What does a successful food truck menu board idea look like? A complete guide

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a food truck menu board design showing offered food items
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The menu board plays a vital role in shaping a restaurant’s brand and customer experience. As the first point of contact with potential customers, it communicates the available offerings concisely while ensuring it’s visually appealing. This blog will look at the most eye-catching food truck menu board ideas, what goes into them, and the errors to avoid while designing one. Let’s get started!

5 key elements to creating a successful food truck menu design

The following are the tools to create some successful food truck menu board ideas:

  1. To ease navigation, food truck digital menu boards should prioritize clarity, simplicity, and hierarchy. Grouping menu items into categories such as entrees, mains, and desserts, for example, can make it easier for customers to order what they’re looking for quickly.

  2. Want your digital menu board to be visually appealing and eye-catching? Use colors, typography, and high-quality images to your advantage. A mix of colors to make your menu pop, and easy-to-read fonts like Sans Serif or Arial in a font size between 35 and 42 points ensure your menu items are legible and stand out.

  3. The best way to ease ordering via food truck digital menus is to highlight your most popular or signature dishes. You can also include nutrient info in the design structure to help them make informed decisions. A great idea is to create a section on your menu board dedicated to “Chef’s Specials” or “Customer Favorites.”

  4. Go for a unique layout by incorporating your brand fonts and logos into your food truck menu board design! Using an exclusive color palette and fonts throughout what you choose to put out on screen helps create an identifiable look and feel.

  5. To make sure all customers, including those with disabilities, can easily read their menu boards, food truck owners can provide clear descriptions of menu items and use high-contrast colors and legible fonts like black text on a white background. They can also offer alternative formats like haptic-touch enabled or audio menus, accessible via a QR code on the menu board.

4 irresistible food truck menu board template ideas

Food truck menu board ideas that are the perfect crowd-pullers! Read on to find out.

1. Detailed menu template

Want to get the crowd up and excited? There is nothing better than a detailed food truck menu board design idea that lists out ingredients that go into your best-sellers. Here is an exclusive design from Pickcel’s newly-launched in-console art board media library. The colorful board and attractive visual texts are the perfect catch!

How to use this template?

  • Create a free account with Pickcel.

  • Go to the ‘Media’ module within the dashboard.

  • Click on ‘Artboard’ from the drop-down following a click on the ‘+ Media’

  • Choose the ‘restaurant’ filler & select the template

  • Hover over to edit and customize per your choice, including price details, names, background, and font size & colors, and it’s all set!

  • Pair your screens with the Pickcel dashboard & start publishing your menu.

A food truck menu board design showing item descriptions and prices Use template

2. Day’s special template

The secret to updating your day’s special items on offer? A simple hover-over and ‘add to screens’ is all you need! Pickcel Artboard has numerous templates that suit your day, hour, and time of the season menu board updates. Simply click on the ‘use this template’ button and follow the steps in the first point to create your unique dailies!

A menu design showing the day's special offerings Use template

3. Day-parted menu template

What better way to attract your potential customers than with a day-parted food truck menu board idea? This helps them know what you are offering throughout the day, be it the first platter that goes in as the clock strikes 9 am or the last one to go in at 7 pm! The template is available on your Pickcel account’s Artboard! So, head to log in, edit, and do up the design of your choice!

A menu design showing menu parted in different times of the days Use template

4. Ingredient-specific menu template

Want your customers to know what goes into their favorite pizza or barbecued sausage burger to help them make a conscious decision? Choose this template from Pickcel’s exclusive Digital Menu Board App. With attractive visuals of what the dish would look like, spice level, specifications, and more this is just the one to reach out to your target audience!

How to add this template?

  • Create a free account with Pickcel.

  • Go to the ‘Apps’ module within the dashboard.

  • Search the ‘Digital Menu Board’ in the app search field or select the ‘Restaurant’ filler.

  • Tap on ‘Create App’ & select the template.

  • Customize the template as per your choice, including price details, names, background, and font size & colors, and boom, your tailored food truck menu board design idea is live!

  • Now pair your screens with the Pickcel dashboard & start publishing your menu.

 A food truck menu board design showing a detailed description of an item on offer Use template

4 common mistakes to avoid while implementing a food truck menu board idea

Listed are five of the most common mistakes that food truck owners must avoid when designing their menu boards:

  1. To avoid overwhelming customers, refrain from cluttering the menu board with too many items. Instead, highlight the most popular dishes and draw the customer’s attention, streamlining their decision-making process.

  2. While implementing your food truck menu board idea, it is important to use fonts that are easy to read and understand from a distance. Avoid using font sizes smaller than 32 points or a cursive font that might become illegible from a height or distance.

  3. Include prices for all add-on items in your food truck menu board design. By displaying all prices clearly, you can avoid confusion and make the ordering process smoother for your potential and existing customers.

  4. Try to keep your menu descriptions straightforward. Avoid using complex terms or industry jargon that may confuse your customers. Instead, use concise language that best describes your dishes and appeals to customers simultaneously.

Emerging innovations in food truck menu board ideas

Digital menu board designs have seen several out-of-the-box ideas turn into reality and food trucks are no exception! Here are the best innovations in these on-the-go menus that have all our attention at the moment:

Augmented Reality (AR)

With AR technology, food truck owners can create an immersive menu board that takes user experience to the next level. Purchasers can see their food’s appearance before ordering, and customize per taste. For example, a food truck could use Augmented Reality to show a 3D representation of a ham and cheese croissant, highlighting the nutrient value of the ingredients, measures, and time taken to prepare. This entices the customer into an impulse purchase while engaging them the best, leading to increased satisfaction.

QR-code-enabled food truck design ideas

A woman working at a QR code enabled food truck Use template

Food truck owners can also use QR codes to offer exclusive discounts or promotions, such as a free dessert with the purchase of a certain menu item. This induces your potential audience to try new dishes, adding to the business’ upselling strategies.

Additionally, QR codes can be scanned for extra information on items on offer, such as nutritional information or the story behind the dish. This can be especially helpful for customers with dietary restrictions or those looking for healthier options.

Accessibility for All

To make your menu board accessible for all customers, it’s important to consider the height at which it’s placed. For those with limited mobility, such as wheelchair-bound buyers, the menu board should be at an easily accessible location.

The recommended height for wheelchair accessibility is between 36 and 48 inches from the ground. By making sure that your menu board is placed at the right distance and angle, you can create an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

Data analytics for optimized promos

Analyzing sales data and customer feedback is crucial to creating an effective food truck menu board that drives sales. Digital signage analytics helps identify the best-selling items on offer, allowing businesses to feature them in the design layout.

Incorporating customer feedback and reviews can also help improve the menu board’s design and appeal to customers. Moreover, using data such as customer interactions, an uptick in sales, etc. from promotions and discounts can help make informed decisions while adjusting them for optimal performance.

Wiping it clean!

Effective menu board designs are crucial for the success of any food truck business. By analyzing sales data and customer feedback, and avoiding common mistakes such as cluttering the menu board, using small fonts, or complicated language, food truck owners can create a 101 eye-candy and easy-to-use menu board that will attract customers and boost sales. It’s time to get the ideas right!

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Shivangi Chatterjee

Shivangi writes for Pickcel. She consumes knowledge on the world of business & marketing at the same rate she consumes her cups of coffee. When she is not writing, you will find her reading books, grooving to music or admiring art.

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