A couple arrives for dinner. Glasses, plates and a candle fill the small table. A large menu gets in the way, and small print is hard to read in evening light. Good food alone cannot resolve those little frustrations.
Check the menu after dark
Sit at a table at the time your guests visit. Can you read the names and prices? Is there room to put the menu down? If you offer a phone menu, scan the code with your camera and check that the page opens and the text is readable.
Not everyone wants their phone out at dinner
Give guests a choice. Some prefer to see food photographs on a screen; others want a printed menu or a server’s recommendation. Each option should make ordering comfortable.
The end of the visit matters too
Guests should know how to request the bill. If you plan to offer phone payments, confirm the available options and test the process from start to finish. A code that opens a menu does not by itself let guests pay. Keep staff help available if something goes wrong.
Walk through the visit yourself: choose a dish, request the bill and pay. Notice where you have to wait or ask for explanations. Those are concrete opportunities to improve without changing the whole character of your restaurant.
An example approach
The guest does not know how to request the bill.
A clear way to reach staff and explained payment options.
What to check at your venue
- Check menu readability under evening lighting.
- Check whether the menu takes up too much table space.
- Walk through the process from requesting the bill to paying.