Digital Signage Benefits in QSR with Digital Menu Boards

If you’ve been keeping up with industry trends, you know that in 2025, consumers are looking for fast, personalized service and engaging, interactive experiences. They expect quick access to information and want brands that keep pace with their needs. To meet these demands, as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) you can turn to digital menu boards, which not only streamline operations but also cater to consumer preferences for dynamic, real-time content and easy navigation.

The Importance of Digital Signage in QSR

1. Enhancing Visual Appeal with Dynamic Content

Quick-service restaurant signage allows you to replace old, stale printed menus with high-definition, eye-catching displays that show exactly what you want your guests to see. 

You can incorporate videos, images, and even animations that showcase your best-selling items and create an emotional connection with customers. 

2. Increasing Order Accuracy and Speed

Digital menu boards are designed for clarity, with menu items categorized into logical sections which make it easier for patrons to navigate the options and make decisions faster. The more intuitive the layout, the quicker the customer can order, and the more accurately the kitchen can prepare their meal.

3. Supporting Operational Efficiency

You can update pricing, promote special offers, and change the menu without the hassle of reprinting or manually updating paper menus. Digital menu boards allow you to push changes to all locations instantly through a Content Management System (CMS) like Look CMS. This means you can advertise promotions, display new menu items, and adjust prices on the fly so that all your locations are on the same page at all times.

Key Benefits of Digital Menu Boards for QSR

1. Streamlined Menu Management

Managing a menu across multiple locations is time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially when it comes to updating prices, promotions, and items. With digital signage, you can manage your entire menu from a single dashboard. Look CMS lets you upload new menu items, adjust prices, and even schedule content to rotate in real-time across your network of screens.

Whether you want to add seasonal specials or remove out-of-stock items, it's as simple as clicking a button. One update on your CMS can change your menu across all locations instantly, to ensure your patrons are always seeing the most current information.

2. Boosting Upsell Opportunities

QSR digital signs help increase sales by highlighting promotions, upsell opportunities, and add-ons. For example, showcasing a “Combo Meal Deal” with a burger, fries, and a drink for just $1 more can make it easier for customers to upgrade their orders.

Upselling becomes easier when you position add-ons next to high-margin items, like showing the option to add a dessert or extra side with every main meal.

3. Enhanced Customer Experience

There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than not knowing what’s available or having trouble navigating a menu. By organizing your digital displays into categories like 'Main Dish,' 'Sides,' 'Desserts', and 'Drinks', you’re making it easier for guests to find what they want quickly. By using high-quality images and short videos, you're creating a visually appealing and more engaging experience. 

A well-structured menu also reduces the cognitive load on diners. Self-ordering kiosks take this a step further by letting guests browse the menu, customize their orders, and skip long lines, ultimately making the process smoother, faster, and more accurate

4. Cost and Environmental Savings

Every time you change your menu or introduce a new special, you're paying for new prints—and that's just the cost of the paper. Digital signage is more energy-efficient. LED displays consume between 50% and 70% less electricity compared to traditional lighting alternatives, which results in immediate cost savings and helps your restaurant reduce its carbon footprint by cutting down on the waste generated from reprinted materials.

5. Real-Time Promotions and Time-Sensitive Offers

One of the strongest advantages of digital menu boards is their ability to display time-sensitive promotions. Whether you’re running a Happy Hour or offering limited-time discounts, these can be programmed into your content schedule to appear only at specific times. 

Interactive and Customizable Features for QSR Digital Signage

1. Touchscreen Ordering Kiosks

Self-service kiosks create a seamless, interactive experience where customers can place their orders, customize their meals, and even pay, all without needing to interact with a cashier. This reduces wait times, especially during peak hours, and helps staff focus on food preparation and customer service.

2. Integration with Loyalty Programs

Digital signage can be seamlessly integrated with your QSR's loyalty programs to promote personalized offers based on customer data. For example, if a customer has accumulated loyalty points, their screen could display a reward offer as they order, encouraging them to redeem their points on their next purchase. This can help build customer loyalty and increase repeat visits.

3. Dynamic Content Scheduling

Dynamic content scheduling lets you tailor your content based on the time of day, customer demographics, or even the weather. For instance, if it’s a chilly day outside, you might want to promote hot drinks or comfort food. Or, if it's near the end of the day, you can highlight dinner specials.

Use Cases of Digital Menu Boards in QSR

McDonald’s invested $6 billion into its “Experience of the Future” redesign to modernize most of its U.S. locations by 2020. The transformation included digital self-order kiosks, bright digital menu boards, new table service, and designated parking spots for curbside pick-up through mobile order and pay. 

By the end of the initiative, McDonald's had updated over 5,000 locations, making up about one-third of its U.S. footprint, and saw mid-single-digit sales uplifts. Even smaller updates led to 1-2% growth in sales. Now, McDonald's plans to integrate generative AI to enhance customer experience across their 150 million app users globally. 

Meanwhile, Wendy's plans to invest $35 million in digital menu boards by the end of 2025, with $20 million allocated to digital displays across all U.S. locations. This investment is part of their broader effort to improve order accuracy and enhance the customer experience, as well as integrate AI-enabled features like dynamic pricing and suggestive selling.

Implementing Digital Menu Boards with Look Digital Signage

If you've been following along, you’ve probably noticed how much we’ve discussed dynamic scheduling, real-time content updates, and the power of engaging visuals. You don’t need to look any further than Look Digital Signage to see how these features come to life. 

