What’s on the menu today!

When you visit a restaurant you want to know what is on the menu. But designing a menu wasn’t as easy as I’d expected. Not only does the text have to fit, but you must also maintain the order of the dishes and courses. Not forgetting the prices which have to be clear and easy to read. There are so many possibilities when it comes to design but not all fit in terms of the content. I googled other restaurants and found menus online which I then used for reference and inspiration before starting on the design for this café.

So how do you start designing a menu?

The menu was composed by the chef, prices were added by management and the Excel file landed in my mailbox. After creating a sketch for the layout, I added the text to the design. Moved it around, and rearranged the order of dishes without losing the logic of the menu. Got the final design approved by the client and sent it to print.

Before the official opening of the CuliCafé de Ontmoeting, the owners gave a tasting session for everyone who had helped with the launch of the company. The aim of the evening was for all of us to experience the menu. In addition to giving feedback to the chef and staff, the menu (the product) was also evaluated by everyone. For me a great way to receive feedback. They found it clear, logical and, above all, well-arranged.

Version 1.0 is here…

At first, we started off with two menus. One for food, the other for drinks. Great to start with but realised after a few weeks that the menus were not being used properly. So when coming to adapting the menu (due to dishes being changed), I decided to combine the food and drinks into one card. A trifold meant we could split the courses and drinks keeping the overview. Not only more convenient for the staff but also for the customer.

Do you have any specials?

Yes, we do. In addition to the food and drinks menu, I designed a separate card for the specials. Meals to order a day in advance, ready for pickup the next day. The concept was developed for the elderly who live in the same complex as the CuliCafé de Ontmoeting so they can eat a healthy meal without having to cook. To ensure that this card looks clearly different from the menu, I reserved the colours. That way it was easy to see the difference in the type of menu.