digital menu display screens quotation

A digital menu board is a sleek, electronic display of the menu you provide at your locale. Often displayed on a television screen, they can also be mounted on the wall. These applications vibrantly display a host of options for your customers to easily view before they get to the point of purchase. Digital menu boards also provide the ability to change messaging to better match your viewer’s needs. FASTSIGNS® provides professional grade digital menu boards that can display during specific desired time frames or be up 24/7.

These bright and easy-to-read digital displays are a great choice for restaurants, retailers, bars, or other hospitality environments. They show people offer in an engaging way and provide a central place in your business to promote your products and services and to display pricing. Digital menu boards influence customers at the point of purchase, improve ambiance and are easy to read.Showcases Your Products

Keep your patrons informed of everything you offer from the main courses to the desserts. Promote special offers, holiday dishes, catering options, and more with this colorful option for displaying what is available at your dining establishment.Highlights Your Brand and Business

You can use digital menu boards to further showcase your brand logo, name and messaging in so many ways. With the assistance of digital signage solutions. you have all the elements to fully communicate your message and keep your hungry customers engaged.

Digital menu boards can add dynamic real time information such as promotions and changing specials. Let FASTSIGNS show you more ways to extend your message and capture attention using the creativity of digital menu boards.

Are you still on the fence about investing in a digital menu board? If you’re concerned the total cost will break your budget, fear not. Digital menu boards price ranges start at under $500, including a TV, to over $2,000 for solutions with high-end commercial displays and enterprise signage service subscriptions. Therefore, this means you have the flexibility to choose a combo of TV, digital signage software and hardware that fits your restaurant, bar or cafe’s bottom line. Also, did you know that 80% of restaurant owners say they help boost sales? Certainly, this dollars-and-cents benefit might mean switching from paper to digital menus leads to a new era for your business. So, here’s the item by item breakdown of the true cost of digital menu boards, that way you can tailor the tech to your budget.

In order to set up a digital menu board, you’ll need three components. First of all you need a TV if you don’t already have one. Then, you’ll have to purchase a digital signage solution consisting of a software service and a digital signage player. Of course, you have wiggle room regarding pricing with each component, as that will affect the final digital menu board cost.

LED TV tech lends itself well to brightly-lit restaurants, bars and cafes. Specifically, you get brighter, high-contrast images and videos which capture people’s attention and make your menu board more attractive, too. Also, you can find reliable, robust models from all the big manufacturers for under $400. Therefore, this keeps the digital menu board cost down. Shop around for cost-effective TV models from Samsung, Sony and other big names.

On the other hand, if you want to set up your digital menu board a few feet away from your customers, look into Fine Pixel Pitch LEDs. Of course, they come with a higher price tag, but if you want to reduce pixelation, they offer a great solution.

Commercial displays, such as an NEC professionaldigital signage TV, include an embedded digital signage player and software. Therefore, you won’t need to have external signage hardware or deal with the setup. For those of you who want top-notch professional TVs, this is the way to go.

However, the cost of digital menu boards rises, as screen prices range in the several thousands of dollars. On the other hand, you do get a professional digital signage display with pre-installed hardware and software. So if you’re open to a serious investment for your business, you might want to consider it.

The type of signage software you choose factors into digital menu board pricing. Most importantly, you can purchase solutions that start at $7.99 per screen for a monthly subscription. This significantly lowers the cost of digital menu board ownership, once you buy big-ticket items such as TVs. Without a doubt, you can also find subscriptions that go up to $95+ per month for each screen you run.

Regardless of the price tag, you must make sure the software you choose offers features that maximize the benefits of digital menu boards. For example, choose a digital signage solution that “lives” online, kind of like your Gmail account. This is especially useful, as all you have to do is log in to access your digital signage solution, no matter where you are. Also, you don’t have to hire someone to help you download a special program and configure settings.

Then, you can do all your menu board creation from your PC, while on the go. You can also instantly display it on your screens from your computer, too. Specifically, all editing, such as changing price lists and menu items, and displaying it on TV happens remotely, without you going to each screen to make changes.

Also, make sure the service provider offers free, fully customizable digital signage templates for menu boards. Significantly, this ensures your menu boards look professional and designed with your target industry in mind. In addition, you can customize them and add your logos, photos and videos.

Finally, a great scheduling feature is a must-have. It helps you display different digital menu boards so they target different customers at different times of day. Given that they will appear on your TVs automatically, you save tons of time and can focus on top-notch customer service. Specifically, create a daily schedule with menu boards that appeal to breakfast walk-ins, hurried office workers and the after-school crowd. And it’s super easy to do. In this way, you create targeted digital menu boards that keep boosting sales, which in turn recoups the cost of purchase.

