Menu on Window?

[bagelbox]

Hi All,
For those of you primarily in food... (or if you know what you'd like to/not like to see on cafe windows)...

What do you think to putting your menu on the window?

I currently do not display my menu, but I did originally. I found that more people would stop and look, but the majority of the time they would then walk on. I worry if people are put off by the prices by effectively window shopping on where they should have lunch. I had hoped the descriptions/pictures of the food would capture people's interest and drag them in - but worry it has had the opposite effect.

Does anyone do this successfully or put off like me?

Thanks,
Dave.

 

[kulture]

Why not try it out, properly. The real test is the number of people who come in and the average spend. Try a couple of weeks with and a couple of weeks without. People stopping and looking may note and come back. People who walk past without looking are less likely to note and come back.

 

[jan-july]

I'm one of those people who can be tempted into a food shop by an interesting and varied menu and like to see one on display. Those that pass by are probably not hungry at the time, but will keep you in mind if they take a liking to what's on offer.

 

[TotallySport]

you need to find how likely people are to look at a menu and wlak in, I would more like look at the menu and come back on another day.

 

[bagelbox]

Yeah it's hard to guess if people are going to think 'they're expensive' and walk off. The majority of customers (in the past two weeks especially) seem to be incredibly cost conscious when buying their lunch. I don't want to potentially put people off.

Sometimes if they come inside to check out the menu they'll feel more compelled to buy something, even if it's a cheaper product from the menu and not what you'd hoped they'd buy - but you're all right, on the other hand they may not come in at all if they think it looks expensive or they're unsure what's on offer.

Dave.

 

[mobyme]

I would definitely go with a priced menu in the window; nothing puts me off more than trying to second guess whether or not someone sells something and how much it might cost.
I went into a sandwich shop only yesterday and ordered a corned beef and tomato sandwich................£5.50; guess which shop has a very stale corned beef and tomato sandwich right now.

 

[Prodigal]

It would be better to keep your menu off the window unless you are offering some 'Specials' and/or discounted meals ...

even if you haven't got any such 'Special' to offer, try to think of one and then add it to the window menu...

Rule of the thumb is:
Display something which is attractive and eye catchy and you will notice the difference

 

[Mike W]

I think you definitely need to have a priced menu on view. From a personal point of view, I wouldn't entertain going into somewhere that hadn't. I like to look so I can see if I like the menu first and, second, if the prices are ok. (I don't mean cheap).

Sometimes I am looking for now. If passing by, I might be looking to make a mental note for another time.

No menu. No go. Ever.

 

[julie001]

No menu outside= potential awkward situation where I might walk in, not find anything I like, then feel embarrassed leaving without having purchased anything, especially if it is a small shop with the owner standing behind the counter as opposed to a large chain.

 

[HFE Signs]

Just because someone stops and reads it and then walks on, it doesn't mean its not worked, marketing takes time, many people may well come back in a day or so... Marketing is not a single exposure excercise with instant results... this is why you often see the same adverts many times, same people advertising in newspapers week on week... as humans we need to see things several times before we go and buy it... give it a shot over a long stretch... good luck

 

[WebDesignHW]

I think you should at least put a snippet of your menu in the window. Be it the specials or lunch deals etc. Personally, I prefer restaurants/cafes to have menus in the window as it's nice to know what the options are before going in and sitting down!

 

[easiprint]

Question which springs to my mind, is do you think you are expensive? No point getting people inside and then they find out you are expensive. You may have sold to them on that day, but they won't be back. Be open and put your menu in the window. You need to have happy customers, not ones that will moan to others about how they feel they were ripped off once they got inside, putting others off before they have even looked at you.

 

[ecommerce84]

Definately have a menu in the window. I don't mind paying a bit more to eat at an independent restaurant, but I don't want to be paying double.

A lot a chain restaurants are 'safe' as we know there will be things there that we will eat and enjoy. The last thing I want to do is sit down and order something I won't enjoy (i'm not the type of person who will sit down, look at a menu and then go, i find it too awkward) as I definately won't be back. That is not the type of customer you want either as they will order very little and won't come back.

I have plenty of restaurants in mind in my local area where we have seen menus outside and I have them in mind as places to go in the future even though I didn't go in straight away when i read the menu. There are also restaurants that I have no idea what they sell so will never go in them, even though they may have a fantastic menu at fantastic prices.

 

[davidakerr]

All cafes and Restaurants on the Continent, by law, must post a copy of their menus in their window, or at least at the entry to the premises. This allows the customer to note the variance of what's on offer and also the price in case there's a dispute.

 

[Richie N]

Not sure about the menu on the window, I think it's best to have it on display inside so you get visitors coming in.
I would recommend A boards though outside for specials and offers.

 

[bagelbox]

Thanks for all of your replies guys. Useful to have an insight on both schools of thought.

 

[Marta_K]

Boards for specials are a great way to entice customer to get in. If I'm slightly hungry, I can be tempted by it - and I believe I'm not alone in that.

