How to Create a Restaurant Menu in 9 Steps

What is on a Menu?

The first thing to think about when brainstorming how to make a restaurant menu is what goes on it in the first place. There are a few essential elements of a menu you’ll want to include, like food categories (sides, mains, etc.), descriptions of the dishes, and of course, prices. And this is also true for goods and service menus designed for event venues, gym and fitness centers, catering companies and retail boutiques.

In this early stage of menu strategy, you’ll want to gather all your elements to ensure you’re able to organize them in a clear way that makes sense to your customer.

As you dive deeper into how to create a menu, you also have to think about the why. You might think the quality of your product or service speaks for itself or that menus are simply a list of items and nothing more. But by spending time on your menu design, you’re capitalizing on a huge branding opportunity and enhancing your customers’ experience at the same time.

Like any marketing, your menu design should coordinate with your brand’s story – it should feel like you. So what does that mean? Your design should include brand colors and logos, and even the format itself needs to fit (a sit-down menu might have a bound cover while a place tailored to families might stick with waterproof menus).

Step 1: Choose Whether or Not to Have a Seasonal Menu

Step one in how to create a restaurant menu (or any other kind) is to say yes or no to a seasonal menu. Seasonal menus change regularly based on the time of year and the availability of your offerings. Is that something your business model can handle? Will you be able to form relationships with vendors as the seasons change?

There are challenges to seasonal menus, but there are also advantages. They often attract repeat customers seeking new offerings. Plus, seasonal menus reflect well on your restaurant, shop or clinic, highlighting that you’re committed to fresh, timely services (and who doesn’t want that?)

Step 2: Solidify Menu Items

With step two, it’s time for menu development. What’s actually going to be on your menu? For instance, as you consider how to create a food menu that represents your restaurant’s vision, be sure to allow for ample testing time. This is your chance to tinker with different ingredients and recipes and then have people taste them (your kitchen and wait staff are great for this!).

At this stage, it’s crucial to have an editing eye (or palate), so you don’t get lost in the weeds – you can keep trying different recipes (or services), but eventually you’re going to need to land on one that your customers will want and your staff can handle.

Are drinks on your menu? Here’s your inspo.

Step 3: Categorize Menu Items

If step two is difficult, step three is easy. Before you can design a menu, you have to organize the items on it. This will vary based on your offerings and the theme or style of your biz, but categorize with like-items grouped together. And if your brand caters to kids, be sure to have a separate kids menu that’s clearly for them. (Again, we might recommend our durable waterproof menu for that one!)

Step 4: Write Menu Descriptions

Creating a menu means not only determining the offerings themselves, but also describing them compellingly. You can go one of two ways: a full description with adjectives galore or simply listing the ingredients or necessities. Your business’ theme and style will largely determine this.

If you choose the first option, be sure to include engaging, descriptive words that conjure images of the food or product in customers’ heads.

If you go with the second option, it’s all about maintaining consistency throughout the list. And remember to include a key for pertinent abbreviations that indicate preferences or modifications (V = vegan, VG = vegetarian, GFO = gluten-free option, etc.).

Step 6: Choose Menu Colors

To be effective, you don’t need the best restaurant menu design, you just need the one that makes the most sense for you. The colors you choose play a big role in this. As with all of these steps, you have options.

You could try designing with your brand colors to really drive home awareness and influence your customers. Or you could go with colors that create a specific mood or vibe to enhance your customers’ experience. You might also try coordinating with colors in your interior design for a truly cohesive look.

Step 7: Consider Layout & Fonts

Your approach to layout is the same as your approach to the whole design: choose the menu layout that suits your vision. Trial and error is inherent in this step, so explore listing your dishes, goods or services in columns, groups or single-file down the middle of the page.

The same goes for fonts. Does your biz suit fancy cursive lettering or simple, clear typography that’s easy to scan? Fonts can influence how customers perceive your business as a whole, so again, be sure to choose the one that speaks to your style.

Check out these six food menu examples.

Step 8: Decide the Number of Images & Words

Some of the best menu design examples include both images and descriptions. As you consider how to design a restaurant menu with both, we recommend finding a balance between the two.

High-quality images instantly draw your customers’ eyes, but can distract them from the ingredients list. On the other hand, with a descriptions-only approach, you can miss out on the opportunity to instantly grab their attention and place their order (we eat with our eyes first, after all).

The same can be said for menus at beauty salons. Strike a balance between showing the end result and explaining the service along the way.

However you pair images with words, it’s best to keep the overall appearance as clean and easy to view as possible. So try a sumptuous image and simple description or the other way around.

Step 9: Choose the Style of Printed Menu

The last step in menu planning and printing is selecting a menu style. Once again, this decision will be based on your company’s aesthetic, theme and service. At Smartpress, we make it easy to match your vibe with six different formats you can completely customize.

Try classic brochure menus that keep it simple, or saddle stitch menus for a professional bound finish. Go for spiral coil menus to showcase your selection with full page rotation, or include take-out menus in to-go orders. Illuminate your offerings with backlit menus at your entrance or guard against moisture and spills with waterproof menus.

See how menus fit into your print marketing strategy.

Now that you know how to create a restaurant menu, it’s time to start planning, designing and printing with Smartpress (no matter your industry). As a premium online printer, we let you personalize yours however you like with a wide assortment of paper stocks and protective coatings.

The customizing possibilities are truly endless. Plus, we back you up the whole time with a team of print experts ready to help you upload your design file and so much more. Food’s your passion? Well, printing is ours.