menu design tips for menu design
by Andreea Dobrila

Menu Engineering Formulas Based on Powerful Restaurant Menu Design Tips

Menu Engineering Tips: Getting Into Your Client’s Head Using Menu Design Tips

Advantages of menu engineering: did you know that you can use restaurant menu engineering tips to actually squeeze a 30% higher profit out of your current menu… just as easy as taking candy from a baby?

But what is menu engineering? What does it entail?

It refers to combining restaurant menu design tips with menu psychology to stimulate your clients’ appetite and encourage them to spend more.

And the crazy part is that implementing these menu engineering tips is something that you can easily do within a very short period of time; and the results can be seen almost instantly.

Yet, less than 40% of restaurant owners actually take advantage of the following menu design tips to craft a deeply persuasive menu that will stimulate their clients into ordering more food.

And boosting their profits. But that’s a huge opportunity for your business which you shouldn’t let slip through your fingers.

So then… how to do menu engineering?
Just take a look at the menu engineering examples to see just how easy it is to boost your earnings.

You might also like: How to write delicious restaurant menu descriptions that sell more food

Design your menu like a pro. Create an irresistible menu that will get your customers to order more.

Menu Engineering Tips #1: Provide Them with Additional Food Options

Do you remember the famous McDonald’s saying “Would you like fries with that?”

You have to give McDonald’s credit for inventing cross-selling, which is one of the greatest marketing concepts of all times.

Since the purpose is to get your client to order more food – and spending big time – providing him with additional and related products will certainly do the trick.

All crafty marketers actually use this technique to sell you something, whether it’s McDonald’s fries or that extended warranty for your fancy new phone or TV of yours.

And they’re successful because they make you feel that you need that extra additional product. And sometimes our needs intertwine with our wants.

So that’s exactly what you should do – give your clients the chance to add…

  • extra snacks, like french fries
  • extra pizza toppings
  • or/and provide them with some of your most delicious dessert options

They want what you show them. So give the people what they want. (See what I did there?)

Menu Design Tips #1: Cross-selling:

Provide Them with Additional and Related Food Dishes

menu design tips: offer fries with burger

Menu Engineering Tips #2: Add Vivid Imagery of Your Dishes to Your Menu

Having some great looking images accompanying your food items on your menu has the potential to increase restaurant sales by 30% nonetheless.

Related: 6 Amazing Restaurant Food Photography Tips & Tricks

Researchers at the Iowa State University tested a digital display of a salad on kids at a YMCA camp. They discovered that those who saw the salad image were up to 70% more likely to order a salad for lunch.

Here’s the interesting take that should stick with you:

You respond to the image on the display like you would respond to a plate in front of you.

If you’re hungry you respond by saying, ‘I’ll have what’s in that picture.’

The more vivid the image, in terms of movement, color and accuracy of representation, the more realistic, the more it’s going to stimulate your response to it

(Brian Mennecke, Associate Professor of Information Systems, Iowa State University)

Fast food chains have already employed this tactic. They use digital menu boards to entice their customers into ordering the food items with the highest rate of profitability.

It’s a smart strategy to boost your sales.

Menu Design Tips #2:

Add Vivid Imagery of Your Dishes to Your Menu

menu design tips: vivid imagery

Menu Engineering Tips #3: Place Most of the Visual Content on the Left Side of Your Menu

The right hemisphere is in charge of our more creative side. And that means that it is our right side hemisphere that helps us process images. Or any type of graphic content for that matter.

However, what few people know is that the right side of the brain is responsible for controlling the left side of the body. And there’s more.

Due to this in-built neuroanatomical structure, the right hemisphere can best process images when they’re located on the left side of the menu:

“…a stimulus presented in the left visual field (LVF) is initially received and processed by the right hemisphere (RH), and a stimulus presented in the right visual field (RVF) is initially projected to and processed by the left hemisphere (LH)…”

(Bourne, 2006, pp. 374)

menu engineering tips for an easier brain processing So when you show your client a menu that his tired mind is able to process extremely fast, then this produces an enjoyable sensation in his brain. And he attributes it to the menu that’s currently sitting in front of him.

According to Alter & Oppenheimer, 2009, when you place images and graphics on the left side of your ad, you increase processing fluency. This refers to the ease and speed with which our brains process information.

But why is this important?

Well, in this day and age, we are constantly bombarded by a lot of things that drain us of energy: working, planning, paying the bills, taking care of your family, etc.

And sometimes your brain needs a break from all these things that tire and put a strain on him.

In other words, by placing most of your menu images on the left side, your customers will be able to process your promotional materials quicker.

You might also like: How to Build a Restaurant Menu That Will Skyrocket Your Online Sales

Menu Design Tips #3:

Place Most of the Visual Content on the Left Side of Your Menu

menu engineering tips: placing images on the right vs images on the left

Menu Engineering Tips #4: Position the Products in a Way that Stimulates Mental Interaction

Menu item placement matters. Ok, so what does that mean? Well, in layman’s term, this tactic encourages his mental interaction with the product that you’re selling.

And helps your customer visualize eating the food they’re seeing in the picture.

Take a look at the two mouth-watering images below. Although they’re the same, the one on the right will seem more appealing to your right-hand customers.

Because it will help your customers see themselves grabbing a slice of that hot pizza slice with dripping mozzarella.

This is like a mental incentive that pushes them towards placing an online order with you.

Menu Design Tips #4:

Position the Products in a Way that Stimulates Mental Interaction

menu engineering tips: position the product accordingly to stimulate mental interactionAdditional restaurant menu design tips for the eager restauranteur.

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So that’s it for today. But we are going to feature more of these interesting tips in our upcoming articles.

But for now, try using these 4 tips to increase your sales. As easy as picking the low-hanging fruit.

Of course, doing all this is easier said than done. So we took it one step further and we built a great template that automates this entire process. And enables you to make the most of all these psychological hacks.

So use our ordering system to engineer your menu and increase your revenue. Oh, and here’s an added benefit – you can also leave your competitors in a cloud of dust. It’s that simple.

The ball is in your court now.

Andreea at GloriaFood

P.S. Don’t waste any more time and make sure you read the sequel to the restaurant Menu Engineering Trilogy, where I’ll be revealing 6 incredible menu pricing tactics. And best of all? You can do it in a few easy steps as a guaranteed way to fill in your customer’s plate with even more food…

… while making him forget all about the pain of paying.

More of these awesome restaurant menu engineering tips await.

Read more:

How to Use an Online Menu Builder to Boost Restaurant Sales

What Is a Secret Menu & How to Implement One in 5 Easy Steps

menu engineering tips

photo of GloriaFood blog writer Andreea Dobrila
Andreea Dobrila

Andreea Dobrila is a proven web copywriter & marketing strategist. She pushes online restaurants on the fast-track to quickly growing their online sales. Win more business by using her bulletproof tips & secrets.

Download’s Andreea’s free report:

**Food Descriptions That Make You Hungry: Hypnotic Menu Writing Tips & Secrets**