Digital Menu Boards &
TV Menus

The best digital TV menu for your restaurant depends on your budget and preference and the type of restaurant you are running. Digital TV menus are made using digital signage software or with simple tools like Microsoft Powerpoint or Adobe design software. There is no doubt that high-definition restaurant TV menus/ digital menu boards make a great first impression. They are also probably less expensive and easier to update than traditional printed signage.

Benefits of Using Digital Menu Boards

Large restaurant chains like McDonald’s can benefit from digital menu board software that can easily be updated across all restaurants and come with customizable pre-made templates. Pricing for digital signage varies and starts at about $20/month. Digital signage software is essential if you are constantly looking to update your menu and pricing and want to do this yourself easily without the help of a designer. Digital signage may also be animated or shown as a slide show. With vivid displays and dynamic content, they attract attention and provide a clearer, more detailed view of what’s on offer. Ever tried squinting at a chalkboard from the back of a queue? Those days are behind us.

Cost-Efficiency

While the initial investment might seem hefty, think about the long run. No more printing costs every time there’s a new dish or a price change. Plus, it’s a one-time setup with minimal maintenance. With digital boards, the beauty lies in the simplicity and speed of updates. They can be done very quickly and uploaded to the TV screen without the need for manual intervention, leading to significant labor cost reductions. The savings from printing alone can justify the initial investment in digital technology, making it a cost-efficient and environmentally conscious choice. 

Aesthetics and Design

Digital menu board design greatly impacts customer impressions and decisions. It’s not just about aesthetics, but clarity and brand consistency. The right design elements—colors, fonts, layout—ensure menus are readable and inviting. Consistent designs across outlets reinforce brand identity. With a unique digital board, it can enhance the overall brand and make a great first impression on customers walking in. As the old saying goes, “We eat first with our eyes”.

There are three types of routes you can go with digital TV menus and digital signage for your restaurant. 

ROUTE 1: Digital menu board and digital signage software

The first option is to use digital signage. What exactly is digital signage in the first place? One definition is “a centrally controlled system to display your content on one or more displays or screens.” Customers will get a box (hardware) or a cloud-based software solution from the digital signage company. With software and hardware, they will have access to a range of templates to build out and control their digital menu on their selected digital screens or kiosks. There are many digital signage companies in the USA and Canada. Here are four that offer digital menu boards and tv menus for restaurants. 

Digital Signage Software Companies

1. Novosign

Novosign is a digital signage company located in Dallas and Manhattan and helps companies like Disney, Hilton and Ikea with their digital signage needs. Their subscription-based pricing starts at USD 18/screen/month. They have an extensive collection of pre-made templates and fonts. A drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for the end users to update the pricing.

2. NexSigns

NexSigns will ship the hardware to all your locations and provide free training sessions to get your staff up to speed with all the features. The extensive library means no designer is needed. You can do it yourself! They also provide an option for custom designs with their creative design team. 

3. Nento 

Nento is a plug N play digital signage and content management solution that allows you to control all your screens with a single user. They have a wide range of beautifully designed templates that you can select. Their plan starts at $99/month last time we checked and they have offices in Canada and the US.

4. Yodeck

Yodeck prides itself on offering free digital signage solutions. However, this plan was limited to only one screen, and you need to purchase the Yodeck player for USD 79 or have something called Raspberry PI ( miniature computer) to use it. Yodeck seems to be a promising silicon valley start-up. However, they still have a lot of work to do, including making it easier for the end-user to get started for free if they want to become a true digital signage solution disruptor. 

ROUTE 2: DIY TV MENUS

We surveyed many restaurant owners (local and small businesses), and digital signage software is rarely used. Most graphic or digital designs come from owners or local graphic designers who have made their own using MS PowerPoint or Adobe Photoshop. The DIY (do it yourself method works well if you know how to design, have great pictures of your restaurant and have free time to go and create it. You will also need a license to either MS PowerPoint or some other design tool, which can range from $79 for MS 365 personal edition ( included along with MS Word and MS Excel) to $71.99/month for Adobe Creative Cloud. 

ROUTE 3: HIRE A DESIGNER OR LOCAL COMPANY

Local printing companies have often designed the menus to use for the TV as digital signage. It simplifies the hardware to simply a TV screen and a USB. Hiring a reliable designer can be tricky sometimes. Ensure that the designer you work with provides you with the source files of their work so that you can always pass the design work onto someone else in case they disappear. Most professional graphic designers work with Adobe CC, so your menu source files will be of the following extensions PSD or AI. 

With a local designer, you still may need to pay them to edit the menus for you in the future, but this will still be one of the most cost-effective and straightforward solutions for you as a small restaurant owner. It is especially true if you work with an experienced designer or a local company or print shop that consistently provides these services. Contact a local business below to create your digital menu boards in Edmonton, Calgary or Vancouver!

Digital Menu Boards and TV Menu Design In Canada

1. The Order Guys
2. Logo Design Edmonton
3. Natasia Designs
4. Mega Signs
5. Kristin Gibson
6. Destroy The Box
7. Red Viking Creative
8. Lianne Charlene Creative

How To Start

Please chat with us or request a quote above for your restaurant’s graphic design or digital tv menu design today. All you need to get started is to supply us with your current menu. We will discuss the graphic design you are looking for and which is best for your restaurant branding. 

Do It Yourself – Create Your TV Menu

You can create your TV menu by yourself for a low cost using tools like Adobe Photoshop, Figma, Canva or even Microsoft PowerPoint! The learning curve for using tools like Adobe will be much steeper compare to online tools such as Piktochart or Canva. You might find a great starting template with a tool like Canva or Piktochart and be able to drag and drop the elements you need to create a nice clean menu. If you are new to design or looking to try to create your own TV Menu without a graphic design background, then Canva is a great place to start. A big advantage of using Canva is that it is free! They use a freemium business model which allows you or your graphic designer to easily share and collaborate without high monthly fees. With the ease of use for both designer and client, many large design agencies are starting to use these online design tools more and more for their use of use and collaboration. 

Animated TV Menus

Animated TV menus means that each item or page has custom animations that are not inherent to the regular TV sliders.  If you are interested in animated TV menus please send us a message for a custom quote. Animated TV menu pricing will be based on the requirements such as the number of slides and the type of animations required.  Example of animated TV menus can be found in this link: 

Animated TV Menu Sample

Conclusion

We are not a digital software signage company and do not believe that is necessary for most local restaurants unless your restaurant is a large franchise. Typically digital signage software companies provide you with rented software and hardware, and their pricing can be upwards of $100/month for just a few screens. We believe our custom-designed digital TV menus are a great solution between printed menus and digital signage software.