Digital signage is now so versatile and is serving a variety of functions simultaneously in the restaurant industry. Restaurants of all types are utilizing digital signage to increase sales volumes, increase spend, reduce cost, improve customer experience, and remain flexible in an ever-changing market.  

These are some of the ways digital signage is shaping the industry:  

Touch Screen Signage  

Touch screen kiosks are increasingly being used as a dynamic way to present menus, take orders, increase spend, and drive sales on specials and selected items.   

• Customers will tend to take more time ordering at a touch screen kiosk allowing more time to recommend add-on items and influence behavior with prompts and suggestions.    
• A significant benefit is the ease of changing menu’s from breakfast to lunch as well as pricing or specials at one or multiple locations immediately and with minimal to zero cost.  
• Gathering data will help to identify trends and patterns in customer preferences which can then be broken down into times of the day, week, or month.  
• Improving customer ordering experience and alleviating queues at the front ordering counter which reduces waiting times.  

Digital Signage Menus  

• Traditional menu boards are limited by space because they are static and therefore only able to list a single format of menu items in a basic layout. Digital menu boards allow you to highlight individual menu items and specials as well as the ingredients and nutritional information in an easy to view and appealing way.  
• High-resolution menu displays are far more captivating than traditional menu boards. Motion graphics and video can be incorporated to show off-menu items and increase sales.   

Digital Order Status Signage  

• Keeping customers visually informed of their order process reduces perceived waiting times and customer frustration.  
• Order status information also assists operationally with customer and queue management.  

Optimizing Digital Drive Thru Signage   

Research suggests that as much as 70% of sales traffic occurs through a restaurant’s drive-through lane. A digital drive through signage network can be used effectively to increase sales and advertise new products or specials during a valuable time from the pre-order process through to the collection of the order.  

Optimizing the physical layout and functionality of the digital signage will speed up the order process and convert advertisements and promotions into sales. The most popular items can be made to stand out so that customers can quickly find these items and complete their orders quickly.    

Information & Entertainment   

A good digital signage software solution will enable seamless transitions between various forms of content which can be displayed across various screens. Information widgets like weather, markets, and sports headlines can be combined into digital menu boards. Similarly, these widgets can also be overlaid onto sports viewings and transitioned with promotional items and specials.