Digital signage has become commonplace across businesses of all shapes and sizes in nearly every industry you can think of. The restaurant industry in particular has seen a huge boom in integrating this technology into its businesses. Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) have seen a huge onslaught of screens, kiosks, and menu boards.
Regardless of whether your restaurant is a local Mom and Pop shop or part of a national chain, there’s no denying the impact that digital signage can have on the overall customer perception of your business. We’ll take a look at some of the most common uses of restaurant digital signage and how your business can benefit from these captivating screens.
The Most Common Kinds of Restaurant Digital Signage
When it comes to restaurants, there are a few types of digital signage that you’re most likely to see. These include:
- Digital menu boards, both in-store and in the drive-thru
- Interactive kiosks, often used for contactless ordering
- Digital displays, which advertise seasonal, hourly, or promotional specials–and more
While all of these screens are powered by the same technology, their uses and impact vary. We’ll break each one down and explore how these signs can be used in your business.
Digital Menu Boards
It’s not too difficult to work out what these signs are and do. Digital menu boards list the food items and meals your business offers. However, unlike their traditional, static counterparts, digital menu boards are easily adaptable to meet your business’s ever-changing needs. These eye-catching screens engage your customers the minute they enter your restaurant, making it easy for them to choose what they want.
Other ways that restaurants can use digital menu boards include:
- Have menus scheduled to switch out throughout the day, transitioning from breakfast to lunch to dinner, so customers can view relevant items at the right times.
- Place digital menu boards in your drive-thru, ensuring that customers are both engaged and aware of meal specials, seasonal items, and special offers.
- Provide easy access to nutritional information, displayed right beside your food and drink items.
However, digital menu boards aren’t the only restaurant digital signage formats your business can leverage to improve the overall customer experience.
Interactive Kiosks
No one likes a long wait when it comes to getting a meal. Interactive Kiosks can be used to help speed up ordering rates and decrease perceived wait times in your restaurant. This also puts customers in control of their ordering experience, freeing up staff to create and deliver their requested mix of items.
Interactive kiosks can also be used to:
- Give customers insight into your full menu, as they can scroll and browse your current offerings with ease.
- Place contactless orders that many people have reported preferring in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- Double as brand ambassadors, putting your business’s personality and carefully crafted messages right where they need to be: in front of your customers.
Digital Displays
While these signs likely function thanks to the same software as the digital menu boards and interactive kiosks, they are also the screens that your business can have the most freedom with. These displays can be used in any number of ways, including things like:
- Displaying store hours, seasonal specials, COVID-related restrictions and regulations, open positions, and more.
- Highlighting positive customer reviews of food, your location, their overall experience, and other comments that reflect well on your business.
- Providing access to popular TV shows, YouTube content, or even your business’s branded ads to keep your customers entertained while they wait for their food.
Restaurant Digital Signage In Your Business
Regardless of whether your business uses one of these types of screens or a combination of all of them, it’s likely your customers have taken notice. Restaurant digital signage, when used well, can improve your customers’ experience and overall perception of your business. Make sure that your displays are functioning to the best of their ability by relying on a digital signage provider with proven experience in the restaurant industry.
Schedule a demo with Spectrio today to see how our comprehensive suite of customer engagement solutions–including digital signage–can improve your business’s performance and marketing strategies.