Better by design: the look, feel of menu can make or break a concept

Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 7, 2002 by Trip Jobe

Whenever I visit one of my favorite restaurants, I look forward to the evening's "specials" menu. Entrees are described in a single sentence, typeset in an unusual font and printed on an off-sized sheet of textured paper in an interesting and season-appropriate hue.

My immediate response is that if a restaurant takes such care with its menu, imagine what's going on in the kitchen. I'll order that $32 special-menu entree every time.

My ordering habits are an excellent example of why the look and feel of a menu matter a lot. Restaurant owners should be well aware of the marketing potential of their menus. More than a listing of food, a menu communicates one of the restaurant's first messages to customers, creating an essential impression that lasts well beyond dessert.

Studies show that a menu redesign can boost revenue, adding between 2 percent and 10 percent to the gross annually. Most restaurants redesign their menus every three years, and consider everything from a paper's texture, color and size to the placement of expensive items and desserts.

With the help of California-based menu consultant Gregg Rapp, Neenah Paper recently created an extensive guide to menu design, which included tips on how to use premium paper. We found the following to be considerable:

* A restaurant's menu and its brand identity are intricately woven together.

* A restaurant's image and what it can deliver should closely coincide.

* The menu must reflect what the restaurant is trying to do with its food, decor and clientele and should be part of a complete identity package that includes business cards, letterhead and stationery.

We also found that when considering a menu redesign, the texture, color and shape of the paper is as important as your typeface and the placement of your entree descriptions and pricing.

The texture of a menu's paper is one of the crucial decisions a menu designer makes. We compare a menu paper's texture to an artist's canvas before it has been painted. The artist makes a decision: Do I want a rough canvas to tell my story? Do I want a satiny-smooth finish or a crisp linen finish? Each will communicate something different to the consumer. The same is true with a menu.

The next crucial decision is color. Most menus feature black ink printed on plain white paper because that combination is the easiest to read. But imagine how boring it would be if we all lived in a black-and-white world. Color plays an integral role in our lives, including how we view a restaurant menu.

Certain menu colors evoke certain emotions among diners and can communicate a subtle message without using words. Consider the following colors and their associations:

* Burgundy, deep reds, purple and mauve are associated with elegance, richness and opulence

* Brown, tan and khaki are associated with healthful goods, such as whole-grain products, and indulgent items, such as chocolate

* Beige and lavender are warm, soothing and inviting

* All shades of green are fresh and natural

* All shades of blue are friendly and uplifting

Finally, the shape of a menu's paper can also make a subtle statement. The National Restaurant Association recommends a sheet that is 9 inches wide by 12 inches tall. However, we believe a taller, narrower shape is more distinctive and reminds the diner he is not in any ordinary restaurant.

When determining the paper size for a menu, restaurateurs should consider the following:

* Size of the table

* Area allowed for each place setting

* Ease of handling by the diner

* Space needed for entree descriptions and "white space," which should take up as much as 50 percent of the menu

Remember there is no perfect menu, only one that communicates exactly what you want your restaurant to communicate.

Trip Jobe is the director of marketing for Neenah Paper, a leading manufacturer of premium uncoated writing, text and cover papers based in Neenah, Wis. Neenah Paper is a division of Kimberly-Clark Corp. For more information about printing on uncoated and textured papers. visit www.neenahpaper.com.