print to-go menus – Page 2 – BlockbusterPrint.com Blog

Small, Medium, or Large? Choosing the Size of Your Print To Go Menus

If you are in the restaurant business, why should you invest in menu printing? Whether you are offering Italian fare, if you own a food truck, if you’re operating a full-sized restaurant, or a bakeshop, it is crucial to invest in well-designed menus – both for dine-in and takeout use. Naturally, diners who walk into your restaurant will be looking for a menu so that they would know what to eat. For the takeout menu, its use is more for marketing. You can print to go menus then include one in every delivery or takeaway package. You can display it in your restaurant for customers to pick up for future reference. You can also include it in receipts, supplier invoices, and similar documents. Or, you can personally hand them out in the streets in areas where a lot of people pass by.

With to go menus, you can enhance your business especially if it is used with other printed marketing materials. You can also enjoy additional benefits like boosting sales, increasing the frequency of repeat orders, and establishing customer loyalty.

Which Size Should I Go For?

For to go menus, there are small, medium and large sizes available. Deciding which one to go for is all a matter of preference – just select one that fits your brand’s image. Here are the differences between the menu printing sizes:

Packaging size and standard size

The smallest size available for to go menus is 4.25” x 11”. This is great for inclusion in mailers and takeout packages. The standard size is 8.5” x 11”, which also has a lot of uses.

Legal size and folder sheet size

If you want to go a bit bigger, the legal size which measures 8.5” x 14” is a great choice. Or, go with the folder sheet size of 9” x 12”.

Tabloid size and map size

Want to go all out? The largest sizes for take out menus are 11” x 17” or the tabloid size, and the map size which measures 11” x 25.5”.

These can be folded several ways. If you have a lot of items on the menu, you can have as much as eight panels with the half then trifold option. There are six panels for the trifold option. Other folding options include the Z-fold, half fold, double parallel, single or double gate, accordion, roll fold, or French fold.

Give Your Restaurant Sales a Boost When You Print To Go Menus

One task that you should take on whether you’re soft opening a restaurant or reintroducing your brand to a new market is to print to go menus. These are the takeout version of a dine in menu and its purpose is more to advertise your business. When you print to go menus, they can be included in every takeaway order. You should also include one in supplier receipts or price quotation requests. To go menus can be displayed in front of your store or by the cashier for customers to take home and use for future orders. If you have food deliveries, make sure to include one as well. Or, you can personally hand them out in areas where there is high foot traffic.

Boosting Your Sales with To Go Menus

Naturally, your goal in to go menu printing is to boost sales. Let’s say that your diner is set for a soft opening. Or, you may want to reintroduce your food to a younger clientele. By printing to go menus, you can let customers know what kind of dishes you offer. Since it is a menu, after all, they will also learn about the prices of your food items. When designed accordingly, you may also want to include a short description of each dish. There are even some restaurants that include the nutritional content or calorie count of the dishes that they serve.

When designing to go menus, it is important to have a theme that will immediately attract the attention of your target audience. Let’s take a pizzeria as an example. Design the takeout menu in such a way that the images pop and look appetizing. Highlight what it is that makes your pizzas stand out from the rest. Do you use handmade dough? Is the pizza charcoal or brick oven baked? Do you use just the freshest ingredients? Or maybe it’s the cheese that make your pizzas stand out? Include such highlights in the design of your menu.

Don’t forget to double check the accuracy of information. You don’t want customers calling an incorrect number or finding it difficult to locate your store. If the location is tricky, include a famous landmark or pin the location on a maps application. When you include to go menus as part of your print advertising efforts, you can easily boost the sales of your food business.

Designing Ideas for Print To Go Menus

The first thing customers do after taking a seat at a restaurant is peruse the menu. Without one, they wouldn’t know what to order – unless a server enumerates what’s on the menu which they would have to do repeatedly. If you are in the food business, it is crucial to have a menu to let customers know about your dishes. The menu is also a great advertising tool, so you need to have a dine-in menu and print to go menus.

The good news is that there are many printing companies from where you can order print to go menus. Depending on the volume of your order, you can choose digital printing or offset printing. There are printing companies that have both, while others specialize in just one. What’s important when choosing between the two is to consider the quality of output. Also check on the feedback about the quality of customer service that they offer, the turnaround time, and the prices of the printing packages available.

Designing Your To Go Menu

After choosing which printing company to order the menus from, it’s time to design the menu itself. Here are a few quick tips:

Use colors which are similar to your business logo. Branding should be consistent, and having the same colors present in all your printed advertising materials is one way to make people immediately recognize your brand.
Invest in professional HD photography. Nobody would be tempted to order a burger if the photo in the menu looks pale and hardly appetizing. The images should pop from the paper, tempting hungry diners to order right away.
There should be a nice balance between images and text. Keep food descriptions short but clear and enticing.
You have quite a few decisions to make when it comes to the paper used for your to go menu printing. Would you like to print on one side or both sides? What type of folding option would you like? What size would you like for the menu? The smallest is 4.25” x 11” while the biggest is 11” x 25.5”. For the paper finish, should it be medium gloss or extreme gloss?

