The influences of restaurant menu font style, background color, and physical weight on consumers’ perceptions

Restaurateurs often attempt to signal the scale [e.g., casual vs. upscale] and service standards of their operations through the use of various cues on their menus. Fancy font, gold menu paper, and heavy physical menu weight are frequently used as attempts to signal an upscale environment and high service standards to potential diners. Therefore, this research conducts a 2 × 2 × 2 between subjects experimental design on students at a large Mid-Atlantic University to test these effects. Results indicate that when menu font is italicized potential diners do perceive the restaurant to be more upscale and as having the capability to deliver top-rate service. The same findings also held true for menu weight: heavier menus, as opposed to lighter ones, drive perceptions of scale and anticipated service quality. Regarding background color, however, no significant effects of gold versus white background colors were found.