7 Ways to Display Merchandise in a Crowded Restaurant

1. Keep the Dining Floor Clear With Low-Profile Wall Mounted Displays

One option is to add floating shelves to areas where customers often wait. The foyer, around the bar, and near your check-out area are all great places to use your vertical wall space to display merchandise.

Floating shelves can add a layered look to your restaurant, ranging from fun and playful to elegant and exquisite. This depends on your restaurant's ambiance and the types of shelves you choose. It gives customers a chance to admire your merchandise while they wait to be seated or to pay. A few will even be inclined to buy something as they go. Another option is to use low profile displays like wall-mounted slatwall or gridwall panels. These displays allow you to create low-profile shopping areas that allow for customization. You can adjust shelves, hooks, and other accessories to accommodate your ever-changing displays whether it be for just the season, or for new merchandise selections. This also makes your displays easier to browse and more accessible, which not only enhances the customer experience, but adds practicality to your restaurant's decor.

2. Utilize Hostess Podiums and Check-Out Areas as a Point-of-Sale Station

Many smaller restaurants use the tried-and-true method of displaying merchandise below the cash register in a glass-enclosed display case, countertop display case, or 2-in-1 merchandising unit. Turning a display case into your check-out station is a great way to show off your merch while keeping your goods safe and secure. This type of display is especially useful if some of your merchandise is particularly valuable or tempting, like locally-made jewelry or high-end goods. Glass display cases take up no extra space because you were already going to need a countertop for the cash register to sit upon. You can also consider countertop display cases to supplement your checkout counter or hostess station, or check out our 2-in-1 hostess station slatwall merchandiser unit to include functionality in your waiting area. As a bonus, customers will admire the merch around your register as they wait for their seats or to pay.

3. Adorn Your Walls with Your Merchandise

If your merchandise matches the restaurant ambiance, you can even display it as part of your wall decor. For example, let's say you're a coffee shop with attractive mugs, tumblers, and elegant bags of coffee beans in your signature roasts, you can arrange these items on a built-in wall shelf display of warm polished wood to display your merchandise while creating an ambiance.

In contrast, in a fine dining restaurant, you might sell signature plates by displaying branded fine porcelain in specialized wall displays throughout the dining rooms.

Wall decor has the advantage of taking up zero floor space. It can also become a part of the customer's positive dining experience and the overall look and feel of your eatery. When guests learn that their favorite display piece is available for sale, some will be excited and request to buy a piece right away.

4. Don’t Let That Corner Go to Waste

Corner shelves hold a unique place in restaurant and retail displays. This is because they use a space that any other furnishings would not use. Restaurant tables are rarely tucked directly into the corners unless you have booths constructed. This means that you can place corner shelves anywhere that your public spaces form a natural corner. Corners can even be defined by countertops or the backs of booths instead of a corner created between two walls. These thin, vertical shelves provide narrow display opportunities for magazines and cards, small keepsakes, and small to medium-sized souvenirs.

5. Feature Merch in the Digital Menu Design

Take the opportunity to display merchandise digitally instead of using physical display methods. A digital menu board, for example, can display merchandise items alongside the normal restaurant menu prices. If your menu board cycles pages, include a page dedicated to the merch that your restaurant has available. A multi-pane digital menu can include an additional page for merchandise or weave merch options throughout the menu design.

If you have QR codes at each table so guests can browse the menu on their phones, include a menu tab for merchandise in addition to other tabs or sections like Drinks and Appetizers.

Digital merchandise displays take up zero room for tables in your restaurant dining area. Some customers will enjoy using their phones to order. Meanwhile, others will enjoy contemplating the displayed menu for a long period of time. Both have an equal chance of inspiring your local restaurant regulars.

6. Incorporate Eye-Catching Signage

In the strategy of displaying merchandising in crowded areas, signage plays a pivotal role in catching the eye and conveying essential information. Create and utilize clear and attractive signage that aligns with your restaurant’s branding. Whether it’s highlighting prices, special offers, or telling the story behind your products, compelling signage not only guides your customers but also contributes to the overall aesthetic of your displays. Clearly labeling your restaurant and displays will ensure your customers understand what they are purchasing and feel more attached to your brand. Low-profile countertop sign holders can function as menu holders, advertisements for your merchandise or local businesses, or a creative way to promote specials, while select wayfinding signs or picture frames can be used for directions, or even other promotions.

7. Work with Local Businesses and Foster Your Growing Community

Collaborating with other local retailers is a win-win for both parties; your restaurant and their shop. Featuring goods from nearby artisans or entrepreneurs can create a sense of community support and tie the look and feel of your restaurant together. Bulletin boards are great for allowing businesses to hang their business cards and display cases and shelving can be strategically placed and customized to feature your partner’s goods and service descriptions. This helps to diversify your product offerings and contribute to the growth of your local community.

The Wrap-Up

If your restaurant is always busy or arranged in a small space, you may not have extra room for free-standing displays. Fortunately, there are many different decorative and space-efficient options to choose from. Restaurants, diners, and cafes can serve and sell more than just their delicious food and sought-after treats. If you’re considering adding merchandising displays to your space, Displays2go has the resources you need to do so effectively. From sustainable modular displays, shelving units, floor standing and wall mounted options, there are a variety of options available for you to elevate your eatery’s dining floor, waiting area, or checkout counter.

Additional Tips & Tricks

• Strategically place your displays throughout your establishment, utilizing wall space, and corner space to showcase items in high traffic areas without crowding the floor
• Incorporate technology and interactive kiosks to modernize your facility and stay one step ahead of the competition
• Create a cozy atmosphere utilizing displays, shelves, and display units that follow a uniform design to establish a brand identity for your restaurant
• Incorporate seasonal items and apparel to keep your merch relevant and leave customers enticed for the next “drop”