Essentially, a digital signage player is a media player that displays all your images, videos and menu boards on TV. In fact, each digital signage provider offers their own type of players, so you will have to review each option carefully. Essentially, this is a one-time purchase and costs range from $79 (or even free with annual subscriptions) to under $400.

You can run digital menu boards using two types of players: an external hardware media player you plug into your TVs, or a software player that’s already installed in your screens.

Firstly, you can choose to pair your signage software with an external digital signage player, such as the Raspberry Pi. You simply hook it up to your TV. What’s more, if you purchase it straight from the solution provider, it usually comes pre-configured with your WiFi credentials. So you totally by-pass configuration hassles. In addition, you get the whole kit, with all the extra memory, case and cables required starting at $79. And that means you don’t come up against any last-minute, surprise expenses. In addition, it keeps displaying content even if your internet is down – which means customers focus on your promos and not blank screens. Most importantly, this kind of player offers the best experience for businesses, as it’s secure and robust.

Other options include Android external players. Costs range from $30 to about $90 or more for hardware players you plug into your TVs. You might want to consider this tech, as it has advantages such as plug & play capabilities. However, you must choose a model that can support multimedia content – an essential component of effective menu boards.

Also, BrightSign players give you many features, such as 4K video, video wall setup and interactivity which you may want for high-tech menu board setups. Specifically, prices hover at about $370 per media player.

Also, you might consider using a Web Player. Specifically, this media player uses the web browser already installed in your Smart TV in order to display digital menu boards. If you don’t have the space for external digital players because you have to set up a pop-up restaurant or bar experience, this might be a great option for you. Web Players offer that instant, hardware-free setup that’s perfect for special situations. Similarly, Android apps already installed in your mobile devices offer the same advantages. Price-wise, these types of players are more cost-effective than external players, however they don’t all provide the same seamless experience.

In short, yes, you usually display digital menu boards on TVs so that customers clearly see your menu items and promos as they wait in line to order. However, you can also use a Web Player and display digital menu boards on tablets at each table.

All-in-one digital signage providers want to make it easy for you to create great-looking digital menu boards in just a few steps. So, use free templates and make them your own by adding your branding and photos. Or, if you feel creative, try designing one from scratch. Just follow these steps:

When you purchase a digital signage solution that includes both software and hardware, providers ensure anyone can set it up. Especially if your media player comes pre-configured with your WiFi credentials, you just plug it in and it works. Similarly, if you opt for a Web Player, you can get started immediately. Then, simply create your digital menu board using the software’s features and push it to your screens. See for yourself how easy it is to set up digital signage players so you can get started and boost profits.

Of course, before making any type of investment, you want to first check it out and see if it suits your restaurant. So, see if the digital signage provider offers a free trial or demo, so they can address your digital menu board price concerns. Others give you the option of actually running a menu board yourself to see how it helps your business grow.

Yodeck, for instance, gives you free, all-feature access to any plan so you test it out on one screen. Specifically, along with all other features including schedules, you can use free professionally-designed menu board templates and free stock media. Therefore, if you don’t have your own photos yet, you can use free images and videos to add to menu boards.

In brief, a complete digital menu board solution that includes a TV, software and hardware costs between $500 – $2,000+, depending on the TV and service provider. However, if you already own a TV, you can get the cost down to as little as $7.99 per month per screen. Similarly, as the media player is a one-off expense, and could even come free with annual subscriptions, you can make the switch to digital without making a significant investment. Also, keep in mind that other restaurants benefited from digital menu boards with a big profit boost. So, give it a whirl, see how your customers react. Although we have a hunch those checkout lines will get longer and longer once they see pics and videos of all your delicious goodies.

Digital menu boards are a great tool for food-service businesses. Get the most out of your digital displays by considering these four important elements!

When investing in digital signage boards, users should think of the new equipment as an integral part of the overall ongoing brand messaging strategy.

NRA is the perfect time to consider turning your digital menu board ideas into reality. The Howard Company is the complete solutions provider for you!

Do you have a digital content strategy? Careful planning, including understanding your audience and your objectives, will lead to success with digital displays.

Using both digital displays and some type of static menu board can be a very effective solution for businesses that don"t need all of their menu content to be dynamic.

Jim Reeder compares commercial-grade digital displays and residential tv"s, and why it is better for businesses to use commercial-grade when displaying digital content.

Each illuminated menu board manufactured at The Howard Company is designed custom-made to our partners" brand. When using bright LED illumination you will not have to worry about a dim visual or inconsistent lighting. Illuminated menu boards have the option to be mounted on the wall, set at an angle, or curved to perfection. We have a fantastic graphic design team, full of experts waiting to take your menu board from average to dynamic!

