RE: Menu Design

Menu design has always been intriguing to me because there are so many aspects you have to worry about, besides the actual aesthetic design. As you stated Nathan, pricing, order, all those marketing aspects come into play. One thing that I never thought about until looking at your "Art of the Menu" link, was the cover/binding/display of the menu. I never realized how important the display of the menu is and how much it impacts the perception of the menu. I now find it quite silly I never thought about this since, after all, all parts of the design are important and deserve meaning. I don't know, maybe I am too focused on getting the food to transform from words on paper into edible nutrients in my stomach (I tend to be a bottomless pit, please don't jude me...). But, since I have not done much menu design I think I generalized menus into two groups - being placed in those boring, maybe "fancy," binder things you might find at a chinese restaurant, or a display-less paper brochure takeout menu - with only the contents and inner layout to set them all apart. Only now have I realized the broad spectrum of menu covers/displays.

I was actually out to eat the other day at Eggspectation (delicious, do try if you haven't) and I noticed they have recently updated there menu. Along with updating the menu items and the design of the actual menu, they updated the format and display (to one I like much better, it is more appealing to me). It went from a notebook style, ringed and laminate paged menu book display to a more upscale hard covered book, with a peep whole on the front, almost like a scrapbook (but fancy). The first was long and bulky, the updated version is now more square (when closed), easier to hold and read. While they are both good designs in their own way, they give a completely different aura to the food and place. One says, grandma's Sunday brunch, the other says upscale eatery with more to offer then your neck of the woods pancakes, eggs, and mimosas.

The older menu - not bad. I can't find a photo of their
updated menu. I guess I will just have to eat there again
and photograph it for you guys. Stay tuned...or come with :)

The way a restaurant chooses to display and cover (or not cover) their menus reminds me of Beth's in class discussion about product displays. I think these topics have parallel responses and aspects that come into play when putting them together. Just like Beth's point with the product displays, you want the display to enhance rather then distract or take away from the actual product (in this case the menu is the product, after all it is what is driving food sales.) And, you want the binding/display of your menu to portray the same emotion, style, etc. as the menu and restaurant.

Think about it. If you were choosing between two restaurants you had never been to before (same ethnicity and general options of dishes) based on only the look of the menu, would the display of the menu help drive your decision? I know I when I am doing this activity in real life, I judge the menu a lot, and not just the food items. These days most restaurants have PDFs or photos of the actual menu online. And, when I am looking for new places I not only read the descriptions of the dishes, but make snap decisions on what I think the quality of the food will be like, the cleanliness of the place, the friendliness of the staff. So much more goes into my decision of choosing a restaurant then the food when looking solely at the menu. Below are four photos (three menus) all from different pizza restaurants. The first two were found on Nathan's website source, specifically, Boston Pizza. The third photo is a local (for me) pizza place called Roma's Pizza. And the fourth is the outside of Bertucci's menu. Already you can infer so much about the restaurants. Which would you choose? (Imagine budget is a nonissue). I know where I'm eating!

PS. Stephanie's post made me think of a recent food photographer I just read about and saw her work. Take a look at this spin on food photography - "Cut Food."She does traditional food photography as well.

PPS. Valerie, my friend swears by Double T's crab cakes at midnight (she is completely sober I promise)...but I agree with you, not where I eat my seafood!