Selecting The Perfect Restaurant Affordable Menu Cover For Your Business
Restaurant menu covers are a great way to enhance the sophistication of your menu cards, especially if your restaurant has a formal and elegant atmosphere. Most often, these types of covers (even cheap menu covers) are made from very high-quality papers that can match or compliment the texture of your business cards or posters. Some covers are even embellished with expensive metals such as gold or silver. Arguably, these materials add to durability while also setting your menus apart from those of your competitors.
When it comes to menu covers there are many choices in the market, and some of them you cannot get rid of fast enough because they make your clients' experience worse. On the other hand, there are also those menu covers that are incredibly thoughtful and useful. Therefore, it is essential for you to be aware of these details before making a purchase.
Here you can check our custom design menu covers and menu engineering matrix.
Just as a fun fact, menu covers were first produced in the US around 1930. During this time, covers were invented to protect meal cards and also increase the presentation of restaurant dining areas. A food cover was basically a precursory version to today’s modern-day menu cover that has evolved with the needs of restaurant owners and their client bases.
How do you create an effective menu?
Menu covers are normally in the style of a folder and are made to be handled by customers, whilst restaurant menu holders are made to showcase your menu to the table. You may want a menu cover if you need to show a moderately substantial lunch or evening menu. Printed pages are often encased in protective sleeves, with a beautiful and protective outer cover added.
Menu holders, on the other hand, show menus in place, and many also grasp or hold printed menus so that consumers can remove them. Menu holders may preserve a menu by covering it with a strong covering or just gripping it in an upright position. As a result, menu holders usually have pre-printed menus or specials and a la carte alternatives on display.
Try our shopping guide for additional information on selecting the right menu holder. Alternatively, you may browse our whole menu holder selection.
What Is The Definition Of An American Menu Cover?
American menu covers are a modern kind of menu cover that displays menu items in every available area. Rather than having an opaque front, an American menu cover's whole surface is transparent, allowing you to show off your meal. A single panel American cover is a reinforced and ornamental slip pocket that displays two sides at its most basic level, although there are also two-panel and three-panel variants available.
American menu covers are great space savers and one of the most cost-effective solutions to protect your self-printed menus from damage when consumers handle them. American designs, unlike typical folder-style menu covers, cannot be readily enlarged.
Are There Any Material Menu Covers Available?
The menu covers come in a variety of materials, each with its own set of advantages. Whether you choose metal or cloth, everything from the aesthetic to the durability of your menu cover should be considered before purchase.
Leather
Synthetic leather menu covers from Olympia are a popular alternative to real leather menu covers. Synthetic leather menus are a conventional and high-quality way to deliver a sumptuous menu to guests, combining durability with a luxury leather feel and beautiful design. If you want the genuine deal, DAG's luxurious leather menu covers could be ideal.
Wood
In general, only a few menus are totally constructed of wood. Wooden spines, edges, and features, such as these Securit covers, are a great way to add stiffness and solidity to your menus.
TIP: Match the design of your menu inserts to the style of your menu covers.
Fabric
Fabric-covered menu covers offer cafés and coffee shops a warm, inviting vibe, and they feel excellent in the hands of your customers. Fabric comes in a variety of styles, colours, and hues and maybe rustic.
Plastic
Plastic menu covers, such as those from the Securit Rio series, are incredibly durable, damage-resistant, and available in a variety of colours. Plastic menus are ideal for busy modern businesses since they are lightweight, durable, and bright.
PVC
PVC menu covers, such as those from the Olympia PVC series, are inexpensive and have long been trusted by bars, cafés, and restaurants. These menu covers are water-resistant thanks to the stamp seal edges, and though not as strong as leather, they can nevertheless survive a lot of wear.
What Is The Most Appropriate Menu Size?
The most common sizes for menu covers are A4 and A5. You can expand both sizes to meet your needs with extra inserts for most menu covers, so why select one over the other?
A5 menu covers are more unobtrusive and hence simpler to keep. They're also more lightweight and portable, making them better for carrying in aprons, utilising outside, and used for room service. However, on A5 pages, you can insert fewer objects and there isn't much room to be detailed.
A4 menu covers, on the other hand, provide plenty of room to display lengthy menus or menu hacking options. They allow for detailed explanations of each dish, although they can be inconvenient in packed dining halls. The size and weight of a menu are obviously influenced by the design of the cover, although pop-up restaurants and limited eating rooms may choose A5.
TIP: Don't try to squeeze an A4 menu insert inside an A5 cover. Consumers who are elderly or partially sighted may be inconvenienced by smaller fonts, causing extra irritation and alienating valued customers.
Selecting The Correct Menu Color
A menu's colours may have a big impact on your clients. If you use colourful menu covers, keep in mind how this will affect your customers! Colours like pink, for example, have pre-existing connections and may be utilised to complement this sort of theme, but what about other shades?
Green may emphasise the inherent deliciousness of the food, whereas orange may promote hunger, according to research. Yellow is upbeat and attracts attention, yet it may be overpowering in big doses. Colours are chosen by most restaurants to complement their style and menu, but you should be aware of how this affects guests.
TIP: The font, layout, colour, and style of your menu inserts will have an impact on diners, so spend some time thinking about how they'll appear.
Storage And Cleaning
Almost all menu covers may be cleaned with a moist cloth, however, they must be dried or air dried before stacking. This keeps menus from adhering together and eliminates the risk of a musty odour.
Antibacterial sprays, such as Jantex Pro Sanitiser, offer a quick action time and prevent bacterial spread on your meals for optimal hygiene.
While menus may be layered, huge piles are difficult to manoeuvre and simple to knock over, posing a slip and trip danger right away.
Fortunately, many menu companies offer appealing storage cases for their covers, like as this Olympia box or this matching Securit set. The use of presentation boxes encourages guests to gather menus and bring them to their seats.
What Other Options Do You Have?
If you're not sure whether menu covers are ideal for your menu, check out our menu holder buying guide to determine if a menu holder is a better fit for your company. Alternatively, our choice of modern styled A5 clipboards might be a great way to keep things informal if you wish to give menus to tables in a less official manner.
Make sure to have a read of our hotel menu cover buying guide.