These files and content apps are handled through the software. The hardware is your digital signage player that will then display the content on your screens.

The two types of screen types you have are LED & LCD and the displays are split between commercial and consumer. While commercial displays usually have a higher upfront cost, the long term benefits outweigh the price. The commercial displays have a higher brightness, portrait/landscape options, longer warranties, and can operate for longer hours.

If your business employs digital signage, you will find it a bit challenging to keep updating the screens with fresh content. Digital displays are commonly used for advertising, but you can use them to inform, entertain, and update employees and customers. If you are in the market for more content ideas, you can start sharing quotes on your digital signage.

While you can look for inspiration from the digital displays of businesses around you, keep in mind that you will need unique content to attract customers. For example, retailers can display product details, upcoming trends, and sales, while restaurants will find more success by showcasing menus, cooking videos for good food, and chef spotlights.Quotes will work for most industries, and they will keep your staff motivated throughout the day.

Inspirational quotes can make your digital signage more entertaining and informative and lift the moods of potential clients. You can also use them to design a welcoming environment. For example, you can add Yelp reviews and Facebook comments from happy customers to encourage other potential clients to explore your store.

When choosing quotes, consider the things that make your staff excited to work at your firm. Who are their idols? What words inspire them? You can ask them to share their favorite content for display around your business premises. By showing your team that their opinions are valued, you will boost engagement levels and productivity. Some quotes you can use include:

Learning institutions across the globe are embracing digital networks to communicate more effectively with students and teaching staff. Digital signage has emerged as a non-intrusive way of knowledge sharing and designing a stimulating environment for learning. There are many differentcontent apps schools can use.

You use digital signage displays to support your company goals, share information, and motivate customers to buy your products. Digital displays are a creative medium of advertising your brand without doing any actual ‘advertising.’ For example, you can display a quote of the day to foster more appreciation for your brand and inspire consumers to do more shopping. Motivation quotes can also provide the encouragement needed by your sales team to reach their targets.

While the use of quotes on digital displays needs minimal effort, you will need some creativity to ensure they are effective. To start, find famous quotes that are relevant to your industry. The usefulness of quotes also fades fast, and you want to update them as often as you can.

Ensure that the display quotes are large enough to be seen from several feet away. You can add eye-catching background images to make the quotes stand out even more. You should also display individual quotes for a few seconds to keep your audience entertained.

The challenging part of using digital signage is curating fresh content regularly to engage audiences. Sharing inspiring quotes in digital displays is one way to entertain customers and motivate employees to achieve business goals. The internet is littered with the best quotes for every industry, and you only have to select the ones that will celebrate your brand.

The benefits of digital menu boards go beyond the aesthetics of effective product presentation. In fact, as more and more restaurants are replacing printed posters and menus with digital boards, benefits such as operational efficiency and an increase in revenue are being realized. Though restaurant digital signage is certainly eye-catching, there are five more areas that restaurants can tap into to maximize the ROI of their digital menus.

Digital menu boards offer so many advantages over traditional displays and menus and are the perfect way to draw your customers’ attention to your products, make a connection with them, and highlight special offerings. With our digital signage, menus can be altered quickly, allowing you to change your menu depending on the time of day, availability of items, and daily specials.

SNAP Player is a simple to use, cloud based, digital signage software. SNAP Player utilizes the cloud to allow you to Control your campaigns from anywhere instantly. We have optimized our content delivery to an astonishing 3 seconds!

Offer your customers beautifully branded digital experiences with ScreenCloud, and set your QSR franchise up for success with digital menu boards that elevate dining experiences – and optimize sales.

Homegrown solutions like printed menus or USB sticks loaded with branded JPGs aren’t quick or easy to adjust – let alone scale across multiple locations.

With ScreenCloud, you can update promotions and pricing on the spot across one or every location. Create dynamic digital menu boards in minutes, and drive sales with relevant and effective content.

Customers expect a modern and digital-first experience. Which is why we have created an affordable solution with QSR-specific pricing so you can replicate this experience across all of your locations.

Easily set up your digital menu boards with ScreenCloud using our purpose-built model for franchises. ScreenCloud gives you the flexibility to organize, manage and even pay for screens by location.

ScreenCloud has near-universal hardware compatibility to work with the screens you already have, or any you might buy. And with our GraphQL API, you can also build whatever custom integrations you need as you grow.

Achieve brand consistency at every customer touchpoint with a branded digital dining experience that makes them believe you’re the best place in town.

Get started with one of our best-practice digital menu templates with the Digital Menu Board app, or incorporate your own designs and build branded templates within Canvas and replace your outdated printed material.

Our QSR pricing bundle includes everything you need to create a multi-location digital menu and signage strategy. And with our flexible financing options, we can deliver everything for one low monthly fee.

