From the beginning of any meal, your printed menu shows guests who you are and sets the tone for the dining experience. Therefore, printing custom menus that make diners excited about their upcoming meal is extremely important.
When printing menus for restaurants, you need to consider a wide range of print and business factors. This article will explain what you need to know about menu printing for franchise restaurants, including what it is, the benefits it offers, and what to keep in mind as you look for a printing partner.
What is Franchise Printing for Restaurants?
Restaurants use paper in many different forms, including in the kitchen, in the office, and out in the world generally. Franchise printing for restaurants provides all of these products for businesses nationwide. Here are some of the benefits of professional restaurant franchise printing:
- Uniformly high-quality products. Professional franchise printing provides every location with impressive print materials from coast to coast.
- Impress potential customers. By putting your branding out into the world, you increase visibility and attract new diners.
- Create a seamless dining experience. From outdoor signage to menus and napkins to paper tray mats, restaurant franchise printing ensures that you have great products throughout every stage of the dining process.
- Make business connections. From international expos to local business bureaus, professional franchise printing creates great products that facilitate new connections.
To sum it up, franchise printing for restaurants increases professionalism and ensures paper products that make a great impression and help leave diners satisfied.
Best Menu Options
When you’re printing your restaurant menu, here’s what to think about to make sure you’re producing the best items that both look good and hold up for a long time.
Consider Menu Designs
Your menu’s design makes a difference. You can emphasize specific dishes, encourage diners to opt for combo meals instead of single menu items, and clarify how diners can customize their meals via ingredient substitutions, additional toppings, and more.
The shape and size of your menu also play a large role. Depending on your budget, you can choose from menus as simple as a single piece of 5.5×8.5 paper to bound menus made of synthetic paper, which will last for years.
Your menu design can include images, as well. If you have the space, adding photos of meals can encourage diners to try a new dish.
Consider Paper Stock Quality
One of the most significant choices you can make when it comes to printing your menus is the paper you print on.
The best paper choice for your menu will depend on how you plan to use your menus. If you’re opting for disposable menus or menus that diners can take home with them, printing on a lighter stock such as 80lb text paper can be a good choice.
On the other hand, if you’re printing dine-in menus that will be used and reused, it’s a better idea to choose a sturdier paper such as 80lb cardstock. You can even choose to make your menus even stronger by adding finishing processes such as lamination, which will help them hold up for years.
Consider Replacement Options
It’s inevitable: every so often, you’ll update your menu. Whether you offer rotating seasonal specialties or simply want to change your look, you’ll need to replace your printed menus from time to time.
Planning your menu replacements and roll-outs leads to seamless transitions from one menu to the next. No diner wants to use a menu that looks dirty or unsanitary, so if your restaurant has reusable menus, consider the length of time your menus can be in use before they need to be replaced. It’s better to err on the shorter side to ensure that all diners receive menus that look fresh and make a lasting impression.
Choosing a Printing Partner: Key Franchise Considerations
Deciding which printing company to work with is a big choice. Here are some of the top points to keep in mind as you’re making your decision.
High-quality Print Products
Clearly, when looking for a printing company, you want to choose a partner who can produce the high-quality print products you’re looking for. Ask to see samples of their past work. Can they produce the menus you have in mind, and do they offer finishing processes such as lamination that will help your menus last a long time?
As well, take a look at the other print items any potential print partner produces. It can be easier to work with one printing company for all of your print needs, so it’s a good idea to see if a potential menu printing company can also produce the items and quantities of the other print products you need. After all, if you develop a good partnership with a printing company, it saves time and money if they can provide all of your print products.
Custom Web Portals
As multi-location businesses, it’s important that franchise restaurants have uniform branding and materials at every location. Working with a printing company that offers custom web portals makes ordering uniform products to every location simple.
Web-to-print portals offer a wide range of benefits. The head office can upload designs with pre-approval, so management at every location can order the products they need quickly, and products are shipped directly to the right location. Centralized portals also ensure consistent materials and branding, so every diner can have similarly positive dining experiences.
Outstanding Customer Service
You already understand the importance of excellent customer service. You provide it every day, and you should receive it as well. Working with a printing company that offers top customer service makes all the difference.
The best printing companies offer helpful teams who want to talk with you and are happy to answer questions throughout the entire design and printing process. They’re driven to provide the very best print products and work with you every step of the way. From choosing paper sizes, weight, and menu design, to printing and fulfillment services, The Print Authority has you covered.
Quick Fulfillment Services
When you need new menus, you need them quickly. The best printing companies have turnaround times as fast as within a business day or two. These companies can get your menus to you quickly so that you can get them to your customers.
Bulk Ordering Programs
Ordering in bulk is often a simple way to save money. Simply put, as the number of items you order increases, the cost per item decreases. Therefore, it can be a good idea to partner with a printing company that offers bulk ordering. By ordering all of your menus at once, you both get the ordering taken care of and save money. It’s a win-win!
Roll-out Kits
Changing your menu means updating more than only the menu that guests use to order. It often means updating signage, table tents, and job aids for kitchen staff. Many professional printing companies can incorporate all of these products into comprehensive roll-out kits that provide all the items you need when you update your menu with new food,
Make sure to partner with a printing company that can provide roll-out kits, as these make the process easy on your end. By taking care of all the additional updated items you’ll need when you make a change to your menu, the printing company does all the heavy lifting. You receive roll-out kits that contain everything you need and are ready to use.
Ace Printing Custom Menus with The Print Authority
It’s important to find a printing company that’s a good match for your business and your needs. Give The Print Authority a call to see if we’re the match you’re looking for! With decades of experience printing menus for restaurants across the country, we have the passion and experience to accompany your franchise as you grow. We love helping businesses thrive through print!
To learn more about how The Print Authority can help, contact us today.
