5 ways of using digital signage in restaurants

March 8, 2023

We all have heard of the saying, “you eat with your eyes first,” and what better way to tease your customers’ taste buds than with visually appealing digital displays?

Digital signages provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your restaurant’s menu items and create an engaging visual experience for your customers. Using digital displays, you can feature your menu items and exciting deals in a visually appealing and informative manner.

So, whether you are a small restaurant owner or a large chain, read on to discover how digital signage can enhance your customers’ dining experience and help grow your business.

Showcase menu items.

Digital signages can display high-quality images of your restaurant’s menu items, making them more visually appealing and tempting to customers.

Here are some points you must consider while setting up your digital menu displays: 

  • Hire a professional photographer to click compelling pictures of your menu items. Remember that high-quality images play a significant role in capturing attention.
  • Display nutritional facts to show how your meals contribute to a healthier dining experience.
  • Give item descriptions to help customers better understand what they are ordering.
  • Highlight your bestselling items to entice customers into trying them.
  • Create short yet compelling videos of your menu items being prepared and served.

Bonus tip: Create interactive menus on the digital signage where customers can browse and customize their orders. This can enhance the ordering experience and make it more personalized.

Promote special discounts and offers.

Promoting special discounts and offers using digital signage is an effective way to attract customers and increase sales. Here are some key areas you must focus on while highlighting these offers:

  • Make the offer stand out using bold fonts, contrasting colors, and appropriate placement.
  • Use engaging visuals like photos and videos of menu items on offer to make it more appealing.
  • Include a strong CTA like limited time only or order now and save to initiate immediate action.
  • Use a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and encourage customers to take action before the offer expires.
  • Keep updating your offers on digital displays and clarify how much money customers can save by taking advantage of the special offer.

Such offers work exceptionally well at capturing attention and increasing orders.

Display customer reviews on your restaurant's digital signage.

Displaying customer reviews on digital signage is a great way to showcase your restaurant’s positive reputation. It helps build customer loyalty and recommendations. But to ensure you do it right, here are some tips you can use:

  • Choose the most positive reviews to be displayed on the signage.
    A simple “good food” won’t cut it if you already have, “I recently visited XYZ restaurant and was blown away by the overall experience. The ambiance was cozy and inviting, with beautiful decor and comfortable seating. To top it all off, the prices were very reasonable for the high quality of food and service we received. Overall, I highly recommend XYZ restaurant to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience. I can’t wait to go back!”
    Here are some more examples of reviews that cut.

And if you have many such positive reviews, please show them off!

  • Use eye-catching visuals to make the reviews easier to read. Feel free to use various images and graphics to improve the overall look.
  • Extract reviews from platforms like Google and Yelp to showcase your reputation online.
  • Use a scrolling display to show multiple positive user reviews and highlight different areas simultaneously. This will create an engaging display for customers who will likely pay attention.
  • Encourage customers to leave reviews with various incentives.
  • Update digital signage reviews frequently to keep the display fresh and engaging for customers.

Provide sources of customer entertainment.

Digital signage can be a powerful tool for providing entertainment in a restaurant. Let’s look at some ways you can use to keep customers content:

  • Display live sports events to attract sports fans and create a lively atmosphere. They will likely sit and enjoy the game until the end while trying different items on your menu. A win-win for both, isn’t it?
  • Restaurants with a lively social media presence can use digital signage to showcase their social media feeds. You can include captivating Instagram photos, reels, and user-generated content to capture attention.
  • Use digital signage display to show mainstream tv shows. People sometimes visit restaurants to pass the time, and there’s no better entertainment than a cup of coffee, some snacks, and their favorite tv show on a screen.
  • Run contests through digital signage and provide special discounts to winners or even free meals.
  • Work on creating custom animation videos of your restaurant menu items or specials to garner attention.

Bonus tip: When using digital signage displays for customer entertainment, ensuring the content is high-quality and relevant to your brand is essential. Avoid overwhelming customers with too much information or distracting content. Keep the displays simple, visually appealing, and easy to understand.

Give a sneak peek at your brand story.

Every great business stems from a creative idea followed by proper execution. How about sharing that creative idea with your customers? Let’s take an example to understand this better:

“Chew-Chew’s is a restaurant started by a group of food-loving locomotive engineers who had a knack for whipping delicious meals in their train’s dining car. They decided to take their culinary skills off the rails and open a restaurant that combined their two passions: food and trains.  

The result was a quirky and fun establishment that served hearty meals inspired by classic railroad car fare. From the “Boxcar Burger” to the “Train Wreck Tacos,” Chew-Chew’s has something for everyone. The décor is full of train-themed knick-knacks, and the waitstaff wears conductor hats. It’s a truly unique dining experience that’ll leave you chugging back for more!”  

Now that’s an interesting story that deserves attention. Remember that people are always curious to learn about unique restaurant themes. Go ahead and give them the information they need with some creative visuals.

Install your digital signage display today!

In conclusion, digital signage can be a powerful tool for restaurant businesses to enhance their customer experience and increase revenue. By using digital signage creatively, such as displaying menu items, promoting specials, showcasing social media, entertaining guests, and streamlining ordering and payment processes, restaurants can engage customers in new and exciting ways.

One solution that can help restaurants implement digital signage is Intelisa. Intelisa is a digital signage platform that allows businesses to create and manage content on multiple screens from a single location. With features such as menu scheduling, menu template designs, social media integration, and customer analytics, Intelisa can help restaurants maximize the potential of their digital signage.

Get started and book a free trial today!

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