Digital Outdoor Menu Board

A digital outdoor menu board (DOMB) is a digital menu that displays marketing information, and can be changed quickly. DOMBs present menus in ways that a static board cannot, through bright, high-resolution display.

Outdoor menu boards go back to the 1920s and 1930s. Then, they were painted signs or chalkboards. In mid-20th century, there was development of backlit menu boards in the 1960s and 1970s, which were easier to use and could better be seen at night. They listed items and prices on plastic or paper in a lightbox. The signs were small and making changes required human work in the board. Over the next decade, operators found that using photos boosted sales, but there was becoming limited space on the boards as restaurants' menus expanded.

Later, during the 1990s, changing menus required manual adjustments or turning the panels around. When the 2000s came, digital menu boards were being used. Since they were digital, it expanded capabilities, upped shop revenues, and made the boards no longer have to be adjusted by hand.

Digital outdoor menu boards use LCD or LED screens, and have a Content Management System (CMS). They are built from materials like aluminum, steel, and High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (HMWP).

DOMBs are built to withstand strong weather conditions. Some are protected from damage of rain, humidity, and dust.

Some DOMBs use AI to change the display on the screen automatically. For example, AI can change the screen to the breakfast menu in the morning, or dinner menu later in the day. AI can also be used to recommend costumers specific things they might want to buy, through the digital outdoor menu board. Some DOMBs also use AI for voice recognition to try to improve accuracy for consumers.

Digital outdoor menu boards can be used in drive-through pickups. Sometimes they are placed right in-front of a restaurant's entrance. Passing costumers can browse through the menu, learn more information about the products, and see pictures of the food. DOMBs also have become a big component to fast-food restaurants. They are used to display information for advertising menus in a high-resolution display. DOMBs are also bright, so costumers can see them.

DOMBs can cost US $2,000 to over $5,000 depending on their size and features. Some can be as expensive as $20,000.

The boards can be a big investment for some companies and are expensive to repair and maintain. Though, the cost of DOMBs has gone down in recent years. They can also consume lots energy, while static signs don't. As technology advances, LED and LCD screens are becoming more power efficient. Ambient lights can cause the DOMBs to be harder to see. Upping the brightness and using high-quality displays can counter this issue. Also, streaming delays can affect the way the boards look, making them look lower quality. From this, using DOMBs at times requires fast internet access.

The DOMB signs' displays can be changed quickly and remotely from a different location than the board. It can be done from a device that is connected to the internet. 70% of companies that use digital outdoor menu boards have been able to make back the money that the boards cost in less than 18 months, from using them. The boards can help promote deals on items and support unplanned purchases from costumers.

A study showed that using digital outdoor menu boards in drive-through lowered customer wait time by 15%. DOMBs also improve ordering accuracy by reducing the chance of errors and miscommunication with integrated voice recognition, even if there are ambient sounds that would normally make communication through a talking system hard.

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