As of 2020, the global fast-food market was worth USD 862.05 billion. By 2028 that figure is expected to reach USD 1,467.04 billion.

There is no doubt that running a business in this sector has the potential to be very lucrative. However, it is also incredibly competitive. The USA has the biggest fast-food market, which according to IBISWorld is worth an incredible $362.3 billion. Despite that research carried out by The National Restaurant Association shows that one in three restaurants do not get through their first trading year. That includes those involved in the fast-food sector.

It is therefore vital for café, takeaway, and restaurant owners to make use of anything that gives them an edge, something that using digital signage certainly does. They are an amazingly cost-effective way to generate more sales.

Here are a few examples of how they can be deployed by restaurants:

Quickly create promos for any dish or meal

Meal deals generate a lot of extra sales. Using the stock photos and editing capability that digital signage companies like Mandoe Media provide their customers with means it takes minutes to create an advert. This makes it easy to tap into the latest food fad. It’s a great way to stay relevant to customers.

To keep overheads low

Seasonality and the fact that wholesalers sometimes sell off items at bargain prices can be taken advantage of. It is not difficult for a fast-food outlet to create a meal that uses those ingredients.

Customers like the chance to try something new and appreciate the fact that their meal costs less. It means they can enjoy takeout more often, which turns them into loyal and frequent repeat customers.

It is also really easy to reduce the price of a dish that is not selling well. This results in less food ending up in the bin, which helps the environment as well as reducing overheads.

To avoid disappointing customers

Typically, it takes a couple of hours to create a digital menu. But, after that, it can be updated in minutes. The fact that cardboard menus are no longer necessary saves money.

So, if an item has sold through it can be removed from the menu to avoid disappointing customers. This also speeds up the rate at which they can be served. People no longer stand there for a couple of minutes trying to decide what else to order if their favorite dish has sold out. Studies show that disappointed customers soon start to dine elsewhere.

The human touch is still essential

However, to get the most out of digital signage you still need human intelligence. Someone who looks at the weather and takes the time to switch the offers being displayed on the screens to reflect the fact that people eat differently when it is either very hot or cold.

When used well, digital signage is a fast and highly cost-effective way for any restaurant, bar, café, takeout, or food truck to improve their sales