Menu Covers

Guide to choosing menu covers for iMenuPro menus.

menu cover sample

Choosing Menu Covers

Ever since we created our menu software we’ve been asked to recommend menu covers (aka Menu Jackets) that compliment the menus printed from our app. This guide offers some insight on how to choose those menu covers or holders for your establishment.

Café Covers

Hostess with iMenuPro Menus in Cafe Covers Cafe menu covers are a good choice for iMenuPro menus. The most popular modern style of menu cover, cafe style covers (also know as clear sewn edge covers or jackets) are also the most economical and easiest to clean. They feature clear plastic or vinyl pages that allow full display of your menu inserts and also offer protection from spills at the table.

Single pocket styles which allow you to display 2 pages of your menu (front and back) can sell for under $2 per cover, and book-style cafe covers that include up to 4 panels for an 8 page menu display can sell for as little as $6 per cover.

While the lifespan of a cafe cover is usually less than a classic leather menu cover, the lower cost allows you to replace the covers more frequently. Sizes as large as 11 x 17 are also available and there is usually a wider variety of color choices available to go with your menu pages and the interior design of your restaurant. Cafe covers do require a little more effort than classic covers when swapping out menu pages, so it’s a good idea to use heavier paper with this style of cover to make changing and inserting menu pages easier.

Classic Covers

iMenuPro menu in Classic menu cover Since iMenuPro lets you update your menus whenever you want, classic style menu covers, with interior pockets or album-style corners that allow menu pages to be easily inserted, are an excellent choice. This is especially true for establishments that routinely offer new dishes and seasonal specials as they make changing your menu as simple as removing a page and replacing it with a new one.

Classic style covers are readily available in leather and imitation leather (leatherette) and can hold one or multiple pages. Leather is a natural choice that wears well and goes with any upscale décor, but is expensive. Leatherette looks very close to leather and is usually about half the cost. Most suppliers will also imprint or emboss your logo on the front of the cover to help brand your restaurant.

Single View and Clipboards

iMenuPro Clipboard menu cover According to a recent post at Eater.com, there is a growing trend in using One-Use-Only Paper Menus with single-view clipboard or leather border menu holders. Says Eater, “Not a new trend, but a growing one. Small, single sheet menus that are presented outside of menu holders are becoming de rigueur at New York’s more humble, cuisine-focused restaurants. It’s a necessity for places like Northern Spy Food Co. and Roman's whose menu changes daily, or weekly. But this style also eliminates the cost of printing fancy new design-heavy menus every time there’s a change, as well as the time it takes to pull and stuff menu holders.”

Since our software was invented for daily menu changes, many iMenuPro user's have adopted this practice with wild success.

Cover Sizes

Woman ordering from menu in cover Cover size ultimately depends on your menu size, and since iMenuPro lets you design and print menus of any size, you can pick menu covers that hold any size paper. However, selecting a cover that holds a standard size paper such as 8 ½ by 11, 8 ½ by 14, or even 5 ½ by 8 ½ (half letter) will give you more flexibility in paper selection as there are more standard size papers available.

Additionally, the best selling and most popular menu covers are generally the ones that hold standard size menus, so suppliers can usually offer the best pricing on these covers. With clipboards, however, that's not the case as there's more flexibility to sizing the menu, so you can use more unusual and odd sizes on clipboards to make your menus more unique.

Cover Durability

Covers need to be durable enough to protect the pages of your menu (unless you’re using single sheet clipboard holders). Ask prospective menu cover suppliers for free samples of the covers or boards that you’re interested in to make sure they’ll meet the needs of your establishment.

Cover Color

While it may seem obvious, menu cover color is often overlooked. Try to find a color that suits the overall design and branding of your restaurant. If in doubt, black classic style covers will go with most anything. If you are using cafe covers, experiment with colored paper as an inexpensive design alternative.

Menu Covers, Final Thoughts

There’s no need to spend a fortune on menu covers, but keep in mind that your restaurant menu is an investment in profitability and your menu covers are usually the first thing customers touch when they sit down to dine at your establishment. They create an immediate impression of the style, professionalism, food quality, and the service that will follow, so it makes sense to choose them not just on cost.

iMenuPro clipboard sample

iMenuPro menu with clipboard menu holder

MENU COVER PAGES

You can also create menu cover pages with iMenuPro. Here's some samples.

menu example

Organic Menu Cover Page
menu example

Redwood Menu Cover Page
menu example

American Grill Menu Cover Page
menu cover with iMenuPro menu

Beautiful menu cover with iMenuPro menu at Suite 701, Montréal

Try iMenuPro, the Menu Creator app for free, today!