A menu isn't a price list — it's the most-read sales document in your restaurant. Before you spend up to €1,500 on print, read these 7 points. They save money, can lift your average ticket, and stop you printing dozens of menus you'll bin at the first price change.
Every summer, hundreds of restaurants in Mykonos print menus that don't work. Not because they're ugly — but because they were designed by someone who didn't grasp that the guest reads it in 15 seconds under the Cycladic sun, wine in hand and 3 kids shouting.
1. Design FOR the moment of use
Where will your menu be opened? Outdoors at 2pm at sunset, or inside the dim-lit dining room at 11pm? That answer decides everything: type size, colours, paper finish.
- Outdoor / day: large type (≥11pt), high contrast, matte finish (not glossy, which glares).
- Indoor / evening: you can go tighter on typography, premium textures, even metallic accents.
2. No more than 7 dishes per category
The brain freezes when there's too much choice. Paradox of choice: 12 starters = the guest picks 0 and asks "what's good?". 5–7 starters = they decide in 90 seconds and the waiter doesn't lose time.
If you have 20 dishes in the kitchen, organise them into a seasonal rotation or a "Today's specials" on a separate card. Don't cram them into the main menu.
3. Drop the € symbol
Restaurant research (best known from a Cornell University study) shows that menus without the € symbol next to prices can lift average spend. Why? The symbol "stings" — it reminds the guest they're spending.
Write 24 instead of 24€. Same price, less emotional resistance. Try it — it works right across Mykonos.
4. Highlight 2–3 "star items"
On each page, pick 2–3 dishes with the best profit margin or that are signature, and give them a visual highlight: bold type, a small icon beside them, a boxed border with an underline. The eye goes there first, and they get ordered more often.
Don't: highlight 8 dishes — then nothing is a highlight.
5. Mind the paper choices
| Material | Cost | Lifespan | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laminated card | €2–4/ea | One season | Casual, beach bar, lunch spot |
| Synthetic paper (tear-proof) | €3–5/ea | Several seasons | Mid-range changing menu 2x/year |
| Uncoated premium + leather cover | €8–20/ea | Seasonal + reusable cover | Fine dining, signature restaurants |
| QR code on wood/metal | €15–40/ea | Permanent | Restaurants that change the menu often |
In Mykonos, laminated is the most common for outdoors. But if you change the menu 3 times a season, QR + wood saves you €600+ in reprints.
6. Always have a digital version too
With a QR on the table, the guest opens the menu on their phone. That gives you 3 superpowers:
- Change prices/dishes without reprinting.
- Break out allergens and more languages (EN, FR, DE, IT) without cluttering the design.
- Measure which dishes get the most clicks → data for menu engineering.
7. Print in Mykonos, not from Athens
The #1 mistake: you print in Athens, get delivery in 5 days, and if you need a reprint you're offline for a week in peak season. In Mykonos there are local printers (like cmykonos.gr) that deliver in 3–5 working days, with no wait for shipping from Athens.
The cost difference is 10–15% more, but the availability saves your season.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost in total?+
How many menus should I print?+
When do I start the design?+
Is a QR menu enough, or do I need print too?+
Ready for a menu that works?
We design here. We print in Mykonos via cmykonos.gr. From design to paper, usually in 2–4 weeks.