Why are symbols on the menu important?

Everyone probably had seen it once - next to the dish's name, there's a small mark indicating something. Whether it is a small chilli pepper, a leaf, or an ear of grain, the number of restaurants adding marks like them in their menu design is rising. But what are the markings for? Why is their usage gaining popularity so fast?

Another question is how to incorporate these markings into the restaurant's menu design, to keep the design clean and unified, but also to make the symbols understandable for everyone.

First, let's glance into what the symbols could actually mean.

Types of menu symbols

Diet type

One of the reasons for the markings to emerge was for distinct dishes that contain meat or products of animal origin. As ecological and health awareness arose, many people decided to switch their diets to vegetarian or vegan. Instead of having to ask the waiter about the contents of the dishes, the client can easily identify a plate for them thanks to the symbols on the menu. This marking can be, many times, also beneficial for the next group of people, who use dish symbols.

As vegetarian and vegan markings are easily mistaken, the legend on the menu is necessary for the client to be sure what it means. The markings are mostly connected to leaves, as it means "plant-based". Sometimes the leaf means a vegetarian dish and vegan dishes are marked with a letter "v" that becomes a leaf on the right side.

Allergies and intolerances

Another type of marking on the menu is connected to allergies and intolerances. Since more people are observing the effects of certain allergens on their bodies, they're also willing to change their diet accordingly.

The most popular markings contain gluten-containing products, marked with an ear of grain symbol, lactose-containing dishes, marked with a bottle of milk symbol, egg-containing dishes, marked with a symbol of an egg, and nut-containing products, marked by a symbol of a peanut.

The allergy and intolerance markings can be adjusted to the type of kitchen you're serving and can show many other products that others should be aware of.

Spiciness

This marking is crucial for restaurants that are planning to serve dishes from kitchens that are known for their generous usage of spices. Since some people are not handling spicy dishes well, it could be beneficial for them to know, which dishes to choose and which to omit.

The spicy dishes are often marked with a chili pepper symbol. Sometimes the restaurant offers dishes on a few levels of spiciness and the most popular indicator of the spicy level is the amount of the pepper being colored.

Religious preferences

While the addition of symbols of religious preferences may not seem necessary, it would be very welcomed in communities, where religion indicates the exclusion of certain products.

The most popular symbols are, of course, the markings of halal and kosher food, but you can adjust your menu to any community you're currently in.

Product origin and certificates

These symbols are not widely known or used, but they could be something that your restaurant can be proud of. If your dishes are made from products that are locally purchased, or that are particularly known in the area you're operating in. If your region is famous because of its cheese, wine, or vegetables and you're preparing your dishes with them - it's always a great opportunity to hint to your clients how proud of them you are.

Incorporating menu symbols in your design

Now, that we know, what the symbols mean and can look like, we can start thinking about how can we incorporate them into our own menu design.

Firstly, don't feel trapped by the conventional designs. Add your own twist to it - as the menu design represents your restaurant's vibe, the symbols should be adjusted to it. The lack of cohesion in the designs of the menu and symbols can lead to the menu looking tacky.

Secondly, be wary, that the more symbols you're going to add, the less readable the menu is going to become. Choose only the symbols you know you're going to use systematically and use them in a manner that won't make the menu design chaotic.

And don't forget to add a legend at the bottom of the menu! While most of the symbols are widely recognizable, the legend is still a must-have in the menu design.

Summary

Restaurant menu symbols became a must while composing your menu template. Even if you're using a restaurant menu template, the online menu maker should include the possibility to add free templates of icons for you to use on your menu. Remember to use them in your restaurant menu design!