Picking the right menu holder

People become restless quickly. It’s one of the reasons why adding breadsticks or bread and water to a table can be so popular with guests, but it also mean your customers want to look at your menu straight away and start discussing their food choices. As such, menus are one of the first things your customers encounter and are an important chance to create a lasting positive impression on diners.

The question is, how? Different eateries want different things from their menus, whilst menu holders may be completely wrong for your business. As such, before finding the correct restaurant holder, it’s worth considering whether menu covers are better for your business.

What's the difference between a menu holder and a menu cover?

Menu holders are designed to present your menu at the table. Generally, menu holders will either hold freestanding menus in order to be removed and perused by customers, or will form a protective frame to showcase your menu in a tabletop manner. Whilst most menu holders are double sided, some may be three or four sided and act as a centrepiece for the table.

By comparison, menu covers are designed to cover and protect paper menus or menu cards and enable them to be handled and read by customers. Most generally take the form of a book-style folder, although single panel American menu covers display two sides of information back to back. Menu holders generally suit less formal dining, but menus may need to be laminated or printed on durable card if they are going to be extensively handled and repeatedly removed from holders.

What type of restaurant menu should I choose?

Generally speaking, menu covers are a more traditional choice for businesses with formal or semi formal dining arrangements. For example, Olympia’s black synthetic leather menu cover would suit classic restaurants and traditionally minded eateries. By comparison, pubs, bars and cafes that encourage customers to order at the bar or leave menus on top of tables will need a menu holder.

TIP: Freestanding menu holders allow you to easily reprint and replace your menu inserts.

What is a menu holder?

There are two main types of menu holder:

Acrylic standing menu holders frame a menu card or sheet of paper and are designed for tabletop display. These are excellent for displaying limited lunchtime menus, special offers or public information notices. Freestanding acrylic menu holders also make excellent countertop notices and are perfect for promoting manager’s specials. These holders are not watertight and you may need to replace menu cards as they suffer wear and tear.

Clip or grip menu holders are designed to firmly grip laminated or card menus and display them upright. Customers can then remove them in order to place orders and easily replace in the holder. Menus need to be tough enough to withstand extensive handling, as well as the strains of being pushed in and out of robust holders. For this reason, establishments using grip holders may have menus professionally printed on durable, commercial quality card. This cost should be factored in when choosing how to display your menu.

TIP: Menu holder sleeves are rigid acrylic pockets designed for use in grip-style menu holders. They let you print your own menu cards and still use a full range of menu holders!

How to clean a menu holder

Despite being available in wood, metal and acrylic and in a wide range of shapes and sizes, almost all menu holders can be cleaned with a damp cloth. Ensure that holders are completely dry before replacing your menu cards, as residual moisture could damage your menus. Olympia’s stainless steel menu holder is an industry staple because it is easy to clean, durable and corrosion resistant.

TIP: Tabletop blackboards are an excellent alternative way to display specials to your customers whilst giving a homely, personalised feel.

What is a table talker?

Table talkers are three or four sided acrylic menu holders designed to go in the centre of a table. They are typically designed to hold one piece of A4 paper folded to display individual panels. The name can also refer to printed menus or advertisements folded in this way, although these are much more prone to damage and likely to become dirty quickly due to their extensive direct contact with the tabletop.

Menu holders to tidy your table

Some menu holders also hold cutlery and / or condiments, allowing discerning business owners to create a ‘one stop’ solution for storing everything diners will need. This is a great way of guaranteeing cleanliness and consistency in service, with holders being simple to remove, clean and replace, or to put on the table as diners take their seats.

These table racks can also be used to hold menu covers, combining the benefits of the two menu presentation options!

Wooden Menu Holders

Wooden menu holders are a classy way to hold menus and laminated sheets at tabletop. Our range includes elegant acacia hardwood holders for a premium feel, which are also an excellent way of displaying notices. Wooden menu holders lack the inbuilt tension and grip of their metal equivalents, meaning it is important that your menus fit snugly. Alternatively, combine the best of wooden holders with freestanding acrylic using Securit’s framed menu holder.