Many Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) are making the exciting switch to digital menu boards - inside of their restaurants - to boost sales, create a buzz, promote specials/limited time offers, and reduce print costs.
Choosing the perfect combination of a dynamic LCD and a strong content strategy are top concerns, but there are many other considerations that dictate the overall success of a digital menu board project.
In some environments, it may be advantageous to install a protective enclosure around the digital menu board system.
Enclosure Benefits
Protection Against the Elements
The fast-paced kitchen of a quick service restaurant is a difficult area for electronics to exist and perform to the best of their ability. Water, grease, oil, and flour may all be present in and around the digital menu boards. Overtime, these items will add up and impede the performance of electronics if not properly protected in an enclosure. Also, fire and/or high temperatures around an oven, grill, or fryer may cause problems, jeopardize the warranty, and potentially destroy the screen. A protective shroud or enclosure may be the best route to go for protecting the menu board system. Kitchens can become very hot in a short amount of time. Passive cooling or a filtered fan system can also be used to maintain optimum temperatures inside the enclosure.
Branding Opportunity
The enclosure can blend in perfectly with the QSR's brand and store. Custom colors and logo branding are popular options for digital menu board enclosures. Branding is very important for a QSR and according to the Blog, ‘6 Reasons Why a Strong Brand is Important for Your Small Business,’ “A professional appearance builds credibility and trust. People are more likely to purchase from a business that appears polished and legitimate. Emotional reactions are hardwired into our brains, and those reactions are very real influencers…The most profitable companies, small and large, have a single thing in common. They have established themselves as a leader in their particular industry by building a strong brand.”
Clean Installation
Enclosures may also be used to complete the overall look of the digital menu board solution. An enclosure will keep the restaurant neat and orderly by concealing the media player, thermal management, cables, surge protector, wiring and mounts. It helps to eliminate gaps and ‘clean up’ the final look. Without an enclosure, everything will be exposed to the elements, which will also greatly hinder the lifetime of the electronics.
When planning any digital menu board installation, always keep safety in mind. Consult with a structural engineer and/or architect to make sure that the signage can be supported by the existing wall or ceiling structure. A QSR must ask themselves: Can the mounting surface support the additional weight of the LCDs and mounts? You certainly do not want the mount to fail and cause injury to employees or customers!
Keep maintenance in mind when selecting an enclosure system for the menu boards. The LCDs, media player, and other electronics need to be readily accessed for maintenance. Make sure that the back of the LCDs can be reached in the event that it needs to be replaced or serviced. Some mounts can stick out from the wall and do not need to be flush against it.
Successful indoor digital menu board deployment will be accomplished by performing the proper research and homework.
For More Information:
4 Benefits of Using Indoor and Outdoor Digital Menu Boards
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