Avoid Sticker Shock When Buying Menu Boards

It happens all the time when you go to buy something online, over the phone or from something you see on TV. You know, when “you can get all this for $99.99.” Well then tack on taxes, surcharges, shipping and handling (S&H) and next thing you know it is almost double. Then there are those “deals” that require credit checks. I probably don’t have to tell you but if your report doesn’t come back sparkling you won’t be getting that car for a “low monthly payment of $199.”  [Read more...]

Menu Boards, Etc: Uncommon Questions That Should Be Asked

What I am about to talk about isn’t unique to the menu board industry; it is done time after time when making purchasing decisions.  Assumptions are made based on things you have read, seen or heard, but the personal experiences aren’t known until the process is complete.  Unlike buying a loaf of bread or a new pair of shoes, buying a menu board, drive-thru, communications, or digital signage system is either a first-time occurrence or something done rather infrequently.  [Read more...]

Menu Board Examples & Their Lack of Purpose

The title that you read above may be a little too aggressive. To be clear, I am not suggesting that menu board examples serve NO purpose. In fact they can be helpful when trying to get the creative juices going and for you to envision how something would look in your location. After all, how else would you be able to see if something will work for you other than by ordering a system sight-unseen? The instances that I am referring to are those where the consumer has seen examples but want more; usually by going to see something in person or through additional layouts that are specific to their niche (i.e. Pizza, Ice Cream, etc).  [Read more...]

Monitor & Media Player Combined? Not So Fast…

The majority of digital signage installs that you walk across are comprised of three main components: 1- The monitor/screen, 2- media player and 3- software. However in the last couple of years, LG and Samsung come to mind as providers that have attempted to circumvent the traditional set up with “all-in-one” options.  What they have promised is ease of use, and lower start-up costs.  Depending on what you are looking for, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  [Read more...]

Random Menu Board Thoughts II

Every so often something dawns on me and I think to myself, “I need to write a blog about that.”  Then I get to thinking that there isn’t enough substance to talk about on the one topic.  So for the second time I am going to touch on a couple of random menu board thoughts.  Some may be redundant from blogs past but they have come up again recently and I feel that they should be reinforced. [Read more...]

5 Items That Will Increase Your QSR Sales

It is the nature of the SEO beast that companies like ourselves are quite often found online for menu boards, drive-thrus, and digital signage.  As a result, the conversations and the emails that are sent back and forth are often centered around one of those items.  Make no mistake about it, when it comes to quick-service-restaurant signage these are of the greatest importance.  They are the hub from which you can directly affect purchasing decisions in a way that meets your preference.   [Read more...]

Menu Board Costs Defined

Not too long ago I was approached by a gentleman who was interested in some custom menu boards. Each panel would have been larger then what most would consider a standard size. We have a wood frame option but he wanted double the width on it, the stain was to be different from what our stock options would be, he wanted lug-ons for headers and a tilted wall mount. For the record, all of this is VERY doable.  After taking this all in to consideration, I gave him a ballpark idea on price.  His budget was almost half of the price I provided. [Read more...]

Summer is Here! Adjust Your Signage Accordingly

Your menu boards have been designed, produced and delivered. They are the shiny new object for your restaurant. Days turn in to weeks, weeks turn in to months and sometimes those months, they become years. Over the course of time the menu boards get dusty, stickers are placed over prices, and the strips become sparse.   [Read more...]

Digital Signage for Non-QSR Restaurants

Over the course of the last handful of years the digital signage industry has grown immensely.  It still remains a mixed bag of true solutions and pretenders.  The ability to sift between the two becomes more difficult by the day.  People will often skip to the bottom line and quickly cast a side functionality for a lesser cost and lip-service from a salesperson- “of course you can change your content easily.”  With that said, I’m not here to talk about the companies that provide digital signage, nor where these systems are popping up.  What I’m going to discuss is a relatively untapped segment where we’ve seen the most impressive impact.  After reading this blog my my assumption is that your thoughts will be the same as mine, it’s a no-brainer.   [Read more...]

Recent Goings-On in the QSR Industry

In order to help you stay up-to-date on what’s going on in the restaurant industry, we have dedicated this week’s blog to scouring the QSR Magazine, Fast Casual Magazine and Digital Signage Today’s of the world to provide you with what we see as some of the most interesting and recent industry news.  A lot of times, reading articles like the ones below can help take your mind to areas you had never considered for your own concept.  Take a read, our hope is that you’ll get some takeaways.   [Read more...]