DIY Menu Covers

Menu covers are important to help customers create a good impression of your restaurant.

Running a restaurant is a challenging prospect and the chances are that you will have enough to worry about without focusing on smaller practical details. Creating covers for your menus might seem like one of these smaller practical details but it is actually an important part of your presentation and the customer's experience. You can either make menu covers at home using your printer and laminating paper, or take your design to a professional printer.

Instructions

1. Decide on the specifics: how many menu covers you need, what material you want to use and how big they need to be to match your menus. If you want to use paper or plastic for the cover, you can make the menus yourself. For leather or vinyl covers, consider finding a professional printer.

2. Design the menu covers. Consider using your restaurant logo or adding some photographs of the building to the front of the cover. Software such as Adobe Illustrator could be useful for this part of the process. If you have experience with graphic design, customize the covers as you wish. The covers should be easy to read and stylish, as they will help customers form a first impression of your restaurant.

3. Check your work for any spelling or content errors. If your menu covers include information such as hours of operation, ensure this information is correct. Also proofread the contents of the menu, as spelling or grammar errors could make your restaurant look unprofessional.

4. Research professional printers if you don't want to print the covers yourself. Once you have found a printer that will produce the covers for a reasonable price, be sure to check the design, layout and content before sending the details off. When dealing with a professional printer, any mistakes could be costly to correct.

5. Laminate the covers if you have made them yourself. This will protect them from becoming damaged or stained and will help the covers last longer. You can do this at home by purchasing a laminating machine or laminating plastic with a sticky back.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask for feedback on your menu cover design from friends, family and employees before printing.

• Remember to change your menu contents periodically to keep customers coming back. Consider having a seasonal menu or setting a specific time period for change, such as every six months.

References

• Quantified Marketing: Restaurant Covers

Resources

• Impact Menus