The Ultimate Quick Start Guide to Digital Menu Boards
Because new technology can be confusing, we’ve created a short FAQ list for you to start from:
Q: What is a digital menu board?
A: A digital menu board is a screen – usually a TV or commercial display – that shows a restaurant’s menu, prices and promotions using digital-signage software instead of static print. Content is managed from the cloud, so items, pricing and images can be updated remotely and appear on screen within minutes.
Q: Are digital menu boards worth it?
A: Yes. They give a professional, on-brand look, let you update prices and promotions instantly without reprinting, and let you spotlight high-margin items and combos to lift average ticket – while removing recurring print costs. NoviSign customers include Papa John’s, Fazoli’s and Fresh Slice.
Q: How much do digital menu boards cost?
A: NoviSign’s digital-signage software starts at $20 per player per month; total cost depends on how many screens (players) you run. You can start on a free 30-day trial with no credit card, then add screens as you grow.
Q: Can I use a regular TV as a digital menu board?
A: Yes. NoviSign runs on standard TVs and commercial displays paired with a media player, so you can reuse screens you already own. It supports Windows, Android, ChromeOS, Samsung Tizen and LG webOS.
Q: How do I create a digital menu board?
A: Start from a digital-menu-board template, then edit text, prices, images, videos and scrolling tickers in the cloud editor – no design skills needed. Assign the design to a screen and it goes live within minutes; changes you make later update wirelessly.
Q: Can digital menu boards update automatically from my POS?
A: Yes. NoviSign offers a Toast POS integration that syncs menu items, pricing and availability in real time, so 86-ing an item or changing a price in your POS can update the board automatically.
Q: Can I schedule different menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
A: Yes. Advanced day-parting lets you pre-schedule the menu to switch automatically – breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour and special-event menus – so the right menu shows at the right time without manual changes.
Q: Do digital menu boards keep working if my internet goes down?
A: Yes. NoviSign’s players keep displaying the last published content even if the network is temporarily down, so your menus stay on screen during an outage.
Q: How many screens and menu zones can I run?
A: You can run an unlimited number of menu-board zones and playlists, and manage them all from one cloud dashboard – useful for multi-screen menus and multi-location brands.
Q: Can I add images, video and scrolling text to my menu?
A: Yes. Menus can include high-definition food and drink imagery, slideshows, video, item descriptions and scrolling tickers, so you can promote specials and combos with motion that static menus can’t match.