All in all, menus should be attention grabbing and well designed. Distribute them by handing out the to go menus personally, placing a stack of them storefront, including them in delivery and takeout packages, and mailing them out. Doing so would effectively spread the word about your food business, further boosting sales.

Paper and Folding Type, Price: Things to Consider When You Print To Go Menus

Is it possible to find a service provider that offers what you need for a cheap price, with fast turnaround time, and the highest quality possible? Yes, especially when it comes to tasks like menu printing. There are a lot digital and offset printers that offer reasonably-priced yet high-quality service – you just need to know what to look for.

Things to Consider when Printing To Go Menus

Before counting down the considerations when printing to go menus, why would you want to invest in them in the first place? As the name implies, these are to go menus which list down the food items that a restaurant or diner has for delivery or takeaway. If you have a pizzeria, the to go menu will include all the flavors that you have, how a customer can order, how much each item is, and any other important information. Aside from using the menus inside the store, you can also distribute them personally, include in takeaway orders, or mail them out as part of an overall print advertising campaign.

Now, here are the things to consider when you print to go menus:

Paper type

For takeout menu printing, there are two types of paper available: medium gloss and extreme gloss. Both use 100# text book paper, and extreme gloss has double the gloss and thickness of medium gloss. Size-wise, here are your options:

4.25” x 11”
8.5” x 11”
8.5” x 14”
9” x 12”
11” x 17”
11” x 25.5”

The most popular is 4.25” x 11”, which is great for packaging and including in takeaway orders. However, if you want to stand out, you can go with the biggest tabloid or map sizes.

Folding type

There are different types of folding types available including trifold, Z-fold, half-fold, single or double gate, double parallel, roll fold, accordion, French fold, and half then trifold.

Price

Did you know that for printing jobs, the more pieces you order, the lower the per piece price gets? This is because it’s only the initial costs which are quite pricey. Once everything is set up, you can order as many as you want and the per piece price gets lower. For example, ordering 5,000 pieces of standard-sized, trifold takeout menu is cheaper than ordering just 500 pieces.

Doing your research for tasks like takeout menu printing will take the guesswork out of it. As a result, you can have high-quality takeout menus delivered to your place of business without having to spend an arm and a leg for it.

Marketing Techniques to Live by when You Print Pizza Menus

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make as a food business owner is failing to realize the importance of seemingly small tasks such as to print pizza menus for takeout, for example. Why focus on your to go menu when you have dine-in options available? Here’s a quick list of the reasons:

You are losing a huge percentage of potential customers if you don’t offer to go or delivery services. This is especially true when it comes to easy-to-eat food items like pizza or Chinese takeout. People love the convenience of ordering meals which are cheap, delicious, and fast. If you don’t tap into this market, you are not making the most out of your earning potential as a food business.
Since you don’t have to prepare the food item for dine-in serving, wash dishes, and clean a table, to go customers will save you a lot of time and manpower. You will also earn more profit because you can add more to the price since customers are willing to pay for convenience.

Marketing Tips for Print to go Menus

Next, what are the marketing tips that you need to live by when you print carry out menus? First, focus on the design and content of your menu. If you’re running a pizzeria, for example, limit your takeout options to just seven flavors – any less and customers will feel short changed, while having too many items to choose from will make them feel overwhelmed and unable to make a choice.

Design-wise, make sure that there is a good balance between text and images. If you must include pictures or hand-drawn illustrations, make sure that they look appetizing and eye-catching. For the text, you can include a short description of each pizza flavor, for instance, and make sure that the menu is not crowded with too much information.

Second, look for distribution options that will reach out to a broader audience. After printing a set of to go menus, you can place them:

Inside every to go order or delivery order.
In a prominent place just right outside your restaurant, so that customers won’t have to come inside just to see what you have to offer as a food business.
Inside direct mailers – where you can include postcards, discount coupons, or business cards to complete your print marketing materials.

If you’re holding a promotion, you can also have an employee distribute the menus in areas where there are a lot of people passing by.

By paying attention to the design and distribution of your to go menus, you can make this powerful marketing material work to your business’ full advantage.

Print Pizza Menus & Watch Your Profits Soar

For most families, ordering pizza for dinner is a regular habit because it frees them from chores – so if you’re in this business, you should think about print pizza menus. The same thing holds true for casual or even fine dining establishments. You must offer customers the convenience of ordering food to go. This way, even if they do not have time for a sit-down dinner or if they are off to somewhere and just need to order something filling, fast – they will still consider ordering food from you.

