A guest studies the menu and orders something familiar. Perhaps that is simply what they want. Or perhaps they do not understand the other names, the sauce ingredients or the cost of an extra. Not everyone will immediately ask a server.
Explain the dish before the question arises
If you use a name such as “confit”, explain in everyday words what the guest will receive. Describe the main ingredients and preparation. A menu need not become a cookbook: give enough information to tell one option from another.
Make the full price clear
If an extra costs more, say so beside it. Guests should not discover a surcharge only when the bill arrives. Explain portion sizes and drink options clearly when they affect the price.
How does a phone menu help?
Guests open it by pointing their camera at the code on the table. They can take time to read descriptions and look at photographs. If you prepare other languages, translate ingredients and extras as well as dish names.
During one shift, record questions that come up repeatedly. Improve the relevant descriptions and ask staff whether guests still need the same explanations. This shows what to improve next without promising a particular sales increase.
An example approach
A dish name the guest does not understand.
A name with a short explanation of ingredients and preparation.
What to check at your venue
- Record the questions guests ask most often during a shift.
- Add answers beside the relevant menu items.
- Have translations reviewed by someone who knows the language.