How to create a digital menu for a restaurant?

In this article we would like to explain some of the points to take into consideration if you want to use (a digital menu) for a restaurant.

In the last few months, the accelerated the digitization trend and the use of Internet oriented to access the purchase or contracting of services, from the purchase of groceries, clothing and footwear, toys, etc. to the abundant use of web systems for restaurants and hotels oriented to make home orders and table reservations in companies.

This situation, caused by the Covid-19 crisis, has also brought new standards of hygiene and social distance that have led to the application of digital resources in order to solve different processes, such as, for example, the use a digital menu for a restaurant that are commissioned as a containment measure, and also help to boost the growth of different establishments.

This has led to the kitchen and hospitality segment, as well as other segments, having to drive and activate their digital transformation, as well as a measure for the survival of their establishments and an opening towards discovering new alternatives to achieve income.

We have different ways and measures to start this process towards digital transformation. But we must always take into consideration that we must be clear about our specific strategy and determine objectives that we use as a direction to follow and fulfill.

At some point there are those who choose to start by developing their own website and boosting their positioning on the Internet or there are those who prefer to create their profiles on Social Networks in which to publish interesting information for their customers. Another option is to register in delivery apps that pay high commissions, in order to publicize and promote your restaurant.

Another option, which is the one we will talk about in this content and which we believe can be the starting point to begin the road to digital transformation is (creating) (a digital menu) for a restaurant. A simple, easy and inexpensive option to establish your first contact with the digital world. (Not forgetting that you will also comply with the hygienic measures proposed for the prevention of Covid 😉

What is a digital menu for a restaurant?

A digital menu for a restaurant aim to give the customer quick access to your list of dishes and drinks through a QR code that will offer a different experience to the customer when ordering.

The advantage of a digital menu is that it encourages customer movement and interaction with the chart. We as owners will be able to modify it continuously to add new dishes, specialties, etc. In addition, we will be able to attach interaction components so that our customer, when viewing the information, can perform actions on it, such as, for example, see details about a dish or visualize a photograph of it, etc…

Also, depending on the service provider you subscribe to develop the digitization of your letter, you may have available different components that you can incorporate into a digital menu to boost promotion, marketing and sales among your customers. For example: functionality to share with your social networks, table reservation functionality, online ordering or home pick-up functionality and even the opportunity to launch advertising actions with promotions within your own menu.

What are the advantages of having a digital menu for a restaurant?

Having a digital menu can be very useful for a restaurant. From cost savings in printing physical menus, modern and innovative image for your customers, the opportunity to explore new business opportunities and also the opportunity to analyze figures on what is most visited in your menu, or what are the most valued dishes.

Digitization of a restaurant

It is very easy to create and display in your restaurant, because after the generation of the menu, the easiest way for your customers to enter the menu is through a QR code displayed as a sticker, poster etc. In one easy step it takes customers to the menu website via a cell phone. Quick and easy!

Your letter will be immediately available on your guest’s cell phone. Nowadays, the cell phone has become a device that has become a must-have for everyone. In a single gesture, in an absolutely hygienic way, without contacts, your guest has direct access to the entire contents of your menu.

And if, in addition to a digital menu, you have a social media or marketing module, it is a good element to be able to interact and promote your brand, inviting your customers to join you on your networks, or leave a comment about your restaurant on some restaurant review platforms.

Simplicity in ordering inside a restaurant

If we have a digital menu, you will have the option of complementing our dishes with images so that our guests will have fewer mistakes when ordering, since they can see what they are ordering.

Staff spend less time at the table displaying dishes and more time serving. And you can use resources such as promotions functionality, to offer specialties or dishes of the day for all your guests to see.

Text oriented menus can generate doubts among our diners, but a digital menu with photographs needs much less details, since, if we also complete the dish with an explanation of the ingredients, our customer will have it much clearer.

By simply adding a QR code to an existing menu, diners have the ability to interact with the menu and search for what best suits their preferences, portion size and dietary needs. Diners need fewer explanations from staff and ordering errors are greatly reduced.

