Digital Menu Boards for the Quick Service Restaurant
Author: Graham Gallagher
Using a Digital Menu Board in QSR as a tool for advertising is fast becoming the new trend, where it is the front runner and overtaking the more traditional paper poster or even chalkboard form of promoting a food menu. As prospective patrons peruse the menu outside the eatery, any number of special offers and promotions can tempt them to spend their money inside.
How often have you visited a fast food restaurant to be met with a stained and greasy vinyl menu, dull plastic promotional signage and out of date promotional offers? It's time to move on and install high definition animated Digital Menu boards to promote the goods on offer. Add to this a highly imaginative, colourful and informative content and it' sure to increase turnover many fold. The technology behind such digital posters can provide all the analytical information for accounting purposes too by presenting the speed of service, accuracy of the order, labour and food costs. This information can also reduce employee theft, as all employees must use a security code for operating the terminals - the plus point of this may be rewarding employees, as those increasing turnover may benefit from incentives. Pricing, seasonal offers and nutritional facts can be displayed, updated and pre-programmed and scheduled which cuts down on employee hours, forgetful management and down time of the DMB. This can be done remotely and wirelessly through the internet, enabling a chain of restaurants all running the same advertising content simultaneously.
Indoor digital signage also promotes add on sales as enticing images of colorful desserts or fresh ground steaming coffee attract the attention of the customer to make a further purchase. At the POS the touch screen menu operative can offer a speedy service, whilst maximising the order by suggestive and up-selling the fast food items. It empowers the customer to feel comfortable when ordering even change his order, whilst allowing for more accuracy and increased sales, by offering to 'go large' - maximising the sale. The point of sale (POS) is the most logical and effective place to locate such digital posters, where customers face the boards to place their orders. Where would you rather spend your dollar - in an outdated fast food restaurant or a professional state of the art eatery?
About the Author
I am a technical author on the topic of outdoor digital signage as well as owning Europe's leading manufacturer of a range of LCD enclosure.