Digital menu boards the affordable way
Digital menu boards are used throughout the USA to comply with new legislation for labeling menus, but there is an affordable way to promote the menu whilst informing customers of the calorific content of the meal.
Digital menu boards how to create a cost effective solution
There are several ways in which to provide a digital menu board solution, this ranges from buying a dedicated all in one solution that is the ultimate in digital menu boards. The second option is to purchase a regular television that you would use at home and providing it has a connection that can be connected to a computer you are ready to go.
The computer can be any small form factor PC, or even a more cost effective home PC, providing the computer can be connected to the television, the computer can be located in the back office and all is needed is to run a lead from the computer to the display.
Mounting digital menu boards on the wall
Digital menu boards can be mounted using the VESA pattern on the rear of the TV in landscape mode, this is probably the most common orientation used in the restaurant environment. Using a domestic television limits the orientation, as it can only be used in the landscape position.
Software for digital menu boards
This appears as “ a black art” to most restaurateurs, however software is needed to make the digital signage system work and this is what makes the attention grabbing content.
Digital signage software for the restaurant does not have to break the bank, there is one product on the market that costs around $99 and all you do is once the software is loaded onto the computer, you just add the images of the goods you are promoting as well as a good description of the food with the dietary information and input the price then the digital menu boards are ready to run.
To update the content on the digital menu boards, you would have to just go to the computer and add the content and the system is updated.
Standalone digital menu boards
These have a built in media player at the rear of the screen with basic software, however to update the content, an employee has to create the new content and load it on to either a flash drive or a memory card then swapping the old content with the new.