May 27th, 2011
Displaying a Menu
When you enter a restaurant you are instantly presented with a concept or theme, whether it is obvious or subtle. Everything from the sign to the interior design to the music being played, or the absence of music, combine to create an overall experience that supersedes and hopefully accentuates the food that you will be eating.
Think of how you experience the menu of a given restaurant. If it is a fast or fast casual restaurant or perhaps a coffee shop, you will stand in line and peruse a menu that is mounted on the wall or suspended from the ceiling. It may be hand written on a blackboard, displayed on a lighted box or appear on tastefully design posters. Each of these creates a different ambiance, as does the script and colors used as well as the words and pictures that are chosen to describe the food.
In a sit down restaurant you will be handed a menu at your table or booth. Some restaurants will use menu covers that may be made of plastic, vinyl or leather. They may hand you a simple menu that is printed daily to reflect changing specials. A waiter may even recite the day’s menu to you or, in the case of dim sum or dessert, show you the actual food that you can choose from. Again, each type of menu informs and enhances your dining experience. You get a feel for the concept behind the restaurant and the attention and care being put into every aspect of the food, service, and presentation.

