Food as art has become even more exigent in the restaurant business, lest the slow-to- catch- up get left behind by their competitors. More than ever, the aesthetics of food and the food business has assumed a premium as a way to keep customers and food critics alike surprised and gratified.

Now that the promise of great food are in place, how do acclaimed restaurants get customers to water at the mouth right before their meal? They hire an effective graphic designer from Chicago firms like Controlled Color, Inc. to design—or improve—on their menus.

Organize

Keep your menus organized; customers should not have a hard time looking for the food they want to eat. A good rule of thumb is to follow a logical order of appetizers, main courses, desserts, beverages, etc. even if you don’t follow a formal style of serving meals. This way, your diners can choose some initial ballast before they take on the main dish. This also encourages them to try out the dessert on the menu right after their meal.

Highlight Your Specials

Every restaurant has certain food items that they prepare best – select the most outstanding dishes on your menu and highlight each with high-definition photos. Your graphic designer should be able to lay out your star dishes in the most artful and favorable way so that your customers are easily drawn to them. Placement is usually assigned toward the upper right hand corner, if not the center of the page.

Choose the Visuals

According to an article in Buzztime Business, it pays to have visuals that are more than generic:

“Don’t decorate your menu with generic clip-art; this is distracting and doesn’t add much for your customers. On the other hand, if you decide to include photos of your actual food, be sure to choose photos that make your dishes look as appetizing as possible. Food photography is tricky, so you might want to consider hiring a professional photographer.”

Put it on your Site

Don’t just settle for menus that are meant only for restaurant patrons. In this age of online shopping, prospective diners are also always in search of nice places to eat, but they want to be able to see the selection and the pricing. Make sure to upload a copy of your menu on your website. The graphic design on your site should make site visitors feel as though they are stepping into your restaurant, relishing the opportunity to browse through the restaurant’s menu and then find what they’d like to try.

Through the power of efficient graphic design in Chicago, you can use your menu to reel in prospective customers, online and off, looking for that excellent dish to add to that rare, but unforgettable bon vivant experience.

(Source: 20 Tips And Tricks For Making The Most Of Your Restaurant Menu, Buzztime Business)