Digital menu boards are quickly becoming a must-have for food truck owners looking to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving food industry. These high-tech displays offer numerous benefits.

From helping to establish brand identity and build customer loyalty to providing valuable data insights for optimizing pricing strategies, the digitalization of menus got the edge!

This article will delve into different types of digital menu boards for food trucks and offer tips for designing functional and visually appealing displays.

Benefits of digital menu boards for food trucks

Food truck digital menu boards have several advantages. Some of these are:

1. Improved customer experience

Food truck digital menu boards enhance the customer experience with interactive displays, high-quality graphics, and customization options. For example, a burger-selling truck can digitalize its on-body digital menu board to showcase mouth-watering images of signature burgers and allow customers to select toppings.

2. Real-time promos

Digital menu boards are a game-changer for food truck owners. High-resolution displays can increase sales by showcasing popular and profitable items and offering real-time updates and promotions. For example, suppose a food truck is running a limited-time promotion where customers receive a free drink with the purchase of a combo meal. With a digital menu board, they can instantly update the display to highlight this enticing offer, catching the attention of passersby and driving more sales.

3. Quick updates

User-friendly digital menu boards for food trucks improve efficiency by simplifying the ordering process, allowing easy navigation and go for quick updates to menu items and prices. For example, the seller can quickly update the ‘Today’s Special’ on-screen or schedule different ‘Today’s Specials’ daily.

4. Sustainable alternative

Food truck digital menu boards are a great way to promote sustainability and reduce paper waste. Traditional menus must be reprinted frequently, increasing costs and leading to environmental implications such as cutting down trees and pollution. However, digital menu boards don’t require these, making them an eco-friendly alternative.

5. Better branding

A well-designed digital menu board can help customers connect with the food truck’s brand and establish brand recognition. For example, using specific colors palette, logos, and fonts can help familiarise customers with the brand. This can lead to increased loyalty and retention, as customers are more likely to return to a food truck that is distinctive and recognizable.

6. Behavior insights

Food truck digital menu boards can use data analytics and creative marketing techniques to improve their menu offerings and pricing strategies. This can help understand customer preferences and behavior by tracking metrics such as most-ordered menu items, peak business hours, and promotions that convert to popular sales. With this information, food trucks can experiment with new variations that customers will most likely enjoy.

Types of food truck digital menu boards

The following are some examples of commonly seen food truck digital menu boards:

Truck-top digital menu boards

Truck-top menu boards are designed to grab the attention of potential customers, typically placed atop a food truck.

With their bright and high-contrast screens and fonts that can be read from a distance, these boards significantly increase the chances of people noticing the food truck and stopping to peruse the menu. As outdoor displays, they can withstand harsh weather conditions such as rain and extreme temperatures, ensuring their durability and longevity in all environments.

Wireless digital menu board for food trucks

Wireless food truck menu boards are versatile since they can be mounted anywhere on your truck’s body. Wireless digital menu boards connect through Wi-Fi, cellular data networks, or Bluetooth, depending on the hardware, software, and available networks. So, if you’re at a busy festival or event, you can position your display closer to the crowd to ensure it catches more eyes. This flexibility is vital for food truck owners because it helps them adapt to different situations and maximize display investment.

Interactive food truck digital menu boards

Interactive food truck menu boards are a powerful tool to transform the customer experience. These digital signage solutions allow customers to interact with and customize their orders and access essential nutritional information or allergen warnings.

From a business standpoint, interactive food truck menus offer valuable insights into audiences’ behavior. Food truck owners can understand customers’ preferences by tracking metrics such as the most-ordered items and add-ons. This understanding enables them to optimize menu offerings, aligning them with previously made choices to enhance overall satisfaction

QR-based food truck menu boards

With digital menu boards, food truck owners can integrate QR codes that customers can scan to access additional information or promotions. Scanning a QR code could take them to social media handles such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, where they could follow the food truck for future updates and promotions. Additionally, they could place contactless and customized food orders as well. These features increase customer engagement and create a more interactive experience for their customers.

