11 Ways Restaurants Can Use Digital Signage To Be More Awesome

Introduction

Almost 30% of restaurant customers consider digital menus to be a key factor in their purchasing decisions.

In today’s fast-paced world, capturing and retaining customer attention is crucial for restaurant success.

Digital menu boards has emerged as a powerful tool, offering a dynamic and engaging way to enhance the dining experience and boost your bottom line.

From the moment guests step through the door of any restaurant, digital TV screen menu can create a lasting impression.

Imagine a captivating video wall showcasing mouthwatering dishes, a vibrant menu board with customizable options, and interactive displays that allow customers to explore your offerings in a fun and engaging way.

Digital signages create an average increase of 3% in margin per transaction.

These are just a few examples of how digital signage can transform your restaurant into a modern and exciting destination.

With this blog post, we will delve into 11 innovative ways restaurants can leverage the power of digital signage.

We’ll explore how to use it to entice customers with enticing promotions, improve order accuracy and efficiency, provide valuable information and entertainment, and create a truly immersive and memorable dining experience.

Whether you’re a small, independent eatery or a large, bustling chain, discover how digital signage can help you stand out from the competition and elevate your restaurant to new heights of success.

1. Enhance Menu Visibility and Customer Engagement

Improve Menu Visibility and Engagement :
With digital menus, restaurants can attract more attention, making it easier for customers to navigate their options. This leads to a more enjoyable dining experience, encouraging longer visits and repeat business.
High-Quality Visuals: Digital menus can display food items with appealing images, enticing customers. Using high-resolution pictures can highlight the freshness and quality of dishes, increasing customer confidence in their selections. These visuals can be updated to showcase seasonal dishes or special offers effectively.
Easy Updates:
Quickly change menu items, pricing, and special promotions without reprinting materials. This flexibility allows restaurants to stay competitive by quickly adapting to market trends or customer preferences. It also eliminates the costs associated with printed menus, reducing waste and improving sustainability.

Starbucks is a restaurant brand that effectively uses high-quality visuals on its digital menu boards to drive more sales and engagement. Starbucks uses visually appealing images and animations to showcase its beverages and food items, making them more enticing to customers.

2. Promote Daily Specials and Promotions

Real-Time Updates: Display rotating specials, discounts. With real-time updates, you can immediately notify customers of last-minute promotions or changes to the menu. This flexibility helps increase sales by capitalizing on limited-time opportunities or creating urgency.
Engagement with Timely Offers: Encourage customers to try limited time offers or flash sales.
Highlighting these offers creates a sense of excitement and urgency, motivating customers to act quickly. It also allows businesses to track which promotions are most popular, helping refine future marketing strategies.
Seasonal Promotions: Highlight seasonal or holiday-specific items on digital displays.
Seasonal promotions can evoke a sense of festivity and anticipation, encouraging customers to try new, themed dishes. This also allows for effective marketing of special ingredients and limited-edition offerings tied to specific holidays or events.

Restaurants can take lead from Dunkin on this.

Dunkin’ is known for its seasonal beverages, such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Peppermint Mocha, similar to Starbucks.

These limited-time offerings on the menu boards generate excitement and anticipation among customers, encouraging them to visit Dunkin’ during specific times of the year.

Dunkin’ often introduces special holiday-themed drinks and merchandise, creating a festive atmosphere and attracting customers during the holiday season.

3. Enhance Customer Waiting Experience

Entertainment During Wait Times: Use digital signage to display entertainment like trivia, short videos, or news. Interactive content can keep customers engaged and distracted, making wait times feel shorter. This also allows for branding opportunities, such as promoting your restaurant’s story or upcoming events.

Queue Management: Integrate signage with waitlist systems to update customers on their status. This reduces frustration by keeping customers informed about wait times, offering transparency. It also improves the flow of traffic in waiting areas, ensuring a smoother experience for both guests and staff.

Relaxed Atmosphere: Create a calming environment with visuals like scenic landscapes or soothing music playlists. By incorporating elements of nature or soft, ambient sounds, you can help customers feel at ease while they wait. This can also create a positive association with your brand, enhancing overall customer loyalty.

Texas Roadhouse is a restaurant brand well-known for its effective wait time management and customer entertainment.

Even while waiting, customers are immersed in a lively atmosphere with live music from a house band playing classic rock and country tunes.

Many locations have a dedicated “Wait List Room” with games like cornhole, darts, and arcade games to keep guests entertained.

