Somehow, your menu board should be just as attractive to your customer as when the customer sees the actual meals your food trailer prepares. No, this doesn’t mean you should have pictures of your food on your menu board, per se. Instead, your menu should be visually appealing. Close your eyes and imagine the menu of your favorite restaurant, or even a fast food restaurant. Is the menu simple, eye-catching, or bright? How is the text formatted? Most of the time, the menu at your favorite spot is aesthetically pleasing in one way or another.

So what does having a good menu have to do with your catering truck? Everything. Your menu lends credibility to your food, especially when a new customer stops by your mobile food stand. If your menu board is confusing, boring, or just plain ugly, you’ll lose walk-ups before you have a chance to convert them to customers.

Remember, your menu board is a message from you to your customers. Their job is to sell your meals. To use this tool effectively, the board must communicate the right messages and guide its guests to the elements of greatest benefit.

So how should you design the menu board for your food truck?

First, consider the theme and concept of your truck. Is there a specific font and color scheme that you use to decorate your food trailer? If so, you may want to use them on your menu board. However, if the fonts are difficult to read in smaller print, consider using more readable fonts such as “Times New Roman” or “Arial.” The same principle applies to color; make sure the color is easily readable in the background color of the menu board.

When designing your board, you should also carefully plan your menu layout. Sides, main items, and desserts should be grouped accordingly into titled sections, as found on restaurant menus. The description of each item should not occupy more than two lines under each title. The description area is an opportunity for you to describe and sell the product to the customer. It should be simple and attractive. Nobody wants to read a novel when ordering a meal, especially at a mobile food stand.

In addition to your menu board, you may want to create printed materials to hand out to your customers when they visit the booth. These types of materials also serve as advertising promotions, since the client can show the menu to his friends or hang it at work. You can also offer a catering menu, if you want to open this opportunity for your mobile food stand. You will be amazed at the number of customers who come to you to ask if you serve.

Here’s my take – ask a professional graphic designer for help with your menu. It may seem like a simple task that you want to complete on your own, and I get it. But this is a graph that all of your customers will see every day. And if you create printed materials to go with it, this menu will get even more exposure. It’s critical that your food truck brand is always represented in a positive light, especially when your delicious foods aren’t there to back it up.