Now, if you are offering different pizza flavors, how can you make sure that your menu becomes a marketing tool that will result to a boost in your profits? Here are a few tips:

Look for a company that specializes in tasks such as creating print to go menus. Gone are the days when pizzeria menus used to be thick, overly large menus with descriptions in big font. Today, you can still go for the oversized menu – perhaps for dine-in customers – but if you are targeting those who are ordering food to go, you must have a smaller, more easily accessible menu. Takeout menu printing companies usually offer pizza menus in these three popular sizes:
– 8.5” x 11”

-8.5” x 14”

-11’ x 17”
When looking for a company to print the pizza menu for you, make sure that they offer full color HD printing; a variety of folding options; and good quality offset prints.

Pay attention to the design and content of your menu. Most people are visual so if you want to attract customers to order food from your menu, make sure that the images are drool-worthy. The pictures must look professionally-shot and appetizing. For the content, you should have updated contact information. It’s better not to incorporate dollar or currency signs on the menu – and use strategic pricing. For example, instead of pricing $10 for a pizza, you can use 9.95 or 9.99. This will make people think that they’re spending less and getting the best value for their money.

Distribution is also important. When you print carry out menus, remember that it should not be just for customers who are regularly ordering pizza from you. You should include a copy of the menu for every pizza order delivered to customers. You can also have the employees distribute the menus in high-traffic areas. You can send out mailers or put a stack of menus just outside your restaurant so people don’t have to actually set foot inside the store to see what you have to offer.

By remembering these key tips, you can make your pizza carry out menus work to your full marketing advantage.

Sure Fire Ways to Succeed in Marketing Your Print Pizza Menus

Now is the best time to print pizza menus if you haven’t already done so. Being in the food business, there really is untapped market if you are not offering delivery or takeout food – so it’s a must to include it in your daily operations. The question is, how can you make the most out of your print to go menus? Here’s a list of sure fire ways to succeed in it:

Make a great first impression.

When you print carry out menus, pay close attention to even the smallest details. There are printing companies that offer full high-definition printing for takeout menus in different sizes including 8.5” x 11”; 8.5” x 14”; and 11” x 17”. When you have good-quality offset prints, your menu will leave a lasting impression to your customers. You don’t even need to invest in professional menu design – as long as there is a good balance between images and text and the overall design is attention-grabbing, you’re good to go.

Aside from convenience, you must offer customers more benefits when printing takeout menu.

Why not make your menu printout double up as a discount coupon? Or, if you’re mailing out menus, you can include a copy of your business card which they can present to your store and use as a discount coupon. The more benefits you offer to your customers during the ordering process, the more loyal they will be to your brand.

Display a blown-up version of your menu at your front window, or put a basket full of them right outside your front door.

If you have a sophisticated-looking pizzeria or a cute diner, there are still customers who might be hesitant to walk in because they think that they can’t afford the items in your menu. To discourage this, why not display a blown-up version of your menu at your front window? Or, put a basket full of your menu printouts right outside your front door. This way, people will have an idea about your food costs and they’ll feel more confident to order takeout or delivery.

Place a menu inside every delivery or takeout bag.

Spreading the word about your business is key if you want to attract more and more customers. For this, you can look for other creative ways to distribute your to go menus. How about placing a menu inside each delivery or takeout bag? When you’re billing a supplier, you can include the menu inside the statement so that other people can try out your food. Instead of scrambling when a customer asks for a copy, make it convenient for them to pick one up by prominently displaying copies of the menu on each side of your counter, or right in front of the cashier. You can also post one in a public bulletin board, or send out the menus as mailers.

Follow these tips in marketing your food business and experience a surge in sales in no time at all.

Effective To Go Menus Make Your Food Business Succeed

No matter what type of food you specialize in, it is important to have to go menus that customers can refer to if they want to order takeout. If you’re a purely dine-in establishment, you are not really taking advantage of your business’ full earning potential. A lot of people don’t have the time or patience for a sit-down dinner, so they enjoy the quickness and convenience of ordering takeout.

Combine a To Go Menu with these Things to Set Your Business Up for Success

The first thing that you need to do is look for a to go menu printing company. Make sure that they specialize in offset printing, and that they offer different folding options, sizes, and a thick paper stock. When you combine the to go menu with the following, you can set your food business up for success:

An effective menu

When you print pizza menus, for example, how many options are there? Studies show that seven is the ideal number where customers don’t feel overwhelmed with too many choices, while not thinking that they have limited choices, either.