4. Upsell and Cross-Sell

Suggested Pairings: Display complementary items like sides, drinks, or desserts to encourage add-ons. By offering visual cues, such as “perfect with” or “popular choice,” customers are more likely to consider additional items they might not have initially thought of. This approach can lead to a more fulfilling meal experience and increased sales.

Promote High-Margin Items: Highlight the most profitable menu items to boost sales. Featuring high-margin dishes can drive profitability while making the menu more attractive with enticing descriptions. This strategy helps customers see value in these items while subtly guiding their choices toward higher-revenue options.

Loyalty Programs: Use digital signage to promote and explain your restaurant’s loyalty program, increasing customer retention. By using digital displays to clearly outline rewards, customers are more likely to join and stay engaged with the program. This also keeps your restaurant top-of-mind, encouraging repeat visits and fostering long-term relationships.

Chipotle uses digital signages right in this case at its outlets to upsell, resell and make its loyalty programs more likable.

Customers can use touchscreens to customize their orders, explore limited time offers, and learn about loyalty program benefits.

Dynamic visuals and engaging content highlight new menu items, combo deals, and exclusive rewards for loyalty members.

5. Digital Displays for Social Media Engagement

Live Social Media Feeds: Display customer posts or restaurant reviews in real time to engage guests.
By showcasing positive customer experiences, you create social proof that encourages new customers to visit. This real-time interaction helps build a stronger connection with your audience, fostering excitement around your brand.
Hashtag Campaigns: Encourage customers to use a branded hashtag for a chance to be featured on digital screens.
Promoting hashtag campaigns helps generate organic content while giving customers a sense of involvement and excitement. It also increases brand visibility as customers share their experiences on their own social media profiles.
User-Generated Content: Create a sense of community and recognition by showing customer photos or feedback.
Displaying user-generated content on your digital screens gives customers a platform to be celebrated, enhancing their connection to your brand. It also motivates others to participate, creating a cycle of engagement and fostering loyalty.

McDonald’s uses digital signage to highlight social media hashtags and customer-generated content.

For example, they often display Instagram posts tagged with their official hashtags in-store or on drive-thru screens, creating a direct link between physical and digital spaces.

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6. Communicate Health and Safety Guidelines

Up-to-Date Information: Display important safety protocols, like sanitation practices or social distancing guidelines. Keeping information current ensures that customers feel informed and secure during their visit. Regularly updating these messages helps demonstrate your commitment to their safety and well-being.
Visual Cues: Use graphics to explain complex safety instructions in an easy-to-understand manner. Graphics simplify important messages, making it easier for customers to quickly grasp the necessary precautions. This approach ensures that all guests, regardless of language or background, can follow safety protocols effectively.
Customer Confidence: Foster trust by showcasing cleanliness and hygiene measures through digital signage. By visibly promoting hygiene standards, you reassure customers that their health is a top priority. This can boost their comfort level, encouraging them to return with confidence in your restaurant’s commitment to safety.

Most of the big brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s, Chipotle, Burger King and more have been very vigilant and prompt in using digital signages to effectively communicate health and safety guidelines, especially post Covid. The visuals on digital displays make it easier for customers to understand and follow safety protocols.

7. Enhance the Ambience and Branding

Thematic Displays: Change the visuals to match the restaurant’s theme or atmosphere (e.g., beach-themed visuals for a coastal restaurant). Tailoring visuals to fit the restaurant’s concept creates a more immersive dining experience for customers. This approach reinforces the unique identity of the restaurant and helps customers feel connected to the environment.

Branding Consistency: Reinforce brand colors, logos, and messaging across all screens for a cohesive brand experience. Consistent branding on digital displays strengthens the restaurant’s identity, making it more memorable for guests. This also ensures that every part of the dining experience reflects the restaurant’s core values and vision.

Customizable Themes: Adjust screens to suit different times of day or events (e.g., different visuals for dinner vs. lunch). Dynamic, time-sensitive visuals can set the tone for different meals or special occasions, enhancing the overall atmosphere. This flexibility allows you to tailor the customer’s experience based on their specific visit, whether it’s a relaxed lunch or an elegant dinner.

TGI Fridays utilizes large, high-resolution screens to showcase vibrant visuals, captivating animations, and interactive content that aligns with its energetic brand identity.

The digital signage displays often feature themed content that changes with the seasons, holidays, or special events. For example, during Halloween, the screens might display spooky animations and festive messages.

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8. Showcase Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Highlight Positive Feedback: Display recent reviews and testimonials to build trust and credibility. By featuring glowing customer feedback, you encourage potential guests to visit, knowing others have had positive experiences. This not only boosts credibility but also reinforces the quality of your service and food.

