Menu Design Trends for Singaporean Restaurants

The food and beverage (F&B) business in Singapore is dynamic and it is through the restaurant menu that your brand is created, customer food and beverage choices are made and overall enjoyment is amplified.

As customers have become smarter and image-conscious, Restaurant Menu Design has turned into a very formidable marketing weapon in the hands of the restaurants themselves.

Whether your establishment is a casual cafe, a twisting hawker stall, or an up-market bistro, keeping up to date with design trend is the key to taking the popularity and sales of your premise to a new level.

In this article, we shall discuss the new trends in the menu design of restaurants in Singapore, including the sleek layouts and printing design as well.

1. Contemporary And Minimalist Designs

The general trend in Singapore there is minimalism that takes over restaurants brands. Menus look neater and are easily read when they are clear in their design and there is lots of white space.

The reason behind its success:

• Allows you to make diners concentrate on your top dishes without feeling overwhelmed.
• Resonates with high end or contemporary restaurants.
• Signifies professionalism and sanitary environment which is a crucial requirement of food facilities.

Implementation tip:
Choose 1-2 fonts, use subdued color range (e.g. soft beige, navy, or pastel colors), and emphasize on signature dishes with bold fonts or in frames.

In the case of casual eateries, you may as well add local nuances in the form of minor local themes, such as Peranakan tile designs to intertwine modern design with the local touch.

 

2. Creative Food Photography

A photograph speaks a thousand words and this could be the case when it involves food. It is possible to have high grade, well-lighten photos of menu items and this impacts on table decisions.

What makes it work?

• Attractive to the customers who are attracted by the picture, tourists or other people unaware of the dishes named.
• Enhances desire and increases upsell.
• Turns your brand and social media ready.

Local insight:
Singaporeans are food shots lovers. Capitalize on it to put the Instagrammable food images as part of your menu; print it or make it digital.

Pro tip:
Pay to hire a food photographer or use a printing business that has photo-accurate color printing, so your images appear to look every bit as delicious on paper as in reality.

3. Active Menu Descriptions

Food must be spectacular, so should its stories. In addition to listing ingredients, strong descriptions have the power to increase perceived value and they can reach out to the emotions towards diners.

Examples:
A variation of Chicken Rice would be:
“Signature Hainanese Chicken Rice Tender poached chicken, fragrant jasmine rice and house-blended chilli sauce to suit the traditional flair.”

Benefits:

• Trains the customer to be knowledgeable about heritage or style of preparation.
• Produces a word sensuality.
• Piques the customer interest and confidence in your product.

Additional tip to Singaporeans:
Emphasize on local ingredients, cooking methods (e.g. charcoal grilling/ wok hei) or heritage names. It helps your menu appear more real people.

 

4. Printing Menus Choices

It is half the battle, the design counts as well as how you can print the menu. The durability, material and the finish all contribute towards customer perception as well as the running costs of the company.

Some of the most popular printing alternatives in Singapore are:

• Laminated Menus: Very easy to clean and waterproof, suitable to casual restaurants or hotel food courts.
• Matte Textured Paper: The feel of luxury; works at more high-end restaurants.
• Folded or Accordion menus: Fits nicely in spaces, and ideally usable where the takeaway or cafe spaces are small.
• TableTop or Standing Menus: These are ideal in displaying seasonal dishes or Chef special.

Green choice:
An example of green materials could be kraft paper or recycled cardstocks, which are supported by the increased sustainability in the city of Singapore.

Pro tip:
Find a local printing company that knows how to design a humidity-resistant printing company so that you do not have to worry about ruined menu sheets in Singapore where it is always humid.

5. Design to improve the Customer Experience

Good menu design simplifies the process of making decisions, lowers ordering time, and increases the number of add-ons without making the overall process distasteful.

The role of design in customer journey:

• Logical arrangement: Arrangement of appetizers, mains, beverages and desserts to facilitate flow.
• Visual hierarchy: Show specials with bright lines, colors or location.
• Icons & Symbols: Use halal, vegetarian, spicy or food-chef iconic images so that the customer can make selections easily.

Hot design features:

• Customers were given flexibility as they were offered QR codes menus together with conventional ones.
• Interactive tablet-based menu Interdigital menus are becoming popular after the pandemic.
• Lightboxes or Menu boards at hawker stalls or cafes that one can scan through.

Conclusion

An intelligently planned restaurant menu can be more than a corporate asset: it can be a story machine, a sales tool and a marketing agent all in one.

In case of Singaporean entrepreneurs in F&B industry, embracing of modern trends on Restaurant Menu Design is not a bad idea to woo the customer and stay ahead in competitive market.

With minimal design to moody food photography and unique printing techniques, menu design in the future is aesthetically creative, practical and consumer-minded.

When you will be changing your menu in the near future, do not hesitate to turn to the professional designers and printers who would take into account certain local preferences and technical specifications.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is menu design important for Singaporean restaurants?
The design of menu is a choice that influences the perception of the customers, choices they make, and satisfaction with the dinning experience. Clear and beautiful menu will enhance your sales and identify your brand.

2. How can I make my menu stand out in Singapore’s competitive market?
Adopt a contemporary structure, add some elements of the local touch, use quality photos and print it like a brand.

3. What kind of menu printing is best for my restaurant?
It is a matter of how you are set up. Laminated menus are better to its durability where matte paper can be used in premier outlets, and QR code support is necessary to satisfy customers belonging to the world of computers.

4. Should I hire a designer of my menu?
Although there are the do-it-yourself variants, through hiring a designer, it is possible to implement the branding and guarantee the best readability. Most of the prevailing printing companies in Singapore also provide design services.

5. Can menu descriptions really improve sales?
Yes. The descriptions that emphasize tastes, culinary ingredients, and cooking techniques generate the temptation of products and enunciate the interest of customers in what you offer.