Pizza Today - July 2019 - 28

kitchen's rotation, and weekly
specials only need to be added once

and programmed automatically to
run each week, adds Reinert. This
functionality offers operators at least
one less thing to worry about week to
week.
The costs of installing and operating a digital board have become more
accessible for operators as the technology has become more and more
mainstream. According to Forsman,
the past decade has seen a considerable price reduction in the cost of
monitors.
"Although the initial investment
of digital menus will (almost always)
cost more than a traditional static
menu board, over time the digital
menu board will pay for itself - if the
correct content strategy is utilized by
the QSR," says Forsman. "Since each
daypart may have its very own special,
a QSR can maximize profits by pushing highly profitable featured items
through attention grabbing, visually
appealing content."
After the initial investment, digital
boards may continue to provide costsaving benefits.
"From eliminating the need to print
paper menus every time the menu
changes to incorporating an order
confirmation board into the dynamic
software, digital menus will most
certainly save money over the course
of ownership," says Forsman.
When choosing which features you
need in a digital board, brighter is
always better, especially if you take
your signage onto the patio.
"The brightness of a monitor -
that will be installed outdoors - is
vital. LCD monitors installed in
direct sunlight require commercial
grade, high-bright LCDs that are
a minimum of 1,500 nits (or more)
of brightness," Forsman says. "If the
LCD enclosure is not installed in
direct sunlight, do not assume that
high ambient light does not still exist.
Be wary of LCD manufacturers that
market displays as 'high bright' but
are only in the brightness range of
700 nits. These screens are not bright
enough for outdoor use, much like
looking at a cell phone outdoors. A

screen that may look vibrant on the
indoors is not suited for the outdoors."
In addition to the level of brightness the digital board projects, you
must be mindful when choosing the
software that supports it, according
to Cory Keisel, QSR expert at Scala
Digital Signage.
"Be very weary of Software on a
Chip (SOC), meaning using the display's integrated processor to run content. SOC is highly vulnerable to data
breaches and doesn't perform nearly
as well as standalone media players.
Unfortunately, SOC is a convenient
way for display manufacturers to push
you into buying more displays more
frequently," he warns. "Standalone
media players also give you the
advantage of backup redundancy and
upgrading hardware features at a fraction of the cost, rather than replacing
an entire display to add a feature. Any
enterprise partner worth their salt will
help you navigate through selecting
the right media player and features
your business requires."
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE
OF BEING PREPARED BEFORE YOU
SCHEDULE YOUR DIGITAL BOARD SETUP.

"A site survey is important to
determine the store's preparedness
to install digital boards," Forsman
adds. "It is extremely beneficial to
evaluate each location before an
installation crew is scheduled to
install new signage. Never let the
restaurant/store become inoperable
due to preventable mistakes and
poor planning."
By going digital with your
signage, you can more effectively
communicate with your customers. It allows you a modern platform that's customizable to your
restaurant, your message and your
customers. Plus, information can be
easily and quickly changed to ensure
your customers are getting the most
up-to-date details on menu items,
promotions and special events
unique to your operation. n
is a freelance journalist
living in Dayton, Ohio. She specializes
DEANN OWENS

https://www.lactalisculinary.com/videos/chef-videos/index.html

Pizza Today - July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today - July 2019