Going beyond promotions and updates

Digital menu boards offer a dynamic canvas for creative marketing beyond mere promotions and updates, serving as a powerful tool for engaging customers and driving sales. Instead of solely displaying prices and items, savvy food truck operators leverage these screens to tell compelling stories, evoke emotions, and foster interactive experiences.

The ice cream story

One innovative strategy is to incorporate seasonal offers into the digital menu board. For instance, during the summer season, a food truck specializing in ice cream could showcase refreshing flavors and create a sense of urgency by highlighting limited-time offers like “Summer Sorbet Specials” or “Beat the Heat BOGO: Buy One Get One Free.” By tapping into the current trend and adapting to changing consumer preferences, food trucks can capitalize on seasonal demand and entice customers with irresistible deals.

Apart from this, interactive customer engagement strategies can be seamlessly integrated into digital menu boards to enhance the overall dining experience.

Customize my burger

For instance, a food truck offering customizable burgers can utilize touchscreen displays to allow patrons to build their own creations by selecting toppings, sauces, and protein options. This not only empowers customers to personalize their meals but also fosters a sense of ownership and satisfaction, leading to increased loyalty and repeat visits.

Limited stocks only

One exemplary case study is the “Flavor Fusion” campaign by a gourmet food truck specializing in fusion cuisine. Leveraging digital menu boards, the food truck introduced a series of limited-time fusion dishes inspired by various culinary traditions. Each week, a new fusion creation was unveiled, accompanied by visually striking graphics and tantalizing descriptions. Customers were encouraged to vote for their favorite fusion dish via social media, fostering engagement and driving foot traffic to the food truck.

The campaign not only generated buzz within the community but also garnered media attention, ultimately boosting sales and solidifying the food truck’s reputation as an innovative culinary destination.

Digital menu boards offer food truck operators a versatile platform to showcase creativity, engage customers, and drive sales. By leveraging seasonal offers, interactive experiences, and compelling storytelling, food trucks can differentiate themselves in a crowded market and cultivate a loyal customer base.

5 key features for an ideal food truck digital menu boards

Interactive, QR based, haptic touch-enabled, or more, here are five must-have features of a good food truck digital menu board!

• Food truck digital menu boards should be customizable and updated in real-time so you can easily add or remove items, update prices, or change the overall design if needed. This is especially important if your food truck serves unique dishes attuned to seasonal flavors.

• As food trucks are exposed to different weather, it’s essential to look for weather-resistant digital menu boards. This feature ensures that the menu board can withstand the elements, including rain, wind, and sunlight, without getting damaged. For example, a food truck in a rainy region needs a digital menu board that won’t malfunction when in contact with water.

• Digital menu boards for food trucks should be portable and mobile to be placed anywhere on the body, atop, or as a standee near the truck.

• Food truck digital menu boards should have reliable hardware and software supporting updation needs. This includes a fast processor, ample storage space, and cloud-based software, allowing real-time updates. For example, a business that frequently changes its menu items requires a digital menu board to handle the updates without leaving the system buggy or under the threat of malware.

• Last but not least, a food truck digital menu board must have a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. The interface should be intuitive and responsive, with clear and legible text, eye-catching graphics, and appealing images of the food items. For example, a truck selling desserts needs an interface that showcases attractive images of its menu items, such as cakes and pastries, to attract customers.

How to design digital menu boards for food trucks?

When designing food truck digital menu boards :

• Prioritize visual elements and legibility for food truck digital menu boards.

• Utilize high-quality images to showcase menu items attractively.

• Opt for straightforward typography to enhance readability.

• Implement intuitive navigation for easy browsing and ordering.

• Incorporate design tips and best practices to capture customer attention effectively.

• Ensure the menu boards are easy to navigate and facilitate quick order placement.

Delectably paper-less!

Digital menu boards have become an essential tool for food trucks in today’s competitive industry. From providing flexibility and sustainability benefits to building brand identity and offering data insights, these displays have much to offer. As technology continues to advance, future trends such as incorporating AI and augmented reality, could bring even more exciting developments to the field. Food trucks are set to ace the outdoor dining scene in the next few years, and so is the revolutionary paper-less ordering system here to pave the way.