A menu board is the screen above the counter — the one customers stare at while deciding. It is the most valuable spot in a takeaway, and the one most often got wrong, because the temptation is to put the whole menu on it.
How many items fit on one screen
Fewer than you would like. The practical ruler for a 43" to 50" screen viewed from 2 to 4 metres:
| Zone of the screen | How many | What goes there |
|---|---|---|
| Main block | 4 to 6 items | Your best margins, with prices |
| Combo block | 2 to 3 combos | With the maths done (“separately it would be X”) |
| Side strip / footer | 1 highlight | Offer of the day or a new item |
A counter customer decides in seconds, usually with a queue behind them. An overloaded screen makes them give up choosing and order the usual — which is normally your worst margin.
Order matters more than content
The eye scans a screen in a Z: top left, top right, then down. Whatever sits in the top-left corner is the most-seen item on your menu — and that is where the product you want to sell goes, not the one that already sells itself.
- Top left: highest-margin item or your main combo.
- Top right: the second option, usually the most expensive one (the anchor).
- Centre band: the remaining items in the block.
- Footer: drinks, add-ons and payment methods.
Type size and contrast
- The item name readable from 4 metres — test it by walking to the door
- The price at the same visual weight as the name, or heavier
- A dark background with light text tires the eye less on a large, brightly lit screen
- No text over a photo without a bar or shadow behind it
- Prices without awkward decimals wherever possible
One screen or several?
Two screens side by side work better than one split down the middle: the first holds the core menu (fixed) and the second rotates combo, promotion and what is new. If you only have one, keep the core on screen longer and rotate only the highlight block.
What changes through the day
Breakfast, lunch and evening are different menus in the customer’s head. A menu board that never changes forces them to filter what is available themselves — and that is what produces the “are you still serving that?” question at the counter. On that, see time-based promotions.
Mistakes you find in almost every takeaway
- The whole menu on one screen. It reads like a shopping list; nobody reads it.
- Stock photography. The customer compares it with what they receive and loses trust.
- Constant animation. Text that moves is text that does not get read.
- An unavailable item still on screen. Worse than having no screen: it disappoints at the moment of ordering.
- An out-of-date price. The only mistake that turns into an argument at the till.
If you are still deciding whether to drop print, the numbers are in digital menus for restaurants.
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Try it freeFrequently asked questions
What screen size is right for a menu board?+
For a counter viewed from 2 to 4 metres, 43" to 50" works. What matters more than inches is font size and background contrast.
Does a portrait screen work?+
It works for totems and narrow corridors, with few items. For a counter menu board, landscape follows the Z-shaped reading pattern better.
Should I show a photo of every item?+
No. Photos on everything tire the eye and clutter the screen. The pattern that works is photos on the 2 or 3 items you want to push and clean text for the rest.
How often should the menu board change?+
The core menu changes little — and that is good, because regulars memorise it. The highlight block can change daily.