"ScreenCloud’s Professional Services team has brought The Halal Guys closer to achieving their digital signage goals. With their support and guidance, we’re able to seamlessly manage content on hundreds of screens. Through collaboration, we continue to identify new ways to make the user experience more efficient."

With 70+ apps included with your account – including the Canvas editing tool and social media integrations – you don’t need to spend time or money creating the content for your screens. You can also create your own custom integrations with our GraphQL API.

ScreenCloud’s easy-to-use content management system helps you to manage and monitor your digital screens. Check which are live, what’s playing and refresh content from your laptop or phone, wherever you are in the world.

Update pricing, promotions and menu options in real-time, or schedule content to show as and when you want it. Speed up ordering with menu visualization and keep customers entertained in the queue with branded social media displays, images and video.

Digital Menus by ElectroMenu are reasonably priced so that any size operation can take advantage of all the benefits digital menus and digital signs have to offer.

ElectroMenu®is proven to be 10x more effective at getting and keeping customer attention than traditional menu boards & other digital signage solutions. Typical results include a 29.5% increase in average purchase amounts.

Digital menus take the place of static displays and menu boards like printed signs and banners, back-lit signs, chalkboards or hard copy menu boards. Digital menus allow you to update content throughout the day by scheduling the appropriate content at the right time and the right place to....

ElectroMenu®digital menus & signage are the solution for all of your digital menu boards, electronic menu boards & digital signage needs. Take your business into the future, now. Anyone can create stunning graphics, animations & special effects, in seconds !

Netvisual is a leading full-service provider of digital menu board and digital signage solutions for fast food restaurants, quick service restaurants (QSR), casual dining restaurants, restaurant franchises, cafés, coffee shops, bakeries, food trucks, ice cream shops, cafeterias, bars, supermarkets and grocery stores across Canada and the USA.Netvisual offers custom menu designs, top quality screens, easy-to-use digital menu boards software, seamless installations, and dedicated technical support to ensure that you get the most out of our digital menu boards.

Control 1 or 1000s of digital menu screens from a single location. Update prices, images, videos and templates from our easy-to-use web-based digital menu boards software. Our software is highly reliable, built to operate 24/7.

Maximize your daily sales with beautiful, easy-to-use promotional templates that highlight specific menu items. Modify promotional templates’ content within seconds through our easy-to-use digital menu boards software.

Our design team has a thorough understanding of design principles for digital signage and will help you create high-impact digital menu board designs for your restaurant.

Netvisual’s industry-leading digital menu board software allows you to easily edit and manage your digital menu boards from any computer or mobile device, at any time. Updates can be deployed quickly to one display or thousands located around the world.

Screens that run 24/7 without damage to the display are critical for businesses that are open 24 hours per day including healthcare, hospitals, pharmacies, hotels, and convenience stores.Our Philips Commercial 24/7 displays run continuously without damage and our displays are super bright and can be placed indoors, outdoor, and in shop windows.

Our digital menu board screens come pre-installed with our "drag and drop" web-based content designer that"s as easier to use than PowerPoint! Quickly create digital menus and promotional content across your screens with our toolbox of animated text, social media widgets, RSS feeds, such as ESPN, royalty-free images, vectors, video, and animated GIFs.

Start your design from scratch or use the gorgeous pre-designed templates available for all types of businesses including events, hospitality, restaurants, churches, retail, and more. Use your multi-spanning screens to display social distancing requirements for your restaurant or public venue.

Make quick menu changes with LumaVu"s web-based content editor. It"s as easy as PowerPoint to create menu updates or pricing changes. You can even publish changes remotely - and instantly - to your digital menu boards via WiFi and Bluetooth - it"s even 4G/LTE capable!

The "day-parting/scheduling" feature can instantly change your menu content at prescheduled times. For example, have a pre-set time each day to display your breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu, update your Daily Special on the fly, and more.

Easily create your digital menus and manage your content remotely with our web-based digital content editor. Our content editor is loaded with features; create eye-catching multi-display spanning designs including social feeds, animated text, video, and images.

Every digital signage purchase includes free 1x1 software training with our support specialists so even if the world of digital signage is new to you, we will walk you through everything you need to know.

Digital signage works best for businesses when the digital signage content is fresh, new, and exciting. If your company or business employs digital signage displays, then you probably know that it can often be challenging to come up with fresh content to display.

Depending on your industry, you may be using digital signage as a digital menu, as a wayfinding aid, as an efficient way to optimize employee communications, as a way to display pricing for marketing purposes, and much more.

While these use cases for digital signage are critical and can have highly beneficial effects for your business, you may be looking for other ways to make your digital signage more engaging.

