3 crucial tips for the design of your next restaurant menu cover

Maybe you have decided your restaurant needs a makeover. Perhaps it’s a floor-to-ceiling overhaul, or maybe you are 90% of the way towards a perfectly-designed operation. Don’t leave the finer details out of the picture – when the time comes to update the aesthetics of your operation, consider the power of a perfectly-designed, top-quality leather menu cover. Here are some tips to make your plans and decisions simpler.

1. Consider the size and shape of your menu

Does your menu itself need an overhaul? Menus tend to change seasonally, but you may be feeling the need to update your food offerings outside of the conventional quarterly rotation. If so, it may be wise to look at the structure and size of your menu first. How many items do you offer? Is your menu bloated? Does it lack focus, or consistency of theme? Could you summarise your cuisine into, say, two pages, instead of five? Condensing and reforming your menu can revitalise your operation and court new business; more importantly, it will help you decide what you need in a leather menu cover. If your menu has only two pages, you might consider a bi-fold with corner inserts in A4 size. If your menu combines food and an extensive drinks list, you might consider inner or outer screw bindings. If you change your menu frequently, you might benefit from a ring binder, which allows you to change leaf sheets quickly and easily. With our many years of experience in hospitality, we would be delighted to help you with this process.

2. Choose what type of leather suits your practical needs

All leather products from the Leather Menu Factory are of premium quality, but some suit certain restaurants better than others. A wine bar-style restaurant may benefit from the supreme durability of genuine top-grain leather, because the environment has a certain proclivity towards spills. An inner-city cafe might benefit from the bold statement vegan leather makes; or vegan leather may suit the younger, messier patrons of a family restaurant. All Leather Menu Factory leather is beautiful and robust, but some types have different practical strengths. If you are not certain, we would be happy to discuss your needs with you.

3. Choose what type of leather suits your restaurant’s visual design

You know the visual character of your restaurant better than anyone. You know your decor, your uniforms, the typeface you use, the specially-designed logo above your door and on your coasters, everything. So when you opt for a new set of leather menu covers, naturally you know it must suit your restaurant’s existing design. Consistency is all.
Say you run a gastro-pub with chic nouveau-steakhouse interiors. A top-grain genuine leather menu cover in its natural brown shade would be the only choice, because your restaurant operation is bold but traditionalist in its way.

Say you run an off-kilter fusion restaurant in the city. Your customers come to you for your unique dishes and flavour combinations, so it stands to reason they will enjoy a leather menu cover as unique as the greater dining experience. Why not, then, choose ostrich or stingray leather? Both types are durable, strong, beautiful and luxurious. Both can be used as an advertising and marketing tool. After all, how many restaurants are confident enough in their design to use ostrich or stingray leather? Trendsetters can emerge from anywhere, anytime.

Chances are you know what type and colour of leather will not suit your restaurant, but together, we can find the perfect match. Reach out today and we can get started right away.