Restaurant digital menu boards are no longer just a sleek, modern upgrade—they’re a critical business tool. From capturing attention to increasing average ticket size, a well-designed digital menu board installation can directly impact your bottom line.
But the difference between an engaging restaurant menu board that sells—and one that gets ignored—comes down to the installation strategy. This guide, backed by Eye-In Media’s 22 years of field experience, walks you through proven best practices for installing a professional restaurant digital menu boards that work in real-world foodservice environments—from mom-and-pop shops to large QSR chains.
1. Start with the Right Screen Size, Quantity & Orientation
Before anything else, determine the number of screens, their size, and orientation (landscape vs. portrait). These depend on a few key factors:
- Who is your audience?
- How many menu items do you offer?
- Do your menu items require detailed descriptions or just names and prices?
Work closely with your graphic designer—they can create a sample layout to help define font size, readability, and the ideal number of screens. Font size should never be compromised—if customers can’t read your menu, they won’t order.
2. Context Matters: Food Court vs. Standalone Location
In a food court, your menu compete with nearby restaurants menus. You need bold visuals, animated content, and vibrant colors to capture attention and attract new customers.
In a standalone restaurant, the focus shifts: clean design, product hierarchy, and ease of ordering come first. The screen layout and content should adapt accordingly.
3. Strategic Content Placement for Sales Impact
The placement of menu items on each screen matters more than you think, no matter if you are a restaurant, a bar, or a simpler dinner menu.
- High-margin, special offers or combo items should be where customers first look while lining up — front and center.
- Position upgrade prompts (e.g. drinks, sides) right above the cash register.
- Use animation on high-margin or featured items and promotions to showcase them and draw attention.
- Tailor your menu for rush hours vs. off-peak. Some items (like poutine in a lunch rush) take too long to prep and slow down service—costing you more than they earn.
- Having specific menus optimized for breakfast or happy hours can also promote relevant products based on the current time of the day and increase sales while reducing wait time
4. Consider Layout Creativity: Don’t Limit Yourself
Break the mold. Instead of a straight row of screens, consider:
- 2x2 configurations
- Staggered heights
- Mixed orientations
Avoid 32” TV screens—they’re too small. A larger TV screen with fewer units is usually better for visibility, impact, and maintenance.
Bigger TV screens let you:
- Split content in multiple zones (e.g. 50% text, 50% images)
- Add a bottom ticker for extras or promotions
- Reuse one promotion layout across screens, reducing content production workload
5. Screen Brightness Matters: Understand Nits
Nits measure screen brightness.
1 nit = brightness of one candela per square meter
When working with Digital Menu Boards, for high-res images and videos, especially in bright areas or near windows, choose screens with 1,000+ nits to ensure readability, impact and avoid reflections.
6. Match Design to Your Physical Space
Simulate TV screen size and layout on your actual wall:
- Landscape or portrait?
- Is there enough wall space?
- Will the design clash with architectural elements or wallpaper?
Originality counts—but always ensure practicality from a maintenance point of view, and visibility from the customer’s perspective.
7. Structural, Lighting & Mounting Considerations
Before your restaurant digital menu installation:
- Confirm the wall supports the total screen weight.
- Check light fixtures or natural lighting don’t cause glare or reflections.
- Ensure screen installation are at eye level—no neck-stretching.
- If screens are embedded, ensure ventilation holes prevent overheating.
- Avoid tightly built frames—screens must slide out easily for maintenance.
8. Plan for TV Displays Longevity & Replacement
Use commercial-grade display screens, not consumer models. Why?
- Commercial grade displays are designed for 12–16 hours/day, 7 days a week.
- Consumer displays void warranty in commercial use—even if still under coverage.
Also, display sizes evolve. A 42” display screen today might be replaced with a 43” in the future. Leave space for size variation during installation—it prevents future headaches.
Always ensure that displays won't be affected by heat and grease. You can also add a protective transparent case.
9. Choose the Right Media Player Setup for your Digital Menu Board
If you want remote control, dynamic content, or menu scheduling, a CMS (Content Management System) is a must. If you want a solution that scale for multiple restaurants, then it's not even a choice, you need a CMS.
3 Media Player Options for your Restaurant Menu:
Embedded Media Player (e.g., LG, Samsung, Sony)
- Simple, cost-effective, but harder to maintain and limited in power.
Amazon Signage Stick
- Inexpensive, but limited performance, remote access and reliability.
Standalone Media PC (Our Top Recommendation)
- Can control multiple screens with one Media Player (typical use case is 4 TVs per Media PC)
- Supports synchronized animations, video walls
- Centralizes control (1 PC = multiple screens)
- Long lifespan (8–10+ years)
- Easy to manage, upgrade, or replace
- Scales efficiently (ideal for chains or franchises)
- Use Embed system as a backup in case of failure
In large rollouts, fewer media players = less complexity. 500 stores × 4 screens = 2000 embedded players. Using Media PCs, only 500 PCs would be needed for the same chain, with better reliability and easier updates.
10. Installation & Cable Management Best Practices
- Keep media PCs away from heat, grease, or clutter
- Connect your player to internet with a separate dedicated network (VLAN)
- Use wired connections over Wi-Fi for reliability
- Label every cable and TV (e.g. “Combo Menu Screen 2”)
- Install electrical surge protection for all AV equipment
- Never share outlets with kitchen gear—power surges can kill screens
11. Avoid TV Installation Nightmares
- Test screens BEFORE wall mounting, if there is any damage, take a picture of it immediately and contact your reseller.
- Take photos with the menu displayed—check for:
- Dead pixels
- Color calibration
- Proper image placement
- Ensure the TVs are in the correct order
- Record screen serial numbers and position (e.g., 3rd from left)
- Store remote controls safely for reconfiguration or maintenance
- When working with a dedicated Media PC, leave a keyboard and mouse on site stored safely but unplugged
12. Choose the Right Digital Signage CMS Platform
Pick a CMS Software that supports:
- Multi-location scheduling
- Price Database and Scheduling
- Menu variations by time, day, location
- Creating content with animations
- Template reuse
- Role-based access for different teams
- Remote device management
See the features of a proven Digital Menu Boards CMS for more information.
Bonus Tip: Plan for Exceptions & Scalability
Account for variations like:
- Bans on bottled water in universities
- Language requirements per province
- Unique product offerings for malls vs. standalone stores
Consult with Marketing, IT, Ops, and Design teams early on to capture all needs.
Final Thoughts: Your Digital Menu Is More Than a Screen
A restaurant menu is a sales tool, a customer experience enhancer, and a brand statement.
Don’t treat it like a printed poster. Treat it like a system—a digital ecosystem that needs smart strategy, quality hardware, and thoughtful planning.
When done right, it increases sales, improves order speed, and gives your brand a competitive edge.
Need help planning your digital menu board installation?
Eye-In Media has 22+ years of experience in digital signage for restaurants, QSRs, and foodservice operations across North America.
📞 Contact Us Today to get expert support on your next project
