In this episode, we break down why menus are more than just lists of food—they are the restaurant’s most compact advertisement and the first gateway to conversion.

We explore three common menu styles:

1. Minimal Keyword Style – looks “cool” but forces servers to explain everything, increasing labor and emotional costs.

2. Ingredient List Style – legally safe but emotionally empty; customers start calculating raw costs and resist premium pricing.

3. Emotional Storytelling Style – can work if tied to cultural schemas (“Sicilian grandma’s pasta”), but empty if it’s just vague words like “love.”
   

Then we introduce the Google UX structure for menus:

• Thumbnail Image

• H2 Title

• H3 Subtitle

• Short descriptive paragraph
  

This hierarchy mirrors how human cognition works

(Category → Detail → Value).

It reduces cognitive overload, increases conversion, protects legally, and builds emotional resonance.

👉 Key takeaway: A menu is your restaurant’s UX interface. Write it like Google content—because what Google favors, customers favor too.

For more insights, visit saltnfire.net.