Menu Design Strategies

Like every piece of design, a restaurant menu is vulnerable to trends. The design of a menu might shift based on current times, fashion, technological progress, and many other factors that constantly influence and change the audience's opinion. Colors, fonts, and strategies should be constantly updated based on those trends to stay engaging and interesting for potential customers. In this article, we will list trends, strategies, and ideas for a successful restaurant menu for 2024!

Best Restaurant Menu Design Trends in 2024

Let's dive into the ideas for an outstanding restaurant menu. What could
make your menu design stand out among the others?

Bold color scheme

Nowadays, menus shift towards a more unified design while the colors are becoming bolder and more eye-catching. The primary function of the menu is changing - menus are no longer just a list of dishes; they act as an advert and are a vital element of a well-composed restaurant brand. A menu has to be consistent with every part of a restaurant's brand identity, but at the same time, it has to engage the customers, surprise them, and encourage them to choose your restaurant over all the others. Strong, bright colors give your menu a fresh, trendy look, while a clever color palette helps maintain a classy and elegant look.

Clear font and minimum text

While a font that imitates exquisite human writing looks elegant,
restaurant design studies show that customers do not respond to this type of font very well - it's hard to read and focus on. The reader's eye prefers a simple, clear font. It should draw attention, but the customers should be able to understand everything on the menu comfortably. Also, the font size is important - a font too big would look clumsy, but a font too small would be difficult to read. The text should also be minimal - using recognizable menu icons could be a better idea than flooding your menu design with many words.

If you want to inform your customers about allergens, use symbols instead of words. Find out more about them in our article!

Restaurant's Menu Symbols - Design and Meaning

Plant-based dishes

The amount of vegetarians and vegans is growing steadily and quickly. 
Also, more and more people are taking care of their health by omitting
ingredients due to intolerances and allergies. Having more plant-based meals on your menu may be beneficial. But how might this affect your menu design? A designated section of plant-based meals elevates your menu design by offering a distinct interest section. Another option is to create separate menus for meat-based and meatless dishes. This demonstrates the diversity of your restaurant’s offerings.

Personalization

Clients really appreciate the ability to personalize their dishes. The
amount of sweetness, spiciness, or sourness in a dish is a personal taste that can be different for every customer. That's why personalization has become an often-expected feature by restaurant customers. But it's not only the seasoning that you can make personalized in your menu -the possibility of changing lactose-containing ingredients to non-lactose substitutes or gluten-containing ingredients to gluten-free ones are also warmly welcomed by customers.

The influence of technology

Technology is starting to play a larger role in restaurant menu design.
Monitors showing the menu, QR codes, and social media - technology development played a huge part in the restaurant’s advertisement and business strategy. However, different media require different approaches. They need different tricks and strategies and, of course, different designs. These challenges vary depending on the type of screen you want to use to show off your menu.

Create a tailored menu!

If you want to create a menu that is both functional and eye-catching, use Menufolio - our menu creator! The suggested Menufolio templates will allow you to generate a fashionable menu design that is clear and easy to read! Your customers will love it!