Here is some information to assist you in determining how many of which menu cover style is best for your
particulat needs.
How many menu covers should you order?
- If you are using an off-the-shelf stock menu cover, without any special printing or foil stamping,
75% of seating is a good rule of thumb. With this percentage you should never run out of menus, even when
the "bus" pulls up and swamps your servers. This guide is made with the assumption you will be able to
replace lost or damaged covers in small quantities at a reasonable price, as you need them.
- It gets more complicated with custom imprinted covers because much of the cost in small orders is in set
up. With custom silk screened or foil stamped covers it is more economical to order extra covers, to replace
future lost and damaged covers. The idea is to order enough extra covers to last until you intend to buy all new
covers again. A word of advice, do not put the extra covers out for use all at once, just replace damaged or
lost covers as needed.
How long will the covers last?
Menu cover life will vary widely from restaurant to restaurant. These are a few of the things to consider:
- How your servers handle and take care of the covers. Do you have a "menu box" at the hostess station,
or are the covers just thrown anywhere when you are busy?
- The type of customers you have. Do you get a lot of sports teams who are often excited, and rough with
your menus? Or, do you cater to seniors, who may "steal" menus as keepsakes?
- The type of menu you serve. Is it high volume and fast turn-over, or is it fine dining?
- The quality of the menu cover you buy.
What should menu covers cost?
Many operators look at the price-per-cover to judge cost. This can be misleading. An inexpensive cover, that
must be replaced every few months, can have a higher cost than more expensive covers that will last for years.
Some examples:
- A cheap heat sealed menu cover will generally start splitting along the heat seal rather quickly. A heat
sealed cover, with extra reinforcing tabs at stress points, could last twice as long.
- Often the imprint wears off covers, with your name/logo silk screened or foil stamped, before the covers
wear out. A cover of expanded vinyl with your logo/name both debossed and foil stamped will last much longer
because the debossing protects the imprint.
It is a good idea to look at menu cover cost from the viewpoint of number of meals served per menu cover.
You may be surprised that most menu covers have about the same overall cost, regardless of their price.
- An inexpensive heat sealed cover may last for 200 uses, before it no longer looks fresh and new,
costing you about 1.2 cents for every customer served.
- A cover like our Empire Premium covers, with heavy duty expanded vinyl construction, rounded corners and
debossed foil stamped logo, might last for 1,000 uses, costing you about the same 1.2 cents for every
customer served.
Actual menu cover life will vary widely from restaurant to restaurant, but the ratios seem to stay about the same.
A tip, if you print your own menus.
More and more restaurants are printing their own menus on their computers. There are many advantages to this,
and a possible problem. if you use a laser printer and clear vinyl menu covers, the toner tends to transfer to the
inside of the covers. The same thing happens if you use a copy machine to print your menu.
To prevent this, you need to "fix" or seal the toner to your menu page, before you put it into the cover. You can go
to an art supply store and buy expensive sprays to do this. We use a light coat of inexpensive hair spray, scented
or unscented your choice.
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