Landscape Menu Design

When to Use a Landscape Menu Design at your Restaurant

When creating your menu, they sky is the limit as far as design and presentation. When it comes to formatting, there are two main options used by restaurants: a portrait template and a landscape template.

A landscape menu is a popular choice by many restaurants due to the amount of information that can be displayed at once. We live in a fast world where people are usually in a hurry, and the ability to see a variety of choices on the menu at once can be beneficial to expedient ordering. Landscape menu templates, combined with clear headings, also quickly reveal to your customers what kinds of items you have to offer. For example, a person who doesn’t like pasta, but is at an Italian restaurant, can scan and easily see that there is also flatbread pizza on the menu.

Conversely, a portrait template displays a smaller amount of information is commonly used at restaurants with a smaller menu. Smaller menus are often indicative of high-end restaurants which boast a small variety of food, all prepared carefully with a focus on presentation. As a result, sometimes a portrait menu is best reserved for restaurants of this type.

How Design a Landscape Menu

Landscape Menu Templates provide a lot of space for graphics and headings. It is common for restaurants to displays graphics of their specials or combination offerings in the middle of the landscape template, listing the prices underneath the graphics. Clear headings are an important facet of any menu design, but with this particular template, it is especially important to create headings that are creative and clear. With the amount of information that can be displayed on a landscape menu template, clear distinction between types of food and price points is important.

A common way to display information on a landscape menu template is in trifold format that includes a visual distinction between the three columns. Still others prefer to use a format that displays the information in two large columns, mimicking a portrait template in some ways. Both displays are common and have their own advantages.

When to Use Landscape Menus

Landscape menu templates are common in restaurants that boast a wide and varied menu, such as pizza places, bar and grilles, and cafes. They are also popular with restaurants that utilize a paper version of the menu. Though technically there is the same amount of real estate on a piece of paper no matter how it is turned, it seems as though a landscape format lends itself well to keeping the menu to one page for the purposes of a paper version being offered to customers.

No matter the template used, it is important to keep your menu clear and visually appealing. Designing a menu that reflects the style and theme of your particular restaurant is a task that should be approached thoughtfully and with care. The menu template is an integral part of this process.