On the other hand, I hate this awkward feeling of going into the shop and finding out it's twice as expensive as the one next door, or they don't make what I want.

Please display menus that are easy to read and highly visible

 

[tICG]

Putting your menu on the window is a great way of attracting passing trade, if you have a menu you are proud of, if you don't have a menu to be proud of, you should quickly ask yourself why not?

As for the prices putting people off, if you are concerned the prices will put all your customers off you may not have confidence in your price structure (nothing wrong with putting some people off, they are not your target audience and you can't please everybody).

If you are confident you offer a good value service for the money you charge then display your menu and prices with pride. If you aren't happy to do this you may like to review your prices or service standards. After all, if you are hoping to trap customers inside your over-priced eatery before they realise the cost but are too reserved to leave this is the wrong way of doing business or promoting repeat custom (please believe me, I am in no way suggesting YOU are doing this).

Another valid point, your menu will stick in the back of their minds long after they leave and it may bring you future custom from them because they know what they are getting from you after seeing your menu and will choose you ahead of someone who hides their wares.

It may also be worth stating clearly on the menu or with a sign next to it if you offer daily specials which they can see inside (this may help hook those all important 'hovering' customers).

I think a menu outside is as important, if not more so, than your company name, opening hours and contact details. It should also be as appealing to the eye, no handwritten specials on the back of an envelope held in place with tape (which I have seen).

Hope this helps :O)

By the way, don't worry about your prices stacking up against your local competitors – if you have a superior or unique selling point, which we should all have, such as superb food, friendly service or topless waiting staff you will get the customers you are aiming for (just kidding about the topless staff although that would work in the right sircumstances of course ).

 

[bbrij87]

Dave, we can't easily predict customer's behavior. If a open window menu display is a put off for them, then what do we expect to work? A hidden menu? Well, marketing will take time and those people who had made notes might come back to you later.

Also, talking of hidden menus, this is also a bit coveted concept. Check this, how people have made hidden menu a turn on and a kind of exclusive club.

in n out burger secret menu

 

[emmylou74]

as a customer I like to see a menu on the outside, not anything to do with the price but being vegetarian many places just don't cater - so I like to know first if theres anything I can eat or not.

 

[Philip Hoyle]

I'm not that bothered about seeing the exact menu on the window or door, but I really do have to see what kind of range of food they're offering. A lot of cafes have a more general signage with a list of the kinds of food they do, such as:-

Jackets
Hot & Cold sandwiches
All day breakfasts
Paninis

That's good enough for me. I just want to know that I can have a bacon & sausage bun or that my OH can have a jacket potato.

What I don't want is to walk in and sit down to be presented with a menu that only includes paninis and the usual pre-packed sandwiches tarted up with a bit of salad. Or worse still, to be presented with a menu for full meals only (i.e. fish & chips or roast dinner) with no lighter snacks at all.

To me, the overall look of the place is far more important that whether they charge £3.50 or £4.50 for the Jacket with Tuna. It has to look clean and smart, have tables available etc.

I've found tremendous differences in what a typical cafe actually has on the menu and that's why I want to know the general range of stuff they have. Some cafes don't do any real "cooking", not even a plate of chips or a bacon bun - all they have is a sandwich toaster and microwave. That's what's important for me to know!

 

[Deleted member 27080]

I have a seaside cafe and yes we do have the menu outside. Over the years I have always wondered why some people look at the menu and then walk on - what are they looking for? what are we not providing? why don't they like us? I wished that I could listen in to find out what they are saying and why they were not coming in. But then reading these comments and thinking about how I behave on holiday - they are just checking out what we do and maybe they will come back sometime.............. you never will know.
Goodness it is a hard business to be in!

 

[sitandstay]

When I look for a restaurant, I am a lot more likely to go into one if there is a menu outside, I do not look for the prices first, but the quality of food etc.

I would try having your menu outside for a few months and see if that increases customers.

Hope thats of some help.

 

[IndiCafe]

It's not whether the menu is displayed outside or not, it's whether the menu is appealing. People pass by when the menu is unappealing. If there's anything on your menu that might dissuade someone from entering then you need to ask yourself why you aren't changing it, and that includes pricing levels. You can't avoid showing customers what you sell.

If I go into a place that has no menu outside, and then find that the menu is crap, I'm more annoyed at the place that they wasted my time by not showing me it before I came in.

 

[ValentinosDisplays]

We did some work for a local Del/Coffee shop and they found that having tri-fold menus available outside for customers to take with them was a winner. Not only did they get to see the menu before entering but they could take it away as a reminder for the future too!

 

[OptiRick]

It's better to have more information than none at all.

If the menu was likely to put customers off for whatever reason then it's best they don't come in I would have thought.

 

[JohnKelly]

[FONT=&quot]It is better to go into the restaurant rather than to see the menu because the environment and quality of food matter a lot. [/FONT]