In a TouchBistro survey on how diners choose where to eat, we found that 94% of Millennials check online menus before dining out.

Yep, that’s 94% of people aged 18-34 who are assessing the quality of your restaurant based on what your online menu looks like.

Here’s what you can do to make your menu Millennial friendly.

Step 1: Ditch the PDF

No one wants to take the time to open a PDF file. The process feels outdated, and it makes you seem outdated. Invest in a cheap web designer who can translate your menu from print to online. Your online experience should be a pleasant one, and that includes high-quality full screen images, clickable buttons, and navigation that keeps the user exploring your website. PDFs are in no way equipped to handle the demands of a 2017 online user.

Step 2: Make Your Menu Easy to Navigate

Say your customer is just looking for a salad. They shouldn’t have to scroll through pages of items they aren’t interested in, to get to the category they want. Add buttons to the top of your menu, with titles or icons, that can lead users to each section. That way, they can decide quickly what they’re looking forward to eating.

Step 3: Add a Way to Take Action

One of the most important things you can do is turn your menu into a way to receive orders. Add a pick-up or delivery button that will allow users to request an order instantly. As more and more people are choosing to stay home to eat, you have an opportunity to capture a category of diners who may just not feel like tearing themselves away from Netflix to eat your food.

About the Author

Andrée Flaherty started her career in restaurants in 2008, starting in the kitchen and working her way to serving and bartending. She spent nine years in the restaurant and customer service industry across Ontario and Quebec. Studying design in post-secondary led to some creative opportunities in logo and menu design, as well as social media marketing for several venues. Working in the fast-paced, tech-focussed world drew her to her recent career with TouchBistro, where she currently works on our customer success team.

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