Menu Descriptions: How To Write a Menu (With Examples)

Creating menu descriptions is a crucial component in the success of any restaurant business. Thoughtfully written restaurant menu descriptions have the potential to not only attract customers but also effectively convey the taste and appearance of a dish, ultimately leading to increased sales.

In this article, we will show you how to write a menu using menu adjectives, and we will provide you with examples. So let’s dive into it!

What is menu writing?

According to the National Restaurant Association, menu writing is a process of writing menu descriptions of food items that are appetizing, informative, and accurate. Menu writing directly influences restaurant sales and is part of a restaurant marketing plan.

However, not all restaurant owners go in depth when it comes to carefully designing their menu descriptions, which can negatively impact restaurant profits and the overall growth of the business.

Why menu descriptions are important?

Businesses must create informative, engaging, and descriptive menu descriptions to stand out from their competitors.

Menu descriptions significantly influence customers’ buying decisions. But what exactly do they affect?

First, they enhance customer satisfaction and make decision-making easier. A detailed description that includes preparation methods and ingredients helps guests make informed choices that align with their preferences.

Second, as a result, menu descriptions can boost sales and increase the average check size. They can encourage customers to try new, innovative, or higher-priced dishes with unique ingredients, leading to increased restaurant’s sales.

Finally, accurate descriptions help customers order what they truly want, what helps to reduce food waste.

How to write a powerful menu description?

Below is a list of 13 menu writing tips that will help you to create amazing descriptions to match the visual design of your menu.

1. Highlight the origin of your ingredients

When you begin to write menu descriptions, include information about the origin of each meal or the location of the ingredients to suggest quality and freshness.

Thanks to this simple technique, you appeal to customers who value locally sourced and sustainable products.

In addition, you can consult your suppliers for detailed information about the ingredients you buy from them.

2. Label your menu items

Meeting certain needs and beliefs can increase restaurant revenue. That’s why it is a good idea to include information about dietary restrictions, customs, and religious practices.

The growing number of customers is interested, for example, in vegetarian and vegan diets. It is also a good idea to include at least one dish in your menu, e.g., for customers who must avoid certain products for health reasons and need to be on a gluten-free or lactose-free diet.

You can also consider adding dishes to your restaurant’s menu that are religious-specific. Remember to research first and assess the potential number of interested customers before implementing such a change.

To highlight the dishes, they need to be clearly labeled. In UpMenu, you can use ready-made labels for your entire menu. You can also create your own labels and use them on your menu template.

3. Stimulate the senses with rich menu descriptions

It is essential to give each menu item an appealing name, provide a list of ingredients, and add persuasive food descriptions to entice customers to order them.

Let your customers imagine each dish’s flavors, textures, and aromas. Naming each dish is important, as it helps sell it.

However, don’t forget about your loyal customers. If they have visited your restaurant before, they probably know what they are looking for, so it is important to name a product clearly, meaning that a customer shouldn’t need to read the whole description to understand a dish.

If you regularly update dish descriptions, seasonal items, or menu categories, using menu management software can help keep your menu organized and consistent across all channels.

Incorporating words that evoke the senses can excite diners and create their expectation of what they will get. Follow these three steps while menu writing.

• Start with describing textures and flavor, for example,CrispyVelvetyJuicySucculentZestySavorySpicyFlakyButterySilkyMelt-in-your-mouth
• Use additional words that could describe the cooking process of the dish, for example,Slow-cookedChar-grilledWood-firedRoastedBraisedSmokedFlash-friedSous-videGriddledBaked
• Use adjectives describing how a customer will feel after eating your dish, for example:SatisfiedNourishedFulfilledContentGratifiedEnergizedRefreshedRelaxedSatiatedRejuvenatedComforted

4. Evoke nostalgia and share stories through your menu items

By creating backstories that evoke emotions and memories and by tying them to the history or culture of your restaurant, you can create a sense of nostalgia.

Discuss with your chef which dishes you offer have an interesting history of creation and which recipe has a captivating story. You can use this story to create menu descriptions. If you don’t have such a story, use your imagination and make it up 🙂

Keep the number of dishes on your menu, the description of which will be based on history. Create a maximum of three such menu descriptions.