One of the best ways to engage with customers and employees through digital signage content is to use digital signage software to display quotes. Often, the best quotes will be inspirational quotes and motivational quotes, especially when communicating with employees and when trying to boost the morale of clients, such as gym members.

One of the biggest advantages of using digital signage to share daily quotes is that you do not have to put in much work to create engaging content. Good digital signage solutions will usually provide you with integrations and templates for displaying quotes full screen on your digital signs, and there are plenty of tutorials for how to create eye-catching designs.

This means that the biggest hurdle is finding new quotes to display. Luckily, this is not a big hurdle. It is perfectly feasible that you could share a new quote of the day, using a quotes app or google searches, for a year without running out of material.

In this article, we will go over some of the best quotes you can use in your digital signage playlists to create interesting and engaging content to display on digital signage screens for customers and employees alike.

Retail stores can leverage many different types of digital signage content to increase sales. From calls to action to highlighting products that are on sale and much more, digital signage is truly the future of in-store retail marketing.

What many retail store owners and managers don’t realize is that the right type of quotes displayed in the store can really put people in a money-spending mood. Here are some quotes that can do just that:

As you can see, there are so many different types of quotes that you can choose from when filling your digital signage playlist with content. Of course, you don’t just want to share any quote that you find. That"s why it is important that you have a process for choosing the right quotes for your business.

When creating all types of digital signage, it is important that you have a good grasp of what your brand identity is. Once you know your brand identity, you can then start to think about what your goal is by sharing quotes on your digital screens.

Once you have decided what your goals are, you can then start curating the quotes you will display in your store. If you initially put in some work, then the payoff can be truly great.

We use commercial grade screens and a web-based digital menu software. The software can run on Windows, Android, Chrome or on the new commercial LCD screens from Samsung & LG with no PC or media player required!  This translates into savings for our clients since there is less hardware to purchase and support. The commercial grade screens are certified to run 16 to 24 hours (depending on the model and are backed with up to a 5 year manufacturer’s warranty for your peace of mind.

To give the ability to instantly update your displays, they are connected to the Internet and can be hard-wired or wireless. Usually any existing internet connection will do so long as there is ample coverage where the screens will be installed in the case of wifi. The bandwidth for digital signage is pretty low because all the content is downloaded to the screen and it stays there until the program tells it that there is an update.

No, the software is very easy to use and menu items can be updated or turned on or off with a simple mouse click.  You can update your menus from any Internet PC, Tablet or even your smartphone!  Software training is included,  and online help videos and documentation are a click away.  Plus our support team is always available if needed for some extra help.

All of our software is web-based, so you can update your menus yourself at any time day or night.  As stated above, it’s a very easy management software but some clients do choose to have us manage their menu boards as an add-on service.

Digital signage quotes are always a pretty custom deal as it depends on several variables including the size of screen, installation requirements, menu design, etc. But a single screen menu board and software can start as low as $699

Yes, you can stall install the screens yourself, and this can save time and money if integrated with an existing build out.  Talk to your contractor and we can also provide them with the full screen and mount specs.  If needed, we do offer full installation services including data cabling and electrical.

Absolutely!  The new FDA requirements for calories and other nutritional infomation are coming soon.  Many are moving to digital to allow them to easily update as new requirements come into play.  Calories, Sodium, Fat, Sugar, Gluten-Free and other info can be displayed and easily updated on any menu.

There is no limit to the amount or number of updates you can make.  You can also schedule menus to appear at specific times of the day, 24/7 day or night.

Yes, the software can work with existing screens, however, we strongly recommend commercial-grade screens for extra reliability and functionality. If you have a traditional LCD screen and want to add the flexibility and options that our software has, it may require a small media player to run the software.  This depends on the model of screen you have and would need to be determined on a case by case basis.

Digital menu boards are electronic screens that display menu options, pricing, images, and videos. They are an excellent way to inform customers of your cuisine style, showcase specials and promotions, and encourage upselling. The screens themselves can be pricey—ranging from $325 to $1,400—and the ongoing cost for software can be as low as $7.99 per month.

With advances in smart TVs and streaming devices, it has never been easier to set up digital menu boards and displays. If you’re thinking about adding some to your shop, here’s the easiest way to do it.

There are two ways to set up a digital menu board, both involving a television screen with HDMI or USB connections. Once you have your TVs, you can either connect a signage player or a thumb drive. The most popular setup is using a signage player because it is easier to manage multiple screens from a single dashboard, and most signage players come with easy-to-use menu templates. So we’ll start with that strategy.

Most small, independent restaurants can piece together a digital display system easily. All you need is a screen, a compatible digital signage player, mounting hardware, and cords to connect these components.

