How can I design my pub menu to increase sales?

How should I describe my menu items?

 

Using more descriptive labelling for your food and drink options can be a game changer. Cornell researchers discovered that descriptive labelling can increase a pub’s sales by as much as 27%.

 

Moreover, it’s not just the descriptions of products – it’s also the naming of your items. Charles Spence published a book looking at this – titled Neurogastronomy. It discusses how ethnic labels of dishes make people label foods as more authentic.

 

How should I organise my pub’s menu?

 

An organised menu will help customers find what they want more quickly, allowing your waiters to serve them faster and increase your sales. People’s eyes often first look to the middle of a menu – so it’s worth having your specials, favourites and higher-value items. From here, the eyes go to the top right, followed by the top left – so use accordingly. You can also use boxes and other tools to emphasise items further.

 

How do I know if my menu is working?

 

How can you tell whether your menu is working for your customers or not? Well, one way is to test it. Use different menus on different (comparable) weeks or different tables. This concept is common across marketing and is known as split testing.

 

So how do you conduct a split test of your menu? Some best practices are the following:

 

Try to ensure there’s only one change between the different menus. This will make it easier to attribute any increase in orders, sales or more to this difference. From here, you can continue to test as you please.

 

Only apply the test to new customers, where possible. Existing customers may experience a ‘novelty effect’ with a new menu design, so you may not get a fair idea as to whether a tweak improves sales.

 

You want to try and keep the samples as comparable as possible. Everyone receiving menu A should be as close to those facing menu B as possible – similar group sizes, similar ages and similar conditions (i.e. you can’t give out one menu on pay week and the other the week before).

 

However, trying to control all the variables can be difficult. To overcome this, you want to run your tests on as big a test as possible. Insights will become valuable after around 200 tests.

 

How should I design my menu?

 

You want to keep your menu clear – using fonts like Helvetica will make your menus readable. You can also go with a range of styles, with single-page menus being the most basic and readable for diners and two-panel single-fold menus (like in the image) being the most common. You can opt for a larger menu – but this is more costly, and the extra choice may even result in less sales …

 

Should I include currency signs in my menu?

 

Short answer, no. Removing the currency sign from your menus will encourage customers to spend more per transaction. Don’t refer to value or price in your menus – unless you only compete on price.

 

 

Should I include desserts in my menu?

 

Again no. Studies have shown that by including desserts on the main menu customers become less likely to order an appetizer. So, instead, create a separate dessert menu and subtly slip it in between customers’ drinks after they have ordered.

 

Use Images … but not too many.

 

One or two high-quality images can help convince your customer to buy. However, too many images can be perceived as low value – therefore ensure the images are high quality and only of your most popular or high-value items.

 

How many items should I have on my menu?

 

Popular behavioural economists have shown that increasing a consumer’s choices actually decreases the likelihood of them taking an action (Schwartz 2004). Therefore, you shouldn’t have too many items on your menu. The consensus is that around 11 main dishes, 7 desserts and 7 appetisers are the ideal amount of products to have on your menus. But, as with most things, play around with this figure, and see what works best for your business.

 

In short, there’s a host of menu tactics you can use to help increase your sales. Whilst tweaks to your menu can significantly drive sales, nothing beats a strong product. That’s where 7 Day Cellar comes in, as we sell a wide variety of strong brands on same-day delivery to the on-trade. To place an order just get in touch.