Tailored specifically for the fast-paced environment of quick-service restaurants, Look DS helps streamline operations and elevate the customer experience. 

Here's how it can take your restaurant to the next level:

• Customizable QSR Templates: Get started quickly with pre-built templates designed specifically for quick-service menus. These templates are customizable, so you can tailor them to fit your brand and style, making it easy to create an engaging and professional display without starting from scratch.

Nail your menu design with this guide: Top 8 Menu Design Tips That Are Worth Your Attention

• Real-Time Content Management: With Look’s cloud-based platform, you can instantly upload and update content across all locations. Whether you're updating prices, promoting new menu items, or running a special offer, you can do it from anywhere and ensure consistency across your entire chain.
• Smart Scheduling: Schedule content to change automatically throughout the day. This helps automate dayparting. You can also group displays according to location or campaign and assign the same playlists without having to manage each screen individually. 
• Seamless Integration: Automate updates from third-party apps like your POS system through our integration with Zapier or external APIs.
• Built-In Widgets and Apps: Spice up your digital signage with widgets for QR codes,  Wi-Fi sharing, social media feeds, or flight schedules if operating in an airport. This keeps your regulars entertained while they wait and makes your digital displays a more engaging part of the experience.

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started with Look Digital Signage

If you're ready to set up digital menu boards for your QSR using Look Digital Signage, here's a simple, step-by-step guide to help you get started. This will walk you through everything from setting up the hardware and software to uploading and scheduling content through the Look CMS.

Step 1: Setting Up Hardware

Before you can start displaying your menu and promotions, you'll need to get your hardware in place. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Choose Your Displays: Decide on the type and size of the screens you want to use. For a QSR, you typically want high-resolution digital screens (LED or LCD) that are bright and clear, even in well-lit environments. Make sure the screen size fits the space and visibility needs of your restaurant.
2. Mount the Screens: Install the screens in strategic locations where they’ll be visible to customers. This could be behind the counter, near the ordering area, or above the service area. You’ll need sturdy mounts or stands to ensure the screens are secure and angled properly for maximum visibility.
3. Connect the Media Players: In the case where you have a video wall or your displays don’t have an operating system, then you will need a media player or a small computer to run the content. This could be a stick-style media player or a mini-PC. Connect the media player to the screen using HDMI or any other compatible connection.
4. Set Up Internet Connection: Ensure that your media players or TVs are connected to a reliable Wi-Fi or Ethernet network so they can access the Look CMS for content updates. This is essential for syncing your content in real-time across multiple screens.

Step 2: Setting Up Software (Look CMS)

Now that your hardware is in place, it’s time to configure the software. Look CMS is the platform that allows you to manage all your digital content. Here's how to get started:

1. Sign Up for Look CMS: If you haven’t already, sign up for a Look DS account. You can do this directly from the Look Digital Signage website. You'll need to provide your business information and billing details.
2. Add Your Displays: In the Look CMS, you’ll add your screens to your account. Click on “Add screens” and enter the details for each screen. This includes naming the screen (e.g., “Front Counter” or “Drive-Thru”) and assigning it to a specific location in your restaurant.
3. Install Look’s Player Software on Your Media Player: Download and install the Look Digital Signage player software onto your media player (mini-PC or media stick) that’s connected to your screens. This software will allow your media players to pull content from the Look CMS and display it on the screens.

Step 3: Uploading and Scheduling Content with Look CMS

Once your screens and software are set up, it’s time to upload your content and schedule it to display automatically. Follow these steps:

1. Prepare and Upload Your Content: Before uploading, make sure you have all your content ready—this includes menu items, images, videos, promotional graphics, and any other materials you want to display. In the layout section, you can drag and drop your images and videos into the platform. If you’re using pre-made templates, you can also select those here.
2. Create Playlists: Once the content is uploaded, create playlists to organize it. Group your content into playlists based on meal times or promotions to ensure your customers see the right items at the right time.
3. Schedule Your Content: Schedule playlists to appear at specific times of the day. You can also set up recurring schedules for daily, weekly, or seasonal content.
4. Preview Your Content: Before making it live, use the demo screens in Look CMS to preview how your content will look on the screens. Adjust any content that might not look right or needs repositioning.
5. Publish and Sync: Once you're happy with your content and schedule, hit “Publish” to push the content to your screens. Your digital menu boards will update automatically based on the schedule you’ve set. If you're running a multi-location business, you can push the same content to all locations simultaneously, ensuring consistency across the board.

For more tips and process automation, read: How to Set Up a Dynamic Menu with Look Digital Signage

Case Studies: Success Stories from QSRs Using Look

Grupo MYT: Mexico

Grupo MYT, a Mexican restaurant chain with over 50 locations, needed a signage solution that could maintain consistent branding and be remotely controlled. They switched to Look Digital Signage after their custom streaming platform failed to provide full content control. With Look, they gained the ability to manage content seamlessly and scale to all locations, ensuring brand consistency. The transition has been a success, providing Grupo Meat with effortless control and growth across its locations.

Transform Your QSR with Digital Menu Boards

Ready to take your quick-service restaurant to the next level? With Look Digital Signage, you can easily create engaging, dynamic digital menu boards that not only enhance the customer experience but also streamline your operations. The best part? You can try it for yourself with a 14-day free trial. Experience firsthand how Look's intuitive platform can help you update menus, promote deals, and boost sales—all with minimal effort. Transform your QSR today and see the difference digital signage can make!