Screens:Most digital menu boards operate on smart TVs. Either LCD or LED screens will work; you just need to be sure that the screens you purchase have HDMI ports, as most digital sign players connect via HDMI. The number of screens you need will vary based on the size of your menu, what you want to display, and how much space you have. If you plan to install your screens outdoors, you’ll need to ensure they are graded for water and wind resistance.

Digital sign player: These are small devices, similar to a Roku or an Apple TV. Many digital signage companies provide their own signage players. Often, the cost is factored into your monthly fee, or you’ll pay upfront. Alternatively, several cloud-based digital signage platforms like SignPresenter, operate via Amazon Fire TV Sticks, which retail for around $40 each. You’ll need a digital sign player for each menu screen.

Mounting hardware and connection cables:You’ll need to buy mounting gear to install your TVs, as well as compatible connecting cables. Depending on your layout and other cloud-based tools, you may also need internet signal boosters, routers, or wireless access points to ensure your digital signs never lose connectivity.

What is HDMI? HDMI stands for High Definition Media Interface. HDMI connections can transfer high definition images and high quality audio from one device to another. HDMI connections can enable you to project your menu on a high-definition television screen and even show videos or animation if your sign player supports those features.

With your hardware in hand, you’re ready to mount your screens to the wall. Before you grab your level and power drill, you need to find the ideal location for your screens. You want your digital menus to be visible in high-traffic areas where your customers can see them. But there are a few more variables to consider.

Near electrical outlets.Your screens (and sometimes your sign player too) will need to be plugged in to electricity. You’ll want to place your screens within 3 to 6 feet of a grounded wall outlet.

Near a Wi-Fi signal. Most digital sign players operate via the cloud. To ensure your content reliably shows up on your displays, you’ll need to have a stable internet connection.

Away from glare. Light fixtures and light from windows can cause glare on your screens. You can reduce this by purchasing anti-glare screens, moving light fixtures, or adjusting your screens’ tilt.

Away from heat and water.Restaurants and other service businesses should be mindful of the temperature near their screens. Water and steam are also a concern.

Depending on your restaurant’s layout, mounting your screens from a ceiling or soffit may make the most sense. The slideshow below illustrates several mounting options to help you choose the best spot.

Most digital signage platforms have a gallery of images and content widgets to help you create dynamic images, animation, or even videos to enliven your displays. Alternatively, if you have design experience or a designer working for you to create menus and other content for your digital menu, you can design your own digital menu.

If you lack the administrative bandwidth to design displays yourself, you might prefer to work with a platform like Reach, which includes design services for subscribers. Alternatively, you could hire a freelance designer from a site like Fiverr to create templates you can reuse.

The beauty of a digital menu board is that you can use bright colors and eye-catching graphics to capture your customers’ attention and guide them through your menu. Depending on your service style and business type, various menu formats may be best. We’ve included a few of our favorites to get your creative juices flowing.

The Blackboard. This high contrast black and white design is a natural fit for coffee shops, coffee roasters, delis, and farm-to-table operations. (Image from DSMEnu)

The multi-column, static image. Dynamic colors offset different areas of the menu so customers can easily find what they want. It is a great format for delis, burger joints, taquerias, and noodle shops. (Image from DSMenu)

The menu grid. This grid layout is an excellent way to highlight a single-item menu that has lots of variations. Bakeries and burger joints would get good use out of this style. (Image from DSMenu)

The large graphic. This style is a great fit for restaurants that want to highlight a combo or promotion. If you want to get fancy, you could fly those burgers into the screen with a bit of animation. (Image from DSMenu)

The menu with a header. This dynamic design has clearly established areas for standard menu items and specials. The header image can easily be updated to reflect an upcoming holiday without disturbing the rest of the menu.

Setting up a digital menu display using a thumb drive will save you a little money, mostly in monthly software fees. You’ll still need to buy screens and mounting hardware, though, which are the costliest parts of setting up a digital menu.

The biggest difference between a sign player setup and a thumb drive setup is that thumb drives do not require internet access to operate. So, you can place your screens without any regard for Wi-Fi signal strength. This process varies only a little bit from that of using a signage player.

Step 2: Mount your screens.The way you mount your screen will vary depending on your restaurant layout. You’ll want to use appropriate mounting hardware and install it in sturdy walls with electrical outlets nearby.

Step 3: Design your menu template(s). If you use a thumb drive, you’ll need a template for your menu. If you have the skills, you can design a digital menu using popular design software like Canva or Adobe Photoshop. You can hire a freelance designer from a site like Fiverr to create a menu template for you, or you can use DSMenu and Yodeck’s free design tools to create simple, static menu images (dynamic menus with animated functions require an annual subscription). Once you have a design you like, you need to enter your menu information and download the finished menu to your thumb drive.

