From small start-ups to large chains with thousands of locations, outdoor digital menu boards can help a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) drive sales in the drive-thru.
Digital menu boards make it easy to feature and highlight various promotional food and drink items. Pricing and specials can also be updated throughout the day. The possibilities are endless!
Restaurants can reach sales goals by implementing the right solution from the beginning of the project. These tips will help guide a QSR toward a solution that helps build the brand image, increase sales, and reduce unnecessary print costs.
- Always Consider the End User & Brand
A menu is the vehicle that a QSR uses to communicate to consumers, so it must show value to the customer and store. Employing digital menu boards makes the ordering process easier for the restaurant operators, because they are able to quickly and efficiently modify the menu. In addition to pricing, displaying caloric information is important to health conscious customers in the drive-thru. Ask outdoor digital menu board content and software creators for help and to offer perspective on both sides of the equation to develop the best strategy. 
Set Tangible Goals
It will take some time for the restaurant to determine what strategy works best with customers. Do not expect to yield an immediate uptick in sales on the first day or even the first week of a digital deployment in the drive-thru. Set realistic, but challenging goals for the new menu boards. Enforce a plan with a trackable procedure to determine the return on investment. As the QSR becomes more comfortable with the equipment and the customers become familiar with the new menu, the restaurant should see an increase in sales - based on the specials and promotions - over a period of time.- Each Restaurant Has Different Needs
A site survey is important to determine the store’s preparedness to install digital menu boards. However, it is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. It is extremely beneficial for the QSR to evaluate each location before an installation crew is scheduled to install new signage. Never let the store become inoperable due to preventable mistakes and poor planning. When prepping for a large roll-out plan, hardware installation can be complicated. In addition, do not assume that each and every store will have enough space for a presell and triple screen menu board. Physical space limitations may prevent installing an order confirmation board separate from the main menu. Maximize the most out of the space available by allocating a portion of the menu to order confirmation. Therefore, the store can eliminate the standalone unit and reduce unnecessary costs. - Listen to Customers!
Enclosure manufacturers and digital signage providers have a great deal of experience with restaurants large and small. However, a QSR knows its own brand and customer’s purchasing behaviors better than anyone. The content strategy should be a collaborative effort to ensure the store chooses the right option to yield the best results.
It has been proven time and time again that outdoor digital menu boards can aid in the sale of food items at the drive-thru. Mark McDermott, CEO of Screen Cloud, in his article, ‘How to Create a Successful Customer Experience using Digital Signage’ explains the power of digital, “When used correctly, digital signage displays can be tailored and flexible to the whims of customers, as well as being cost-effective to implement with high-impact results. Static signs and billboards are great, and cheap, but with 63 percent of people reporting that digital signage catches their attention, it’s an area you can’t afford to ignore.”
For more information:
The Top 9 Benefits of Outdoor Digital Menu Boards
Outdoor Digital Menu Board Serviceability
4 Mistakes to Avoid with Outdoor Digital Menu Boards
3 Ways Presell Digital Menu Boards Provide a Great Experience
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