Changing the way we do business is not always easy.
We all have many traditional ways, ways that we have always done things. Traditions provide us with a level of comfort and familiarity. They set our expectations. For instance, when you visit a restaurant, you may expect a large colorful menu to be delivered as you’re seated.
In light of new pressures to reduce sharing items others may have touched, and the need to enable customers to mull over your offerings and specials before they arrive or call in their orders—a new trend arises.
The new market trend for the food service establishments we enjoy is single use disposable menus.
Restaurants and food service providers, in general, are trending toward Single Use Menus. These are available in many forms; e.g. Single Use Menus, Mini Menus, Pocket Menus, Disposable Menus, or Menu Brochures.
As your business begins to reopen for traffic curbside, in-store, expanded delivery, take heart. These Mini menus and Menu Cards in various forms can help. When designed and distributed properly, they serve as a safer business practice, advance your branding, keep you in front of potential customers, and expand your marketing options. These menus in their various forms can portray your business, your brand, in a positive light. They need no longer be viewed simply as disposable downgrades.
Single Use Menus also offer you the flexibility to segment and modify your offerings at a lower expense. Common segmented food service menu types include static menus, à la carte menus, du jour menus, and cycle menus.
Can Single-Use Menus Possibly Be An Affordable Option?
The simple answer to this question is yes, if you know what to ask for.
When designed properly, single use menus also serve as marketing for your business!
With this single item you can supply menus to your in-store customers, takeout menus for curbside, call-in orders, downloadable menus, placemats, and a ready-made marketing piece for mailing or travel. When considering the cost of these items take into account the many facets of your business that benefits from this one product.

Good Things Come in Different Sizes
Undecided about what you want and what satisfies the needs of your business?
We’ve seen it all and love to share ideas about how to get the biggest bang for your dollar. Good things come in different sizes. From large outside signage to pocket menus, we can help.
Pro Tips for Pocket Menus
Avoid Lettering Too Small To Read.
With a Pocket Menu, what you’re sacrificing in the height of the menu you more than make up for in length. A standard pocket menu size is 4” x 10” and is printed on 100# paper.
These Pocket Menus fold down to eight 4″ x 2.5″ panels for easy handling and sharing.
This impressively small menu provides room to include your favorite graphics and photos plus, the use of comfortably legible font sizes.

The actual look and legibility of a font at a given point size varies with the font. Also, around 40-45 years of age farsightedness (Presbyopia) begins to affect many folks. If a significant portion of you customers are above this age range you want to be considerate of both contrast and point size.
You might begin by setting up your menu using 12 point for the product and 10 point for its description, then adjust the font, point size, font color and background color to obtain the look and feel you want.
Cheese Dog (12 point)
Hotdog, American Cheese (10 point)
These mini menus are perfect for restaurants, coffee shops and food services businesses in general. You do not have to sacrifice quality or consistency based on this size. There is plenty of space for your customer’s favorites along with your standard fare. Full Size Traditional Single Use Menus typically range from 11″ x 17″ to 8.5″ x 14″. Pocket Menus may not give you the large scale presentation and content flexibility of the Full Size Traditional Single Use Menu, but they do serve business purposes the Full Size Menus don’t.
From menu brochures to pocket menus, they work in-store and remotely to promote your brand.
Quantity vs. Flexibility
Buying in larger quantities does lower cost per piece, but that’s not the only way to save. Moving from your large colorful menus to One Time Use Full Size Menus, you may already find yourself having to shortlist what you can present.
This can be the best time to take advantage of segregating your menus. Break out your specials, new offerings, lunch and such into smaller multi-functional menus. They serve more purposes and go more places, getting you and keeping you in front of your prospects. Adjusting your offerings and their prices can be easier and less costly.
Full color print on quality 100# gloss text stock will give your menu that “POP” you’re looking for.
Does the Color Matter for Food Menus?
Color influences consumers not only on the conscious level but also on the subconscious level. Color and food pairings can be especially powerful by leveraging the emotional connection to taste.
— Jenn David Connoly
[Infographic] Colors That Influence Food Sales
Color is still king in food services marketing. When we use terms like disposable or mini we tend to think in terms of low quality. Times have certainly changed and our notion of these words will undoubtedly change with them. Increasingly in demand, these One Time Use Menus are small in stature but can deliver for your business in many ways.

Color can work for or against you. It’s important to consider this when you make your choices. We do know our senses work together. This crossover between our senses is known as synaesthesia. Color does affect our taste and smell?
Of all the colors in the spectrum, blue is an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans suggest putting your food on a blue plate. Or even better than that, put a blue light in your refrigerator and watch your munchies disappear.
— Color Matters
Color & Appetite Matters
Yes, Color Matters. We know color increases Brand Identity, Memory, Engagement and Participation—Color Attracts.
Consider the following:
- Color increases brand recognition by up to 80 percent
- Psychologists have documented that “living color” does more than appeal to the senses. It also boosts memory for scenes in the natural world.
- Ads in color are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white.
- Color can improve readership by 40 percent, learning from 55 to 78 percent, and comprehension by 73 percent
- Tests indicate that a black and white image may sustain interest for less than two-thirds a second, whereas a colored image may hold the attention for two seconds or more.
- People cannot process every object within view at one time. Therefore, color can be used as a tool to emphasize or de-emphasize areas.
—Colorcom
Why Color Matters
Have Questions? Would you like to speak with someone to discuss your options and pricing?
Sandy Plains Printing Can Help.
Put us to the test.
Sandy Plains Printing staff are all professionals experienced in the printing industry. They have extensive knowledge on how to prepare artwork and guide you to get the best products for your needs. We are here to answer your questions and to supply you with the best products available for your business.
If you’ve never ordered a particular form of Single Use Menus, take heart. Talk to us.
Sandy Plains Printing does not restrict you to online forms to make your decisions. Talk to a person. Get the real help you want, ensure you get both what you want and what you need to make the Perfect Impression Every Time.