Step 4: Insert the thumb drive into the TV.Plug the thumb drive into the USB port of your smart TV. Use the television remote control to navigate to the output that corresponds to the USB port. You’ll need a thumb drive for each screen you plan to use. If you want different images to display on different screens, you’ll need to design menus for each one.

Smart TVs are getting lighter every year, but they are still expensive, sensitive equipment that can do some real damage if they fall. If you are even the slightest bit stressed about installing screens yourself, call a licensed professional. If you buy your screens from a big-box retailer like Best Buy or Home Depot, you can use their referral tools to find a local, independent installation technician. These professionals tend to focus on basic wall-hanging installations; you may need to shop around for more complex, ceiling-hung installations.

If you need a large scale digital screen installation, platforms like Samsung and Peerless-AV provide professional installation for a fee. Rates vary depending on the complexity of your installation. When hiring a professional installer, it is important to ensure that your technicians are licensed and insured. Using an unlicensed installer may violate the terms of your lease or liability insurance or void hardware warranties.

If you are mounting several screens in walls without grounded electrical outlets, you should also call an electrician. It may be less expensive in the short term to connect your screens via lengths of extension cords, but daisy-chained extension cords can be a fire and trip hazard. It is far safer to have a professional install a few more electrical outlets exactly where you need them.

Clearly, there are a few different costs associated with digital menu boards. Most small businesses can expect to pay about $400 to $1,700 for a single digital menu board with all its necessary components. The biggest cost variance comes from your choice of screens. The larger your televisions and the higher their resolution, the pricier your setup will be.

BrightSign’s sign player is compatible with many digital sign platforms. Prices range from $300 to $500, depending on the model. (Image from BrightSign)

Most digital menus can operate with LCD or LED television screens. Though LEDs tend to be better for digital signage because they are lightweight and thinner than LCD screens and generate less heat. LEDs are also less prone to a phenomena called “screen burn,” where traces of an image remain after the screen has changed to a different image.

Costs will vary depending on the brand, specifications like LCD or LED, size, and bulk discounting; costs range from $325 to $1,400 each for 43-inch to 65-inch displays. We’ve listed some popular digital menu screen options in the slideshow below.

This outdoor digital menu is built with Panasonic ClearConect screens that can operate from -31 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and can withstand driving rain. They are available from Panasonic at custom-quote prices.

Implementing digital signage can be an affordable upgrade from the paper or plastic sign solution you have now. If you’re outfitting your space with multiple screens, it could be a sizable investment. The average cost of a full-scale, multi-screen restaurant installation is around $12,000, but many small businesses find that their systems pay for themselves in 12 to 18 months. This makes sense as you’ll be saving on printing and design services and have increased potential for upsells.

When it comes to the pros and cons of digital menu boards, the positives stack up quickly. Using a digital menu board can help drive sales. They are incredibly convenient, and you can display calorie counts easily. Yes, a digital menu is pricier than a printed menu, but it’s an investment that will likely pay off within a year.

Increased sales: An oft-cited statistic from Nielsen indicates the overwhelming majority (over 80%) of small businesses noticed an uptick in sales after they installed digital signage.

Better customer service:Vermont bar and restaurant Pro Pig Brewery added digital menu boards behind its bar during COVID-19. They found that it freed up their bartenders to have more in-depth conversations with customers about the rotating beer selections.

Increased customer engagement: Retailers that use digital signage report increased customer engagement, including improved branding, reduced perceived wait times, and reduced walkouts. About three-fourths of respondents in a survey by Future Stores said their customers have very well or exceptionally well to the use of digital signage.

Convenience:Updating printed menus requires time and ink. A digital menu can change as often as you’d like, and it’s as easy as filling out forms online.

Nutritional info: It’s far easier to display nutritional information on your food menus with a digital menu board; if you make any changes to an item, you won’t have to reprint a menu with the new calorie count.

Upfront cost: To get started with digital menu boards, you’ll have to spend a sizable amount for TVs or monitors and media players, and you’ll have an ongoing monthly fee. Plus, if you want professional photos or graphics, you’ll have to hire talent for it.

Power usage: Most smart TVs are designed to be energy efficient, but even the most efficient smart TV uses more energy than a paper menu. Every hour your restaurant is open, your digital menu boards will need electrical power, which will have a definite impact on your energy bills.

Outages:If your internet connection goes out, your menus are down; it’s a good idea to have a mobile hot spot ready to go as a backup, but this could come with extra costs as well.

