What drives the price of a digital menu board?
The cost of a digital menu board investment is not just the purchase price of the displays.
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System cost depends on the number of displays, the panels' duty cycle (16/7 or 24/7), the mounting design, the software license structure, content production and the technical service warranty.
Items that set the price
| Item | What changes the price? |
|---|---|
| Number of displays | Counter width and menu length. Most projects use 2–5 displays. |
| Display type | Professional panel or consumer TV. A professional panel is recommended for a menu that stays on all day. |
| Brightness | Menus facing a shop window or in direct sunlight need a high-brightness panel, which raises the price. |
| Mounting | Ceiling suspension, wall or above-counter structure; the ceiling structure and cable routes. |
| Player | Whether the display's own system will be used or an external device. |
| Software | License model, number of branches, connection to the POS system. |
| Menu design and service | Template design, who handles updates, maintenance and fault terms. |
The most common mistake: looking only at the display price
The price difference between proposals usually comes from scope details rather than the display hardware. Ask for items to be listed transparently so you can see whether mounting, support structures or software licenses are included, and avoid surprise costs.
Can a menu board be made with a consumer TV?
It can, and the first invoice will be lower. But menu board displays stay on from morning until midnight and are exposed to heat because they are close to the kitchen. Consumer displays are not designed for this use, so they fail more often, and replacing a single display breaks the visual consistency of the menu with the other displays. In the long run, a professional panel is usually the more economical solution.
What lowers the cost for chains: central management
As the number of branches grows, the real savings come from being able to update the menu centrally. Printed menus, posters and distribution costs disappear, and there's no need to visit the branch to change a price. When prices are transferred automatically from the POS system, the margin for error also drops.
What to prepare when requesting a quote
- Counter width and ceiling height (a photo is enough)
- Number of branches and the cities they are in
- Roughly how many products the menu has
- Who will handle menu design
- Whether prices will be entered in the management software or transferred from the POS
Contact us through the quote form with this information; after the site survey we'll present our itemized proposal. You can see examples we've installed on our menu board page.
