By Udita Chaturvedi
Menu by The Grafiosi Studio of Art & Design |
To what
extent does the menu design influence your appetite? Does an intriguing menu
also double your chances of revisiting the eatery? IAnD finds out…
The
ambiance of a restaurant invites you in; but it’s the carte du jour that appeals to your appetite of a fulfilling gourmet
experience in addition to a good aesthetic one!
“It is
part of the first impression,” says Pushkar Thakur of The Grafiosi Studio of
Art & Design, a Delhi-based graphic design agency specializing in identity
and hospitality design. “The menu does a lot in one glance - you scour the
design, feel it as you hold it (so the texture, colour, size and thickness
matters), a comfort feel engages you and
on a tertiary ground, helps you decide what to eat.”
Menu at Cafe Thulp |
Ideally,
a good menu design compliments the ambiance of the restaurant and represents
its quality consciousness and customer relations. It should be easy to handle and read. Designers
advocate a definition and differentiation via menu design, where the restaurant
establishes its clientele - a youth-focussed eatery commands vibrancy and attention-grabbing
art work; while a diner for the elite and elderly cajoles with the chic and
sober look-n-feel of its menu design.
Every
restaurant pitches for a different experience, in every sense; a stand-alone
element that will bring in its niche share of clientele. Take for instance, the
menu design of ‘sandwiches and salads’ eatery, Cafe Thulp; a favourite of Prof.
Kanchan Kaur from Bangalore. She lists her appeal quotient saying, “It’s very
smartly and intelligently written; and it’s amusing.”
Menu at My Kinda Street Cafe |
My
Kinda Street Cafe in Delhi is remembered by its interactive laminated menu that
invites you to highlight your choices and combinations with its accompanying
marker. Says Ankit Mohan Sethi, owner of the cafĂ©, “We put the ball in the
customers’ court, giving them what they want and not what we want them to
have.”
Ajay
Yadav, of Purple Rabbit ad agency reinstates, “Detail is integral when
designing for an eat-in joint. Restaurants are making an effort to make their
menu look as interesting as they can. Aryan’s Fast Food in Lucknow, till
recently had the menu as its placemat with trivia and interesting puzzles
printed on it. Ishita Misra, a student, chips in, “I enjoy the games on the
placemat till the food is served on my table.”
Scroll Menu courtesy: eventsbydesign.com |
Menu Wheel courtesy: designsponge.com |
Menus
on handheld wooden boards, as royal scrolls and as textile crafted pages are
some other interesting ideas that are being adopted by various restaurants to
make sure that the dining experience extends beyond the gastronome. The design field is vast open to an
irresistible go-getter menu!
well done Udita .
ReplyDeleteNice and very creative design ...........
ReplyDeleteThanks
Wedding Jewellery
nice design this blog caught my attention thanks for sharing
ReplyDelete