Restaurant menus play a critical role in generating revenues, from the photos to the layout to the written descriptions – it’s all part of menu engineering. Your menu text isn’t just a way to describe your dishes; it’s a way to persuade guests to try your meals. In fact, studies show that simply renaming basic menu items with more descriptive language increased sales by 28 per cent and made diners willing to pay 12 per cent more.

Getting the menu wording just right can be tricky, but here are a few tips to keep in mind for creating a menu that will describe and interest your restaurant guests.

Tell a story

Highlighting the distinctive qualities of your dish is a way to attract attention and engage diners. Is the dish seasonal? Locally sourced? Is there a story to tell? Letting guests get a sense of why and how the dish was created with a compelling explanation will entice them to want to try the dish for themselves.

Use buzzwords

As trends come and go, some words are more likely to attract attention, and some will detract from the perception of your dish. Research shows that certain claims are gaining traction on menus, like non-fat (+33.3 per cent), dairy-free (+10.1 per cent) and cage-free (+9.2 per cent). Similarly, using words like “signature,” exclusive,” or “limited time” can signal that this dish is only available there and then, and that can motivate customers to order certain dishes before they’re gone.

Get descriptive

While there is no perfect formula, of course, experts recommend describing your dishes featuring texture and sensory language, ingredient transparency, preparation method, cultural or regional ties, and portion or experience cues.

Remember, you want to impart the essence of the dish with your description, but a lot of text will turn guests off, so keep it simple, interesting, and informative.

A well-designed, well-written, appealing menu means a bigger bottom line – and it often matters before guests even visit. 83 per cent of diners check restaurant menus before visiting, and 65 per cent confirm that item descriptions play a key role in what they order off the menu. Once you have created a menu with descriptions that will attract attention, be sure to promote it on your website and through your social channels to capture the attention of your guests before they even sit down at the table.