The menu is a restaurant’s most-read sales tool. Whether it’s the printed menu on the table or the listing on a delivery platform, customers usually decide what to order within a few seconds. Good menu design and the right photos help you sell more to the same customer.
Offer fewer, clearer choices
Very long menus create indecision and slow down ordering. Keep a reasonable number of options in each category and remove items that sell poorly and strain the kitchen. A shorter menu makes things easier for both the customer and the kitchen.
Highlight your most profitable items
The eye goes to certain spots on a menu first: the top of each category and the top of the page. Put your highest-earning items there. Highlighting an item with a frame, a small icon or a “chef’s pick” label also draws attention to it.
Show prices smartly
Aligning prices to the right with dotted lines leads customers to scan the menu by price. Writing the price simply, right after the description, keeps attention on the dish. Leaving out the currency symbol also makes the price stand out less.
Descriptions should whet the appetite
Instead of “chicken skewer”, a description like “wood-fired chicken skewer marinated in yoghurt” makes the dish more appealing and its price easier to understand. Use short phrases about the ingredients’ origin, the cooking method and the texture.
Grow the basket with your menu
Meal deals with a drink and dessert, extra topping options and “goes well with” suggestions raise the average order value. On delivery platforms especially, this is one of the most effective ways to offset commission. We cover the pricing side in our platform pricing guide.
Photos change everything
On delivery platforms, items with photos get noticeably more orders than those without. For a good food photo:
- Use daylight; direct flash makes food look flat and cold.
- Shoot the dish in the portion it’s actually served in; customers compare what arrives with the photo.
- Use a simple background and a consistent angle; the whole menu should look the same style.
- Capture the moment of freshness: steam, flowing sauce, melted cheese.
For more shooting tips, see our product photography and video guide.
Update the menu regularly
Track which items sell well and which don’t. Seasonal items and limited-time offers keep the menu alive and give customers a reason to try something new every visit.