Restaurant menu covers seems like such a trivial part of the dining experience, but it really has a lot more to it than we think. Often, the first impression you will get of a restaurants food is from the menu itself. If it is handwritten, crossed out, neatly typed or is done in a hip, young way, you will be forming impressions. And, before you even get to the food itself, or the look of the type, you touch the cover. That menu cover can tell you a lot as well.

You will notice that most nice steakhouses use a sturdy and comfortable feeling leather menu cover. It may have been used for years, like a nice leather coat or purse, aging only the way that leather can. You can see its character in the cracks and smooth patches. Leather is not the only standard in menu cover design, but it does the job well. You can also find leatherette and vinyl or plastic menu covers. These are geared more towards the heavy use restaurant, the diners where the menus are tossed in and out of a menu case. These don’t have the same hand or appeal as leather, but they aren’t supposed to. The vinyl menu cover is meant to be practical, get the job done, be wiped clean and be ready for the next crowd. We’ll talk about these and other styles as we go along here, along with prices and the future of menu cover design.

There are a few different types of menu cover materials, like the ones we mentioned, as well as the overall style of the way the menu cover folds.  Let’s finish with the discussion of the other types of menu covers first and then we’ll get to the way they fold or hold the menus more specifically after that.  We’ve talked about the leather and vinyl covers.  Now, let’s take a minute to talk about the metal menu cover and other cover options. 

While leather has its place in the category of fine dining, metal takes the place in the modern or hip restaurant or menu category.  If you are trying to soothe diners, give them great food they are comfortable with and assure them that you have been around, you likely go for the leather menu covers.  If you have a newer style of modern dining, want your food choices to feel fresh or have a new take on some food styles, a metal menu cover might be the right choice.  There are several benefits of using metal covers, one is the feel itself.  It has a sense that there is something different inside – just what you are after.  These metal covers can be of a brushed aluminum, stainless or even patina finished copper metal.  The patina finished coppers are something of the new wave in menu cover design.  They make a big impact to the customer’s experience of the menu and food choices.

The other point to make about menu covers is their overall functional style.  In other words, do they simply fold open (bi-fold) or are they are a tri-fold style.  Is there some type of menu cover insert?  Do you use a booklet style?  There are a variety of styles to choose from.  You need to know how to best display your food choices and how the menu will feel in the hands of your guests.  If it feels like an encyclopedia dropped in their lap, they will feel overwhelmed.  This can lead to their experience of not knowing if they chose the ‘right’ dish.  These are very subtle points that you may or may not wish to consider.  If you are simply looking for a cheap plastic menu cover that you can put 8x11 sheets of paper you printed off in the back room, then don’t get too picky.  You can find a simple bi-fold or tri-fold style that will work perfectly for you. 

Similar choices can be made about your check presenters, table menu stands, possible dessert menu and wine lists.  Because these are typically much less featured (besides the dessert and wine lists), the style is less critical here.  A simple front and back piece or single sided cover will work.  The point here is to just leave the impression that the little things matter and are appreciated. 

Prices vary depending upon the type of material and quantity purchased.  Since you are likely buying for a new restaurant or replacing old menu covers, bulk is the best pricing.  In fact, it is often the only pricing option.  You will get the best buy, paying the least for those vinyl or leatherette menu covers we discussed.  These can be ordered in lots of 50 usually for around $60-150 USD.  You can often find cheaper pricing for the plastic covers on places like Ebay.  For the leather menu covers you will probably be looking at between $12-15 USD per order of 50 or more.  If you get into the metal and custom menu covers, expect to pay between $15-20 USD each.