Insights

Communication is key to driving sales

Providing a clear and simple message to showcase an outlet’s offer to guests can make all the difference to a venue’s bottom line. But not all operators do this well and therefore risk losing sales.

Reading time 3 minutes

The straightforward science of ‘Boardology’ takes advantage of the basic requirements venues need to meet to attract maximum spend from customers through menu boards.

Some 81% of consumers rely on menu boards before ordering, and their purchases are influenced in three ways: what’s on the board, combo deals and photos of food and drink.

Menu boards are therefore one of the most important assets for giving information to guests in outlet before any other point of contact is made. For example, on arrival it is the first point of sale material a customer will see and should therefore be in a prime position, above tills or on a wall to be seen while queuing.

In terms of navigation, menu boards should meet the following requirements:

  • Easy to scan: Menu boards should always align to the ordering process and be readable from left to right, beginning with starters, then mains, drinks and then desserts
  • Centre board: The middle of a menu board is a consumer hotspot and is the first place a customer’s eye is drawn to. Make use of this area to promote high margin dishes, special promotions, and key day parts
  • Combos: Meal deal and snack boxes drive spend and appeal to customers looking for a quick solution. Keep them clean and simple to understand by ensuring they comprise just a few points

Once the basics are taken care of, outlets can go into more detail by grouping similar items together to help customers make decisions easily. Guests shop by subcategory, so keeping items like sandwiches all in one place will make life easier for a customer who only wants to order a sandwich.

Stand out

Giving prominence to seasonal drinks, such as a special fruity summer cooler on warmer days, will help to drive impulse purchases or trade customers up from classic options such as bottled waters and carbonates into higher revenue serves.

Consumers also prefer to see pictures of food and drink on menus where possible, especially if they are new to the outlet. Limit the amount of text on menu boards and drive product awareness through imagery or icons to better communicate a range.

Finally, professional and friendly staff make the difference between a guest leaving with what they thought they wanted and what they didn’t know they wanted. Ensure staff encourage guests to trade up and remind them of any forgotten items, such as sides, snacks, desserts and especially soft drinks if a guest has forgotten one.

Menuology

Think of your menu as a map for customers to discover the great drinks and food you offer. To make sure they don’t get lost, apply some menuology.

Check out our tips on Menuology

Sensational drinks menu maker tool

The right menu layout can increase guest spend by up to 17%. Often taken for granted, menus allow outlets to influence guests into eating and drinking key dishes and serves. Be it new dishes or higher margin beverages, targeting customers in the right way can add significantly to an operation’s bottom line.

Britvic’s Sensational Drinks platform contains wide-ranging advice and expert tips to help all operators drive revenues higher. Outlets can also tap into the free Menu Maker tool and receive 50 free printed menus by inputting 10 Britvic beverages and using the MENU50 code. Sensational Drinks members also have free access to the tool and can print menus themselves. 

 

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