5 Tips for Restaurant Menu Designers

The steady rise of top class restaurants in Nashville makes our choice for dinner a tough one every night. From Inglewood to 12 South and everywhere between, we are spoilt for choice. Every new restaurant features an adventurous menu as well and some of them are as wordy as pamphlets! So, for new chefs and owners, here are a few tips for crafting a menu your diners will love!

1. Try keeping the menu items on one page and no bigger than a trifold. Having the choices together makes scanning and comparing easier for the customer.

2. Avoid listing prices in columns. Instead, place the numbers after the food item description without any fanfare.

3. Only the dish names should use capital letters. The descriptions can use smaller lower-case to create natural separation.

4. The above center section on the right page is the sweet spot. Place your signature dishes here because this is where most customers look first. The next most popular places are the first and last menu items. So, be strategic in your food placements.

5. The 10-10-6 rule is a good measure of a balanced menu. 10 appetizers, 10 main courses and 6 desserts.

Try using these rules of thumb for your next menu reshuffle and your restaurant guests will thank you! These tips were courtesy of Thrillist.com and their interview with The Culnary Institute of America.