A digital menu more economical

A digital menu are much cheaper to maintain than physical menus. This does not mean that they have come to replace them, but that they should remain and be complements, since physical menus have some advantages and provide certain values that a digital menu do not have. What we can say is that the maintenance of a digital menu is much cheaper (depending on the provider you hire) as well as the changes you can make in them as well.

The emergence of a digital menu makes it easier to understand that charts are now very easy to handle as well as active. From an intuitive configurator you can adjust rates, add new products, modify ingredients in a very simple and fast way.

New options to obtain income

With the advent of Covid-19, many restaurants and cafes are increasing their cell phone ordering activity.

The use of a digital menu, allows you to integrate the online ordering module so that from there you can place an order immediately.

Well, after all this explanation, you may be wondering, well, I understand and I see the advantages, but what should I do to create a digital menu for my restaurant?

Below I will give you an exposition of the points to follow for this purpose.

How to create a digital menu for a restaurant?

The first thing is to find the provider or platform you want to use. Here you will find a wide offer. You have from platforms that let you digitize your menu for free, platforms that give you free menu, but cost you monthly maintenance fees, platforms with monthly charges, or platforms like Haztucartadigital that generates a digital menu with a totally free plan without maintenance or monthly fees.

Services to digitize your letter, you could even start by uploading the file a digital menu in Google Drive, or use QR generators like the one we have on our website to have it quickly. As specialists in the field, we will tell you that we do not advise you to use these channels for a continuous use of your digital menu since in most cases the visualization of these is not very good and the result is a very bad user experience for your guest. And you have the problem that you will not be able to edit them, nor adjust plates. If you want to have a digital menu, you will have to look for other ways.

Here you could say: OK, but I want my physical chart, for which I paid a good professional and which cost me a lot of money, to be used for digital display as well. Because you want to take advantage of images, typography, etc. Good! No problem, we have a specific service for this specific need. As I pointed out, it is not the one we recommend, but we understand that you want it.

What we do is to prepare your document with specific formats for mobile devices, so that the reading and navigation allow everything to be displayed correctly. We will send you your link and QR code and you have your letter.

Another way is to fully digitize your listing. This means it is built from scratch and takes your physical listing to a 100% digital version. In this alternative, you will have a fully dynamic, editable and customizable digital listing for your restaurant. You will be able to add products, add new products, prices and services or for example include a menu of the day to communicate to your customers.

This plan offers a wide variety of companies and applications that offer the service: from printers that have looked for a technological option to offer, agencies, POS companies or native applications that appear to cover this need exclusively.

In terms of rates you will see a wide variety. In this regard, each platform has decided on a specific business approach.

In addition to the Standard plan, we offer the following additional modules

• Implementation of a Reservation Module, which will allow your customers to reserve their table in advance.
• Home delivery module: if you are looking to discover the opportunity of home delivery or restaurant pick-up, this is your chance. We help you implement and manage it
• Unlimited additional languages: our plans support all the languages you have, so if you need an additional language we offer you this add-on
• Marketing-promotions module: a component that will allow you to promote actions, offer specialties and offers to all your customers.

How will it a digital menu be created?

The procedure of how to make a digital menu with us is very easy:

• You contract the plan that best suits what you are looking for. Then you send us all the information related to your cards: material, list, images, logo, etc.
• We will get to work and digitize your letter so that it is ready as soon as possible, based on what you have sent us.
• We send you the information with the link pointing to your establishment and the QR code so you can download, print and share your restaurant menu.
• You will receive a link to your digital chart configurator, which is the place where you can make changes, modifications, etc. to your charts. It is a very basic platform, so it will not be difficult for you to understand and use it, and if you have any doubts, do not worry because we provide you with a section called Academy, where you will find material and video tutorials on how to use each of the elements of your chart.

And if even though it is very simple to use, day to day life does not allow you to have the cards updated as you would like, we provide you with maintenance bonuses, so that you can rest assured that we will manage the changes to be made: basic maintenance bonus or Premium maintenance bonus.

I hope this information has helped you to understand and discover a little more in depth how to make a digital menu for your restaurant.

Next, if you are still interested, please contact us, tell us about your project and we will help you to create your cards.