A digital menu board is an excellent way to entice customers to engage with your restaurant. It is easy to operate and is a relatively affordable solution to the static menus, directories, maps, and in-store advertising you may currently use. Not only do digital displays give your business some extra polish, but they have also been shown to drive sales and increase customer affinity for your business. They can also free up your staff to build more authentic connections with your customers and drive repeat business. You can find plenty of freestanding solutions or integrate with your POS system.

The best digital TV menu for your restaurant depends on your budget and preference and the type of restaurant you are running. Digital TV menus are made using digital signage software or with simple tools like Microsoft Powerpoint or Adobe design software. There is no doubt that high-definition restaurant TV menus/ digital menu boards make a great first impression. They are also probably less expensive and easier to update than traditional printed signage.

Large restaurant chains like McDonald’s can benefit from digital menu board software that can easily be updated across all restaurants and come with customizable pre-made templates. Pricing for digital signage varies and starts at about $20/month. Digital signage software is essential if you are constantly looking to update your menu and pricing and want to do this yourself easily without the help of a designer. Digital signage may also be animated or shown as a slide show. There are three types of routes you can go with digital TV menus and digital signage for your restaurant.

The first option is to use digital signage. What exactly isdigital signagein the first place? One definition is “a centrally controlled system to display your content on one or more displays or screens.” Customers will get a box (hardware) or a cloud-based software solution from the digital signage company. With software and hardware, they will have access to a range of templates to build out and control their digital menu on their selected digital screens or kiosks. There are many digital signage companies in the USA and Canada. Here arefourthat offer digital menu boards and tv menus for restaurants.

NovosignNovosign is a digital signage company located in Dallas and Manhattan and helps companies like Disney, Hilton and Ikea with their digital signage needs. Their subscription-based pricing starts at USD 18/screen/month. They have an extensive collection of pre-made templates and fonts. A drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for the end users to update the pricing.NexSigns

Nento is a plug N play digital signage and content management solution that allows you to control all your screens with a single user. They have a wide range of beautifully designed templates that you can select. Their plan starts at $99/month last time we checked and they have offices in Canada and the US.Yodeck

Yodeck prides itself on offeringfree digital signagesolutions. However, this plan was limited to only one screen, and you need to purchase the Yodeck player for USD 79 or have something called Raspberry PI ( miniature computer) to use it. Yodeck seems to be a promising silicon valley start-up. However, they still have a lot of work to do, including making it easier for the end-user to get started for free if they want to become a true digital signage solution disruptor.

We surveyed many restaurant owners (local and small businesses), and digital signage software is rarely used. Most graphic or digital designs come from owners or local graphic designers who have made their own using MS PowerPoint or Adobe Photoshop. The DIY (do it yourself method works well if you know how to design, have great pictures of your restaurant and have free time to go and create it. You will also need a license to either MS PowerPoint or some other design tool, which can range from $79 for MS 365 personal edition ( included along with MS Word and MS Excel) to $71.99/month for Adobe Creative Cloud.

Local printing companies have often designed the menus to use for the TV as digital signage. It simplifies the hardware to simply a TV screen and a USB. Hiring a reliable designer can be tricky sometimes. Ensure that the designer you work with provides you with the source files of their work so that you can always pass the design work onto someone else in case they disappear. Most professional graphic designers work with Adobe CC, so your menu source files will be of the following extensions PSD or AI.

With a local designer, you still may need to pay them to edit the menus for you in the future, but this will still be one of the most cost-effective and straightforward solutions for you as a small restaurant owner. It is especially true if you work with an experienced designer or a local company or print shop that consistently provides these services. Contact a local business below to create your digital menu boards in Edmonton, Calgary or Vancouver!

Please chat with us or request a quote above for your restaurant’s graphic design or digital tv menu design today. All you need to get started is to supply us with your current menu. We will discuss the graphic design you are looking for and which is best for your restaurant branding.

You can create your TV menu by yourself for a low cost using tools like Adobe Photoshop, Figma,Canvaor even Microsoft PowerPoint! The learning curve for using tools like Adobe will be much steeper compare to online tools such as Piktochart or Canva. You might find a great starting template with a tool like Canva orPiktochartand be able to drag and drop the elements you need to create a nice clean menu. If you are new to design or looking to try to create your own TV Menu without a graphic design background, then Canva is a great place to start. A big advantage of using Canva is that it is free! They usea freemiumbusiness model which allows you or your graphic designer to easily share and collaborate without high monthly fees. With the ease of use for both designer and client, manylarge design agenciesare starting to use these online design tools more and more for their use of use and collaboration.

We are not a digital software signage company and do not believe that is necessary for most local restaurants unless your restaurant is a large franchise. Typically digital signage software companies provide you withrented software and hardware, and theirpricing can be upwards of $100/monthfor just a few screens. We believe our custom-designed digital TV menus are a great solution between printed menus and digital signage software.