Food Chalkboards

Food chalkboards are useful marketing tools for venues of all sizes, whether you run a large restaurant, a small bistro, fish and chip shop, café or a delicatessen, a well-designed food chalkboard could increase your sales.

Food chalkboards can be used for various different reasons. You could advertise special promotions such as 2 for 1 deals, sell-up high margin items such as tea or coffee after a meal, or simply use a chalkboard to advertise products that you wish to sell quickly due to an over-order or a short shelf life.

Using food chalkboards instead of menus can cut out costly printing bills, not to mention being environmentally friendly. But also, food chalkboards can be used in conjunction with your regular menus, maybe to offer a discount on menu items, showcase chef’s specials, or highlight any seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter or Christmas.

Food chalkboards come in an array of different sizes and shapes to suit different requirements. A burger van could use a small shaped chalkboard in the shape of a burger to advertise their prices. A small chalkboard in the shape of a chef could be used to highlight the day’s special dish.

Large chalkboards are great for bistros. An entire menu could be written on a large chalkboard and placed in a prominent position. Cafés could also benefit from one large chalkboard that lists all their meals and snacks, these could be written in regular chalk so they can be updated frequently or in chalkboard pens for a more permanent fixture.

A-boards and pavement boards are excellent for attracting passing foot trade and even motorists if positioned carefully. These can be interchangeable, with reversible boards advertising different promotions, such as breakfasts in the morning, curry club in the evenings, and Sunday lunches at the weekend.

Small ‘table talker’ chalkboards are brilliant for selling-up products like drinks, desserts or side portions such as mushrooms and onion rings.   These can be placed directly on each table for maximum exposure without taking up too much table space.

Semi-permanent or permanent framed chalkboards can be used to advertise your house speciality or menu mainstays. Written using bright chalkboard pens, these won’t fade or smudge or need replacing on a regular basis.

Food chalkboards can also be used for outdoor catering events. Different stalls could showcase their fare with medium sized chalkboards. Event catering such as weddings or conferences could use chalkboards to detail the courses being served, or explain the wines accompanying the meal.

Whatever your retail need, a food chalkboard could be utilised to full effect.

 

 

 

Chalkboard signs can be used in any business from hairdressers to butchers and from green grocers to fish and chips shops however chalkboard signs really come into their own when used as pub signs.

The ever-changing nature of the Great British pub means that it needs a marketing tool that can easily be changed to let its customers know what’s happening. Whether that be the seasonal menu changes in a pub that sells food to advertising the big match at the weekend, a chalkboard pub sign is the perfect tool to highlight any event.

 

Posters may do the same trick in informing clientele of forthcoming events, but they tend to look cheap and amateur. Even the professionally printed ones can quickly become torn and shabby looking which reflects badly on the pub, not to mention being expensive.

Pub signs made from chalkboards using either non-smudging chalks or chalkboard pens will last much longer and remain in the same condition until you are ready to have them repainted. This makes choosing chalkboard pub signs both cheaper and more environmentally friendlier.

The pub signs can be double-sided so as to display different offers that will relate to different trading hours. A pub sign advertising coffees and teas for instance, can be displayed during the day and the pub sign can then be reversed for the night-time trade to advertise a special offer for an alcoholic drink.

For pubs that have live entertainment, pub signs are a must! Changing them on a weekly or monthly basis will ensure that customers never miss their favourite act.

As marketing tools, pub signs are excellent for drawing customer attention to any one-off special offers or events that you are holding in your pub. More permanent pub signs can be displayed highlighting weekly events or menus.

The increasingly popular bistro style pubs often display their entire menus on pub signs, this allows for the management to change the menu as often as they desire, allowing them to utilise seasonal produce without having to resort to the extra expense of having new menus printed.

Even for the more traditional style of food pub, pub signs can be used alongside their printed menus to showcase weekly specials or advertise Sunday Lunches or seasonal menus such as Christmas or Easter fayre.