5. Ensure your menu descriptions are short and descriptive

Don’t create too long menu descriptions.

As we already mentioned, menu descriptions that use descriptive adjectives can increase sales by up to 27%, but if they are too long, there is a risk that your customers won’t read them.

Again, the key is to keep balance.

6. Use high-quality, appetizing photos to attract customers

Regarding the paper menu, restaurants usually don’t put photos of the dishes. There are several reasons for that:

• Including photos in a paper menu can make the menu too large
• Photos may lead to customer dissatisfaction if the dish served in a restaurant is not the same as in the photo
• Too many photos distract customers’ attention from menu descriptions

However, we strongly recommend adding menu item photos to your online restaurant menu.

In UpMenu, you can choose one of the available templates for menus, add photos of the dishes, and menu descriptions.

Remember that, in addition to showcasing the dishes offered, images serve another important purpose — they contribute to restaurant SEO.

For this reason, pay close attention to the names you assign to the photos you post on your restaurant website.

7. Consider creating funny menu descriptions

To add a sense of humor and personality while creating a menu for a restaurant, consider adding witty and creative descriptions that add a lighthearted and fun tone to your offerings.

Funny menu writing may result in attracting many customers. However, it doesn’t necessarily align with your restaurant branding or the overall tone of your communication.

Depending on your communication style, decide if it is a good option for your restaurant to have funny menu descriptions or not. Always remember about your brand consistency.

8. Never forget about your target audience

Another aspect is to tailor your menu to suit the preferences and tastes of your restaurant target audience.

Depending on who your target customers are, your restaurant website, the menu items you offer, and their menu writing should be different.

It would help if you used other words to describe your dishes for, for example, students and others for families with children.

9. Keep your menu descriptions updated and fresh

Remember to review your menu descriptions regularly. Check your sales reports and pay attention to any tendency that you notice. For example, some dishes become your best sellers because of their photos and menu descriptions.

If you implement any ingredient changes or introduce a seasonal offer, update your menu.

Unfortunately, each change would require you to print your menu again for a paper menu. That’s why we recommend creating an online ordering menu for your restaurant, which you can update quickly via an online ordering system.

Try to balance keeping the menu fresh and exciting while ensuring consistency and stability for customers.

10. Make sure your multi-language menu is easy to understand

If your customers speak different languages, you can make it easier for them to order by creating separate menus in each language or using graphics to help them find the right section.

One way to do this is by using different font colors or italicizing the text to distinguish between the languages. This can save customers time and make their dining experience more enjoyable.

If you offer a multi-language paper menu, don’t forget to create a multi-language restaurant website. Thanks to that, you will increase the number of potential customers.

11. Write your own enticing menu descriptions

It may sound ridiculous but believe us, it’s an important thing. Prepare your own menu descriptions. Don’t copy them. It’s not fair, and if this gets out, customers will lose trust in you.

12. Don’t make menu writing mistakes

Another critical aspect is not making menu writing mistakes. We recommend avoiding the following most common menu descriptions mistakes:

• Misspellings, typos, and errors
• Don’t use too many adjectives – menu descriptions need to be easy to read
• Avoid using words that may have negative connotations such as ”burnt” or “greasy”, and instead use “charred” or “velvety smooth”.
• Keep your menu concise and short
• Remove currency signs from your menu if possible. Use the information about the quantity instead.
• Place prices near the name or description of the dish to prevent price shopping, especially if the items have significant price differences.
• Avoid mixing different amounts, such as $3.55 and $9.49. Instead, try to make all prices whole dollar amounts or end them in .99 or .50.
• Use a smaller font size for the price to avoid making it a focal point of the menu.

13. Create an online menu

1. Start with your restaurant website menu

While menu writing, don’t forget about your restaurant’s online presence. Adding menu item descriptions to your online restaurant menu is essential.

All tips we described above are also related to your online restaurant menu.

In UpMenu, when you create a website menu, it is already mobile-optimized. Thanks to this, your customers can browse your restaurant website on any device.

2. Don’t forget about your QR code menu

If you want to speed up the ordering process in your restaurant, consider implementing tableside ordering.

Use a QR code menu builder to create a digital restaurant menu in just a few minutes.