How Digital Menu Boards Boost Your Concession Stand’s Performance

According to an industry survey, concessionaires estimate that the concession stands make up for 79% of the revenue, while the other percentage comes from catering operations. The appeal of the concession stand cannot be overstated. Whether set up indoors or outdoors at sporting events, festivals, amusement parks, movie theaters, or street fairs, these stands give customers a chance to sample food and drinks in a more casual setting.

Many establishments in the food industry have switched to digital menu boards, and not just for their sleek and modern appearance. Concession stands are no different. In this post, we will explore how concession stand displays have evolved and how you can expect digital menu boards to boost your concession stand’s success.

The Evolution of Concession Stand Displays

The traditional menu board at concession stands is essentially a handwritten or printed paper menu. The interactivity element is lost on traditional menus, and customers may need to refer to the concessioner for more information. Additionally, concession stand operators need to switch out different menus physically.

These fundamental limitations led to the emergence of the digital concession menu board. By offering a more vivid presentation of the menu items through dynamic content, digital menu boards provide a more immersive customer experience and can be an excellent advertising tool. Updating the menu is also much easier with digital boards, and concessioners can plan and schedule to display different menu versions at different times. Also, digital signage for concessions removes the need for paper menus and any other printed materials, reducing the environmental footprint. 

Engaging Visuals and Dynamic Content

The average human has an attention span of 8.25 seconds, shrinking faster than ever in today’s digital age. As a concessioner, you have so little time to capture the attention of potential customers seeing your stand; the power to do so lies in incorporating visuals and dynamic content in your displays. The human brain is wired to process visuals faster, which is why visuals are an instant attention-grabber. Additionally, the visuals can evoke emotions and do a better job of storytelling, making them more memorable.

Incorporating visual elements on your concession menu board content will stimulate the excitement and appetite of your customers, making them eager to order. You can update the images, animated effects, and more on your menu board with just a few clicks. Similarly, you can strategically place special promotions and the latest deals to cross-sell and upsell your concession stand’s menu items. 

Customization and Flexibility

The menu board template editor is user-friendly, allowing you to update your menu offerings and pricing easily in real-time. This flexibility lets you quickly adjust your concession menu board to reflect inventory changes and display limited-time promotions and seasonal offerings. 

You can easily customize the layout and design of your concession menu board to create an appealing visual that enhances customer engagement while remaining aligned with your brand. You can tailor the menu board to resonate with a special season or event by carefully selecting themes, backgrounds, and colors. For example, you can choose from the many pre-designed Christmas templates and make it your own for use over the holiday season.  

Boosting Sales with Digital Upselling

Strategic placement of food and drink options can help you upsell. Using animated transitions and visual elements such as bolding on your concession menu board to highlight special offerings and promotions can help you upsell.   

Creating combo packages is one of the most successful concession stand ideas to add to your upselling strategy. For example, a drink and popcorn combo would do really well at the theaters. Similarly, a family pack with multiple items from the snack bar would sell fast at a sports stadium as the fans will love the convenience of a combo.

Special offers are another excellent upselling and cross-selling strategy that will do well for concession stands at any venue. From a buy-one-get-one-free offer to holiday-themed discounts and offering a discounted item from your snack bar with the purchase of an admission ticket, special offers at concession stands can take different forms.

Similarly, asking if customers want add-ons can be very effective, especially if your staff is friendly and has solid product knowledge. Customers feel special when you offer personalized recommendations and will not easily turn these down.

Enhancing the Customer Experience

Digital menu boards use dynamic content such as animation and video to keep customers informed, entertained, and engaged. Customer engagement reduces the perceived wait times, resulting in a better customer experience. Content updates in real-time also ensure customers have access to accurate and up-to-date information at all times for better decision-making.

Providing clear information on menu item availability, price, and ingredients improves customer satisfaction. Customers can confidently make an informed purchasing decision when they have all the facts. Similarly, ensuring your concession stand menu board has a proper and easy-to-navigate layout with clear menu sections will make purchasing from your snack bar seamless.

Tech Integration for Efficiency

Integrating your concession stand digital menu board with your Point of Sale (POS) system will allow you to display accurate information and manage your menu more efficiently. You will not need to perform manual updates, and the automatic updates reduce the risk of inconsistencies. 

For example, when a customer places an order, the menu board can automatically update your concession stand inventory, ensuring that any out-of-stock items are removed from the menu board. Similarly, price adjustments and any other changes made in the POS will automatically reflect on the digital menu board. 

Case Studies: Successful Implementations

Digital menu boards can truly boost your concession stand’s performance, and the Morey’s Piers success story is a true testament to the level of success you can achieve when you partner with the right digital signage solutions provider.

Mvix implemented a network of digital screens and video walls not just at the concessions but also at the ticket booths and dining facilities throughout the amusement park. The display network has made it seamless for the amusement park to display up-to-date inventory of food items at the concession stands and push different promotions. According to Morey’s Piers staffers, digital signage for concessions has led to a decrease in average transaction times at the food stands and improved sales.

Future Trends in Concession Stand Technology

Concessions have, over the years, evolved beyond the traditional stadium fare, and it will be interesting to see what this continuing evolution will bring in the years to come. There are upcoming future trends to keep an eye out for, and here is an outline of the top two among these.

• Self-Order Kiosks

There has been an uptick in the use of self-service kiosks, especially in the hospitality industry, and concession stands aren’t to be left behind. These kiosks will speed up service at the concession food stand and free up employees to handle other tasks for a better overall customer experience.

• Mobile Device Integration

Imagine the convenience of ordering and paying for your hotdog and beer or any other menu item from the snack bar right from your phone. You can then pick up your order from the concession stand and avoid standing in line. This integration will definitely streamline the customer experience.