Pub signs can be used outside of the venue as well as inside, A-boards and pavement signs are great for attracting both foot traffic and road traffic to your pub.

Christmas Chalkboards

With Christmas less than a couple of months away and the start of the festivities just a few weeks from now, it’s time to turn our attention to Festive Chalkboards. Now is the perfect time to start advertising your business’ plans for holiday period. Whether you’re a café who will be selling hot turkey and stuffing rolls in December or a Bistro serving up traditional festive fayre over the Christmas period you need to let your customers know all about it in good time.

Most businesses will experience a boom in trading over the holiday period, from shops to restaurants, pubs to hairdressers. Not only will a Christmas themed chalkboard draw attention to your plans and offers over Christmas and New Year, it is also a chance to personally thank your patrons for their custom over the year and wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

A bright and colourful chalkboard wishing your customers season’s greetings can be incorporated into your regular Christmas decorations and can be adapted to your own colour scheme. You can opt for modern designs or something more traditional, whatever fits in with the style of your business.

Let the local work places and offices around you know that your venue is available for works Christmas parties over December, a simple A-board outside your establishment is a great way to let passing trade know that you can cater for large parties, if this isn’t an option then large chalkboards in your entrance will give your customers a timely reminder every time they enter or leave your premises.

 

 

Well-appointed large chalkboards displaying your Christmas menus or plans for New Year’s Eve Party need to be up well in advance to give people chance to get together with their friends and family to organise themselves.

 

Table talker chalkboards are a great way to let your customers know of any festive special you may be selling such as hot turkey rolls or mince pies and coffee.

Framed chalkboards behind the bar can be used to good effect to sell-up classic Christmas drinks such as Snowballs or Mulled Wine, or be used in conjunction with any back-bar display that you run for new products.

Finally, don’t forget to tell your customers about the events that you will have on over the Christmas period, from DJ’s to artistes, to the holiday sporting fixtures that you will be showing. Letting people know in advance will ensure a good turn out.

Top Tips for Using Large Chalkboards in your Establishment

We know that the use of large chalkboards is very effective in getting your marketing message out there to the masses. However, to get the most out of your large chalkboards why not follow our top tips:

• Ensure that your chalkboards are frequently updated. You can either use our fantastic services or invest in some of our great blank chalkboards, or shaped chalkboards and chalkboard pens, and enlisting an artistic member of staff to update them.
  
  
• Your chalkboards should have relevant information on them and be changed regularly to ensure that they are always up to date and current.
  
  
• Consider where the best place is for your chalkboards; table talkers are great for selling up items such as teas, coffees and desserts. Don’t forget to place chalkboards in the ladies toilets to advertise things like Sunday Lunches and the latest live football games can be advertised in the gents.
  
• Large chalkboards should be placed where they can receive maximum impact. They shouldn’t be obscured by anything (or anyone) and should be easy to read from a distance.
  
  
• Ideally chalkboards should be placed at eye level, if you need to place them higher then angle them downwards to make them easier to read, and vice versa.
  
  
• First impression count, if you do fill in your own blank chalkboards ensure that they are proof-read for spelling and grammar errors and that they are legible and pleasing to the eye.
  
  
• Large chalkboards should be planned before writing; sketching your design on some paper beforehand can save a lot of time and ensure a quality finish.
  
  
• Chalkboard pens look a lot more professional than regular chalk and won’t rub off. They can be painted over with blackboard paint when a new sign needs to be created.
  
  
• Use your chalkboards in conjunction with special offers, new menus and back-bar displays for maximum impact.
  
  
• Consider using double sided chalkboards that can be changed to appeal to different day and night time trade
  
  
• Think about where you will place large chalkboards used for bistro style menus —they are likely to make customers feel uncomfortable if they are eating whilst people are standing over their table to read them.
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• Get your chalkboards up good and early, don’t be the last to start advertising your Christmas menus
  
  
• Entrance lobbys are great places to have chalkboards announcing any special events you are holding, as they will be the last thing your patrons see as they leave your premises.