Encourage New Reviews: Prompt customers to leave reviews in exchange for a discount or reward. Incentivizing reviews helps gather more feedback while motivating customers to share their experiences. Offering a small reward creates a win-win scenario that benefits both your business and the customer.

Social Proof: Use reviews from popular platforms like Google or Yelp to show customer satisfaction. Displaying reviews from well-known platforms helps validate the authenticity of your customer experiences. It builds confidence in potential guests, knowing your restaurant is well-regarded by a broad audience.

Five Guys frequently features excerpts from positive online reviews on their digital menu boards and in-store displays.

By prominently displaying social proof on their digital signage, Five Guys builds trust with potential customers, reinforces their brand image, and encourages others to share their positive experiences.

9. Provide Local and Community Information

Local Events: Promote nearby events or activities, offering a sense of connection with the local community. By showcasing local events, your restaurant becomes a hub for the community, encouraging patrons to stay connected to what’s happening around them. This helps build loyalty as customers feel their support for local events is being recognized.

Sponsorship Opportunities: Use digital signage to feature local business partnerships or sponsorship’s. Featuring partnerships with local businesses shows your restaurant’s support for the area and fosters a sense of collaboration. This also opens opportunities for cross-promotion, benefiting both the restaurant and its local partners.

Community Engagement: Show that the restaurant is invested in its community by sharing charity events, local news, or environmental initiatives. By highlighting your restaurant’s involvement in local causes, you strengthen its role as a responsible, community-focused business. This not only boosts your reputation but also attracts customers who value social responsibility.

Tim Horton often uses its digital menu boards and in-store displays to promote local events, festivals, and charity drives. They use digital signage to display local news and announcements, making their stores a valuable resource for community information.

10. Improve Staff Communication and Efficiency

Back-of-House Messaging: Use digital signage to streamline communication between front-of-house and back-of-house staff. This ensures that both teams are aligned, improving coordination during peak hours. Real-time updates can help prevent errors and speed up service, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

Employee Training: Display important training materials, health and safety guidelines, or shift schedules. By using digital signage for training, you provide staff with immediate access to essential information, helping them stay informed. This reduces the need for printed materials, saving time and ensuring consistency in training.

Operations Updates: Quickly communicate urgent information like inventory shortages or special instructions to the entire team. Digital signage enables real-time communication, ensuring that all staff members are aware of changes instantly. This improves response times, helping staff to adapt quickly to unexpected situations, such as customer requests or operational issues.

Starbucks effectively uses digital signages for both Front-of-House (FOH) and Back-of-House (BOH) communication, streamlining operations and enhancing employee training. McDonald’s also utilizes digital signage to recognize top-performing employees, boosting morale and fostering a motivated workforce.

11. Enhance Overall Customer Experience

Personalized Experience: Use customer data (e.g., via loyalty programs) to display personalized messages or offers. Displaying tailored offers or messages based on past purchases makes customers feel valued and appreciated. Personalized recommendations can increase sales and foster a deeper connection with your brand, encouraging repeat visits.

Interactive Features: Allow customers to interact with the signage, providing a more engaging experience (e.g., digital games, surveys). Interactive features like games or quizzes can entertain customers while they wait, enhancing their overall experience. Additionally, collecting feedback through surveys via digital signage helps improve services while involving customers in your restaurant’s evolution.

Efficiency and Convenience: Offer self-ordering or payment options via digital signage to speed up service. Allowing customers to place orders or pay through digital signage reduces wait times and minimizes human error. This streamlined process helps improve service efficiency and enhances customer satisfaction, especially during peak hours.

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In conclusion, digital signage offers restaurants a powerful tool to enhance both customer experience and operational efficiency.

From streamlining order management in the kitchen to improving guest engagement in the dining area, the potential of digital displays is vast. By embracing this technology, restaurants can boost branding, increase sales, improve staff training, and reduce overhead costs.

As the industry continues to evolve, staying ahead with digital signage will not only keep your restaurant competitive but also create a more enjoyable and seamless experience for both customers and employees.

If you are looking for an easy-to-use and cost-effective digital menu board solution for a better customer experience and increase in sales, sign up for our 7-day free trial or reach us out at info@dotsignage.com for a quick call.

About Smit

Smit Nebhwani, a tech entrepreneur with over a decade of experience, specializes in building successful SaaS products. An authority in digital signage, he shares valuable industry insights through his content. In his free time, he enjoys music, traveling, and family time.

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