An easy ordering process

How easy is it for a customer to order takeout in your food establishment? If you don’t have a dedicated takeout menu counter, make sure that there’s an assigned space in it inside your diner. It could be one side of the counter, or just a simple sign pointing to where your takeout menu is.

Good customer service

How friendly is your wait staff? Do they encourage hesitant customers to actually come into the restaurant and order food? Since their goal is to order takeout, the transaction should be quick and effortless – so make sure that you do offer good customer service.

Good food quality

Of course, you will not have any repeat customers if your food does not taste good. Although customers are paying for convenience, food is still your main product so it has to give them their money’s worth.

Sturdy packaging

You don’t want customers worrying about how they will carry the takeout boxes from your restaurant to their homes – so make sure that your food packaging is sturdy and attractive.

Getting orders right – the first time!

You have one chance to make a good first impression, so get the customer’s order right the first time. Train your staff to listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and to check the content of the box before packing it for takeout.

Food safety

This is a given for everyone in the food business: your products must be safe for consumption. Pay attention to quality, hygiene during food preparation, and make sure that the ingredients are from trusted sources.

By taking these things into account, you can have a successful venture into the takeout food business.

How To Go Menus are Modernizing the Way We Order Food

Fastfood restaurants, pizza parlors, diners, and even some fine dining establishments have latched on to the trend of having to go menus. Customers want everything to be fast and convenient these days. So if you do not offer takeout services in your food business, you are not necessarily getting this part of the market that is not fully tapped yet.

To Go Menu Printing Basics

Let’s say that you own a diner and you do allow customers to order takeout food – but you do not have a dedicated takeout menu yet. How can you make sure that when you print a to go menu, it will be something that will boost your sales and make hungry customers remember your brand? Here are a few tips:

Look for an offset printing company.

If you need to print pizza menus, takeout menus, business cards, or postcards, you can go for digital or offset printers. The problem with desktop digital printers is that they are not as fast or as high-quality as offset printers, so it is better to go with the latter.

Decide on the size of the menu.

Next, think about the size of your takeout menu. Some options are 8.5” x 11”, 8.5” x 14”, or 11” x 17”. There are different folding options available or you can have one jumbo menu that can also be a conversation starter in your diner. Depending on the design of the menu, it can be full-color or black-and-white with hand-drawn illustrations.

Make sure that the to go menu is concise, yet visually appealing.

No matter which size, paper type, or folding option you choose, it is important to spend time designing the menu. It must be visually appealing so use color wisely. There should also be a good balance between text and pictures, if you have any. The menu should not look too crowded that a customer feels overwhelmed with too many options. At the same time, it should not look too bare – so much so that a customer feels limited with very little choices.

Leave copies of your takeout menu in easily seen places in your dining establishment.

Don’t order just one or two copies of your takeout menu – the minimum order is usually 100 pieces from most printing companies. What will you do with such a number of menus? Leave them in strategic, easily seen places inside and just right outside your dining establishment. You can also have the delivery person include a takeout menu when they deliver food. This way, customers will have a copy of your menu and it will be easy for them to call and have food delivered, or order food from your diner and have it packed to go.

There’s no doubt that to go menus have modernized the way that customers order and consume food – so it’s best to take advantage of this trend while you can.

Layout & Design Techniques when You Print Pizza Menus

If you own a pizzeria, you naturally need to print pizza menus that customers can use as a reference when ordering. Whether it’s food to go or for dining in, these menus must give them a quick look at the sumptuous pizza flavors, drinks, and side dishes that you can whip up in your kitchen. These menus will also drive sales, so you need to make sure that it’s visually appealing and tempting to the palate.

If you are still in the process of creating your print to go menus, here are a few layout and design techniques that you can borrow:

Decide on the size of the menu.

When you print carry out menus, you can take your pick from these sizes:

5” x 11”
5” x 14”
11’ x 17”

The size of the menu will be the basis of the layout and design. Don’t be afraid to go bold and create an oversized menu – the more space you have to feature your dishes, the better.

Set your menu apart from the competition.

Next, check out the takeout menu of your direct competitors. Are they using an only-text menu, or is it a combination of text and images? While you’re at it, check out the price as well. Make sure that the rates of your food items fare well against your direct competitors – otherwise, they might rake in more sales.

Use professional-looking food photos or illustrations.

If you must use food photos, make sure that the colors are realistic but still pop out. If possible, have them taken by a professional photographer. If you’re selling food items from a family heirloom recipe, vintage illustrations might work better to your advantage.

Choose complementing colors and fonts.

Lastly, make sure to pay close attention to even the smallest details when designing your takeout menu. The design, background color, font type and size – all these must blend together to create a visually appealing menu that will sell your dishes to hungry customers. To achieve professional results, go for offset instead of digital printing – and choose a company that has the length of experience and proper equipment when it comes to menu printing.