A Quick History of Menus in Hospitality
Menus have come a long way since the days of chalkboards and laminated prints. The traditional drink menu was once a printed mainstay—a tactile part of the dining ritual. But with tech creeping into every corner of the restaurant world, the digital menu entered the scene fast and hard.
QR codes became a pandemic-era hero, offering a contactless, free option for viewing menus. What started as a workaround turned into a norm for many venues. But does that mean print is dead? Not quite.
The way people order, explore drinks, and decide what to try has evolved. And understanding that history gives modern restaurant owners the edge in choosing what format to create.
Understanding Your Guests: Who Are You Really Designing For?
Start here: your customers. Who’s walking through your doors? If your spot caters to the Instagram crowd or a high-volume late-night bar, digital menus might make more sense. They’re faster to update, easy to customize, and can be designed to complement your brand vibe instantly.
But if your venue leans upscale, intimate, or nostalgic—think wine bars or classic cocktail lounges—a printed beverage menu often delivers a more luxurious, tactile experience. For older clientele or those not too keen on scanning codes, print still holds serious value.
Think about your location, too. Touristy areas might benefit more from digital menus that offer language translation or filter options. Meanwhile, a neighborhood bistro could rely more on local favorites and timeless choices that don’t change too frequently.
Digital Menus: The Good, The Smart, and The Tricky
Let’s get into the pros:
- Instant updates: Ran out of a rare bourbon? Swap it out in seconds.
- Dynamic pricing: Adjust prices based on time, promos, or supply without reprinting.
- Visual appeal: Add mouth-watering photos, detailed ingredients, and even embedded video guides.
- Environmentally friendly: No reprints, no waste.
- Analytics-friendly: Track what people tap on, how long they view a section, and what gets skipped.
But don’t ignore the caveats:
- Not all guests love them. Some still prefer paper.
- Device screens and lighting don’t always play nice.
- Poor design and UX? That could cost you a sale.
Digital menus also need to be fast-loading and mobile-friendly. Nobody wants to wait 10 seconds for a drink menu to load.
Want to dive deeper into digital design best practices? This Forbes piece on QR menu UX covers what to look out for.
Print Menus: Classic, Elegant, and Still Relevant
There’s something about a well-designed print menu that gives weight to your venue. Literally and figuratively. From texture to typography, print menus allow you to shape perception.
Use this format when:
- You want to elevate the experience.
- Your beverages are thoughtfully curated (think cocktails made in-house).
- You don’t change the drinks too often.
You can play with color schemes, textured paper, and fonts that align with your brand. Plus, they’re a great chance to physically connect with the clientele. It feels more personal, more deliberate.
Print menus also shine in storytelling. You can introduce your bar’s philosophy, the backstory of your most famous cocktails, or notes about your seasonal ingredients. These small touches stick with your guests.
Check out how menus still thrive in luxe dining via this article by The Luxe Voyager.
What About Hybrid Menus?
Here’s the middle ground: a base print menu with a QR code for seasonal or rotating drinks. It’s the best of both worlds. You get the tangible brand touch while giving flexibility to the server and the guest.
This works well for bars with a long list of cocktails, daily cold beverages, or rotating beer taps. Hybrid menus allow you to experiment, test out new favorites, or promote limited-run items.
Just keep the design consistent across formats so the style doesn’t clash. Cohesion is key.
The Design Details That Sell Drinks
Whether digital or print, how you present your drinks for menus can either excite or confuse. Here’s what to consider:
1. Fonts & Readability
Keep it legible, especially in low light. Your drink menu should never make a guest squint. Choose fonts that reflect your brand’s style, but never at the expense of clarity.
2. Layout & Flow
Group items clearly. Use visual hierarchy—hot drinks, cold beverages, cocktails, beer, non-alcoholic options. Structure matters.
3. Color Schemes & Branding
Use a color scheme that complements your food, interior vibe, and logo. If you serve tiki drinks, go bold and tropical. If you serve premium wines, go muted and elegant.
4. Descriptions & Ingredients
Be concise but flavorful. Highlight key ingredients, flavor profiles, or prep styles. Try not to list every single ingredient, but emphasize the stars of the show. Let it speak to the clientele you’re targeting.
This Toast article on menu engineering goes deeper into how menus impact psychology.
Operational Considerations: Don’t Just Think About Looks
Your choice affects workflow. A digital menu might reduce printing costs and errors, but what if your WiFi goes down? A print menu is always ready—but updating it takes time and coordination.
Servers also play a role. If they’re constantly explaining a QR menu to every table, that’s time taken from service. Choose a format that matches your staff’s rhythm and your guest’s expectations.
And think logistics: how fast can you deliver updates, whether through a screen or on your doorstep?
Also factor in how easy it is to train your team. If they’re preparing complex drinks and navigating a complicated POS, keeping the drink menu format intuitive becomes essential. The menu should assist—not burden—the service.
Matching Your Menu Format With Your Venue Type
Here’s a quick guide:
- Trendy bar with seasonal cocktails? Go digital, maybe hybrid.
- Casual diner with family-friendly food and drinks? Print is your friend.
- High-end lounge with curated spirits and wine? Print, premium paper, gold foil if you’re feeling it.
- Café with daily specials and hot/cold beverage options? Hybrid wins.
Even course-by-course beverage pairings can influence your format. If you're pairing a food tasting menu with specific drinks, it might make sense to have printed add-ons or flight inserts.
The goal: choose a format that reflects your brand, supports your servers, and connects with your guests.
How WISK.ai Helps You Make Smarter Beverage Menu Choices
Let’s be honest, no matter how you design your drink menu, if your inventory’s a mess or you’re unsure of your best sellers, it’s hard to make confident choices.
That’s where WISK.ai steps in. Our platform lets you:
- Understand what drinks your customers love (and what sits too long).
- Track ingredients in real time.
- Automate inventory so your menus are never off.
- Test pricing strategies and prepare for demand with data-driven clarity.
- Streamline ordering and cost forecasting, right down to the last lime.
Whether you’re crafting a sleek QR menu or refreshing your printed version, WISK.ai helps you make choices that match your style, budget, and service flow.
And if you’re tired of chasing spreadsheets or guessing what your clientele actually orders, WISK.ai gives you real answers. It’s built to help your venue deliver better results, stay sharp, and make every drink on your menu count.
Bottom Line: Choose What Fits, Then Optimize
Choosing between digital and print menus isn’t about what’s trending—it’s about what fits your operation best. Think about how your clientele interacts, what your servers can handle, and how fast you need to react to change.
Then, once you’ve chosen, fine-tune everything from fonts to color schemes to the flow of your cold beverages and cocktails. Add in some personal touches, highlight your favorites, and let your menu reflect what you truly stand for.
Let WISK.ai take it further. Streamline your operation, know your numbers, and deliver a beverage experience that keeps guests coming back.
Ready to make smarter menu moves? Talk to WISK.ai today and get the tools that work as hard as you do.
