Choosing your perfect menu cover
Menu covers are a great way to protect your menu cards and add quality and enjoyment to your customers' process of choosing their food or drink. What's more, menu covers can help bring the feel and theme of your business to the tabletop. Without covers, frequent reprinting as a result of damage is another costly overhead for any business. As a result, menu covers and holders are vital tools in keeping your menu looking fresh.
Shop menu covers nowWhat's the difference between menu holders and menu covers?
Whilst menu holders are designed to present your menu to the table, menu covers are usually a folder shape and are designed to be handled by customers. If you need to display a reasonably sized lunch or evening menu, you may need a menu cover! Menu covers generally display printed pages within protective sleeves and adding a decorative and protective outer cover.
By comparison, menu holders display menus in situ, whilst many also grip or hold printed menus so that they can be removed by customers. Menu holders can provide a protective, solid covering, or can simply grip a menu in an upright position. As a result, menu holders generally hold pre-printed menus or display specials and a la carte options.
Article: For more information on choosing the correct menu holder, try our buying guide. Alternatively, shop our full menu holder collection.
What is an American menu cover?
American menu covers are a contemporary type of menu cover which uses every available space to display menu items. Rather than having an opaque front, every surface of an American menu cover is transparent and used to showcase your food. At its simplest, a single panel American cover is a reinforced and decorative slip pocket which displays two sides, but two panel and three panel designs are also available.
American menu covers are excellent space savers and are one of the most cost effective ways of protecting your self-printed menus from damage when being handled by customers. Unlike traditional folder-style menu covers, American designs cannot be easily expanded.
TIP: The transparent front pocket of a two or three panel American cover lets you add a personalised front cover to your menu.
What material menu covers are available?
Menu covers are available in a wide range of materials, with each having its own benefits. Whether you want metal or fabric, it’s important to consider everything from the look to the durability of your menu cover before purchasing.
PVC
PVC menu covers such as the Olympia PVC range are affordable and have been trusted by pubs, cafes and restaurants for years. The stamp seal edges of these menu covers makes them resistant to water damage and although less durable than leather, PVC menu covers can still withstand lots of use.
Fabric
Fabric covered menu covers give a pleasantly homely feel to cafes and coffee shops, whilst they feel great when being handles by your customers. Fabric can be rustic and have a range of designs, colours and shades.
Plastic
Plastic menu covers like the Securit Rio collection are extremely hardwearing, damage resistant and come in a wide range of colours. Lightweight, hardwearing and bright plastic menus are great for busy modern businesses.
Leather
Olympia’s synthetic leather menu covers are a popular alternative to real leather. Combining durability with a luxurious leather feel and attractive design, synthetic leather menus are a traditional and high quality way to present a luxurious menu to diners. If you want the real thing, DAG’s indulgent leather menu covers could be perfect.
Wood
Generally speaking, few menus are made entirely from wood. That said, wooden spines, corners and details are brilliant ways of adding rigidity and strength to your menus, as with these Securit covers.
TIP: Remember to tweak your menu insert design to match your chosen menu covers.
Choosing the right menu colour
The colours of a menu can have a major bearing on your customers. If you choose colourful menu covers, then, you need to be aware of how this affects diners! Of course, colours such as pink have pre-existing associations and can be used to enhance this type of theme, but what about other shades?
Research suggests that green can emphasise the natural goodness of food, whilst orange may stimulate appetite. Yellow is optimistic and grabs people's attention, but can be overbearing in large quantities. Most restaurants will choose colours to suit their look and food offering, but you should also be wary of the way this influences diners.
TIP: The font, layout, colour and style of your menu inserts will also influence diners, so take time thinking about how your inserts will look.
What's the best menu size?
Menu covers are generally sold in A4 and A5 sizes. With additional inserts for most menu covers, you can expand both sizes to suit your needs, so why should you choose one of the other?
A5 menu covers are discreetly sized and therefore easier to store. They are also lighter and more portable, meaning they are more suitable for carrying in aprons, using outside, and using for room service. That said, you fit fewer items on A5 pages and there isn't much space to be descriptive.
By comparison, A4 menu covers give plenty of space to display extensive menus or menu hacking options. They give the room to explain each dish in detail but can be cumbersome in crowded dining rooms. Obviously, the style of menu cover influences the size and weight, but pop up restaurants and small dining spaces may prefer A5.
TIP: Don't be tempted to shrink an A4 menu insert to fit an A5 cover. Smaller fonts may inconvenience elder and partially sighted customers, creating unnecessary frustration and alienating valued patrons.
Cleaning and storage
Almost all menu covers can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but should be dried or allowed to air dry before stacking. This prevents menus sticking together and guards against the potential for a damp aroma. For maximum hygiene, antibacterial sprays such as Jantex Pro Sanitiser have a fast action time and prevent bacterial transfer on your menus.
Whilst menus are able to be stacked, large stacks are difficult to move and easy to knock over, creating an immediate slip and trip hazard. Fortunately, many menu manufacturers also offer attractive storage boxes for their covers, including this box from Olympia or this matching Securit set. Presentation boxes are also ideal for encouraging diners to collect menus and take them to their tables.
What alternatives are there?
If you are unsure that menu covers are the right fit for your menu, why not read our menu holder buying guide and see if this is a better fit for your business? Alternatively, if you want a less formal way of presenting menus to table, our range of contemporary clipboards could be a perfect way to keep things casual. Of course, there's nothing stopping you using menu covers for your set menu and advertising specials on menu holders or tabletop blackboards!