Marketing Your Business with A-boards and Pavement Signs

A-boards and pavement signs serve two immediate uses for your business. Not only do they instantly advertise to your passing trade that you're open, but you can also use them to target certain customers, or advertise up and coming events.

A pub or bar without an A-board outside may look closed until further inspection, but there will be no doubt that you are open for trade if your board is positioned for all to see.

You should aim to place your pavement sign or A-board where it can be seen by both cars and foot traffic, although obviously making sure you adhere to any local rules and health and safety guidelines.
Keep your message short and simple, it should be easy to read as someone is passing, either on foot or driving by, so don't overload it too much information.

Your A-boards should be colourful and striking and be seen from a short distance. The writing should be large and clear, maximising the amount of people who will be able to read it quickly whilst passing.

Consider getting reversible pavement signs or A-boards with changeable inserts so you can display different messages on different days, perhaps advertising the big match shown on Saturdays, Sunday lunches on Sundays, and maybe your quiz night during the week.

Ensure that your chalkboards are out early, especially if you open early for tea and coffee, even if you put your A-boards out before you're open they will still be a very visual reminder of your business and passers-by may well remember your establishment come lunchtime when they are looking for somewhere to eat.

Make sure that you are advertising your best selling points for that day. Advertising a beer garden in winter or on a rainy day is not putting your A-board to good use, but a rare sunny bank holiday is exactly the time you want to shout about your beer garden. This is another reason why having a variety of inserts works well and gives you instant options.  

Advertising a change of management or a new menu is always a good idea for your outdoor chalkboards.  This will bring in new customers who have either avoided the place because of the previous management or were tired of your old menu.

It's not always possible to put an A-board directly outside your business, but you could speak with a neighbouring business and see if they wouldn't mind you displaying it outside theirs for the price of a pint or two.  Consider placing it on the nearest corner if your venue isn't in direct view from the road. 

We offer a range of pavement signs and A-boards that start at £64.50 and can be delivered free to anywhere in the UK.

Using Chalkboards for Weddings

Whilst we most often see chalkboards being used in pubs, restaurants and shops advertising products, events or happy hours, they can be used for a variety of different purposes.

One unique way to use them is for weddings. With a wide variety of coloured pens or chalks available you can ensure that they match your wedding colour scheme or simply go old-school and use white chalk or chalkboard paint.

 

Here are just a few ideas for using chalkboards at your wedding:

• Chalkboards are inexpensive and eco-friendly, instead of paying printers to print out wedding breakfast menus you can have a large prominent chalkboard, or small table top chalkboards, explaining what the meal will be.


• Table top chalkboards can also be used to tell your guests what wines you’re serving with your wedding breakfast.


• Use small chalkboards to number or name all the wedding tables.


• A large blank chalkboard with some pens or chalks laid out is a great alternative to the guest book, the guests can write their unique messages to the happy couple and this has the added advantage that it can be placed somewhere visible rather than a member of the wedding party having to go around each guest with the guest book.


• Another large chalkboard can be placed at the entrance of the dining room, displaying the table seating plan.


• Small chalkboard tags can be used to label buffet food or as name plates on the tables.


• If you’re planning on having disposable cameras on the table, how about also having a few speech-bubble shaped chalkboards and chalk for guests to write quirky comments on to add a fun element to the pictures?


• Some chalkboards used as direction posts at a marquee wedding will ensure that guests can find the bathroom and exits easily.


• If you’re having your wedding service and reception at the same venue, chalkboards can be used to inform guests of the timings of events. These are particularly useful if the venue is a hotel at which a lot of the guests are staying, should they want to grab a quick rest before the evening entertainment starts.


• Little mini chalkboards with magnets attached to the back make great wedding favours and a lasting reminder of your day.


• Inexpensive tealight holders can be painted with blackboard paint and have little love messages written on them.


• Quirky love messages can be displayed on chalkboards around the venue to add to the sense of romance.


