplishthis, O’Neil created plates for theprinter that had all of the colors ex-cept the black ink used for theprices. Being able to only changeone plate out of the four-color pro-cess allowed the customer to run ahigher number of menus at a betterprice per sheet, she said.
Coldren used a similar approachfor Indebleu menus, stockpiling apaper base that could be redonein the restaurant’s laser printer. Toget the right paper for the menu,he scanned in passports from res-taurant staff, then ordered 1,500sheets printed with the design thatcould be finished in a laser printer.
“You want eleganceand a cleanorganization.”
— Gregg Glaviano, graphicdesigner, Grafik
This menu, designed by Carolanne O’Neil forSaint Germain in McLean, uses an easy-to-followorganization and a “tasty” color scheme.