• An A-board welcoming the guests to your wedding placed at the entrance to the venue is a great idea, especially if the venue is hosting more than one wedding that day.


• And finally, a small chalkboard with the immortal words ‘Just Married’ attached to the happy couple’s car along with the tin cans is a must.

Many Businesses under estimate the impact that an A-Board or Pavement sign has on a passer by & potential customer.

Our Traditional A-Boards are carefully Handmade, designed & Sign written in a way to attract the attention of passers by.

If you think of the amount of walking & driving traffic that passes your Business on a daily basis you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity of informing them of what’s on in their local Pub / Restaurant / Café / Coffee Shop etc.

The key though is to keep it simple, if you only have walking traffic passing your business (say in a high street) then you can put as much information on there as you like, but remember it has to be designed in a way that will make people want to read it, there’s nothing more boring & uninviting to read than an a-board which has been written in white chalk line after line telling people everything that’s going on in the next month or so, keep it simple keep it clean & keep it to the point.

If you’ve got something on every Friday & Saturday Night then you might want a chalkboard that is professionally sign written so that it lasts for as long as you need it to or if you are changing the messages on a regular basis this is also a good idea to have them professionally sign written to keep them fresh & up to date.

Some establishments have a “3 second rule”. If you cant read it in 3 seconds there’s too much information on it!

This applies mainly to areas where there is driving traffic they need to be able to concentrate on the road AND read your A-Board. (Otherwise this could result in a nasty accident).

So to wrap it up KEEP IT SIMPLE! KEEP IT CLEAR! & GET A PROFESSIONAL IN TO DO IT FOR YOU! You wont be disappointed.

People often ask me “do you enjoy being a Chalkboard Artist?” what is not to enjoy? I get to travel all over the Country, I get to meet people everywhere I go, 2 jobs are never the same & I see every chalkboard as a new challenge.”

I always remind myself of how lucky I am I love my job! & unfortunately there are not many people that can say that.

Being a Chalkboard Artist gives me the freedom to take my career any where in the world. I lived in Turkey for a while & I even designed some Chalkboards there.

Many people wrongly assume that a member of staff does the artwork they see on chalkboards, it still amazes some people that this is actually a skill & a trade that is getting more & more popular.

Chalkboard Artists were very few & far between a few years ago but now you see so many establishments using chalkboards as there main advertising source that they realise the need to employ us freelance Chalkboard Artists to create a professional feel to their company, therefore creating job opportunities for those with writing & illustration flare.

My Advice to anyone wanting to be a Chalkboard Artist is as with everything in life PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!

My style as a Chalkboard Artist has changed so much over the years, when I first started I used pastels, then I moved on to chalk pens which I found to be much clearer & cleaner (although I still wear more of the pen, then I actually write with it).

I like to keep my designs clear, crisp & easy to read no matter which font or style I use.

You can see my work throughout London and the whole of the UK.

OK, so you’ve tried saving money by writing your boards yourself or even had the odd bar staff to write them for you.

But did it save you money in the long run?

• Did the chalkboards catch the attention of the passers by?
• Did they entice people to come in & have a quick drink (or long one)?
• Were they easy to read?
• Werer they clear & to the Point?
• My guess is the answer is probably NO!

These days everyone is looking to save a few quid here & there, this is why chalkboards have effectively come back into fashion, a professionally designed chalkboard attracts the attention of passers by far more than a printed poster or even a static vinyl sign that never changes (but that's another topic). Change is Good frequently changed chalkboards will grab customers attention time & time again.

You need to catch the eye of passing trade, new & old remember, “a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet” you don't want some scruffy boards that passers by can hardly read, first impressions count!

If you do have some boards that need a face lift Chalkboard Signs can help, we can come to your premises or send the boards direct. We will give your chalkboards a new lease of life we will make people want to read them, we will catch their eye as they pass by wondering where they should stop for a bite to eat or a quick drink.