1. Gather the content in a sheet
Before any design, open a spreadsheet and put each dish on its own row, with a column for the price and one for “available”:
| Section | Arabic name | English name | Short description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starters | حمص | Hummus | With olive oil and pine nuts |
| Grills | شيش طاووق | Shish Tawook | With garlic sauce and fries |
| Drinks | ليموناضة بالنعنع | Mint Lemonade | With fresh mint |
Order the sections the way guests think: starters, mains, grills, desserts, drinks. And don’t make twenty sections; guests get lost.
2. Photos
- Photograph your best sellers and the dishes whose names don’t explain them. Not every dish.
- Same light and same angle for every photo, so the menu looks consistent.
- Daylight from a window beats kitchen light at night.
- No filters that change the colour of the food. Guests compare the photo with the plate that arrives.
3. Two languages
- Write in Arabic first, then English.
- Keep dish names as they are: “Mansaf”, not “Lamb with yogurt sauce”, with a line of explanation underneath.
- One spelling everywhere: “Shawarma” throughout, not “Shawerma” on one page.
4. A web page or a PDF?
A web page is far better than a PDF. A page fits the phone screen, the text is readable without zooming, it updates quickly and you can remove a dish the moment it runs out. A PDF is a picture of a sheet of paper that guests have to pinch and zoom.
5. The code itself
- A code that opens a fixed link, with the menu edited behind it. That way you never reprint the cards when a price changes.
- Be careful with free generators: some stop the code working after a while, or show ads before the menu.
- Dark on a light background, with clear space around the code.
- A clear line above it: “Scan for the menu”, with the Wi-Fi name and password underneath.
6. Where to put it
- A card on every table, where guests can see it while seated.
- A sticker on the corner of the table in busy places, so the card doesn’t wander off.
- A poster by the entrance or the till for takeaway orders.
7. Test before you hand it out
Print one copy and test it before you print the rest:
- From a guest’s seat, not standing over the table.
- On an iPhone and an Android phone, and on an old phone.
- Outside in daylight if you have outdoor seating, and at night in dim light.
- On mobile data, not only on your Wi-Fi.
8. Who updates it, and when
An online menu only helps if it stays correct. Agree from the start:
- Who is responsible for changes?
- When a price changes, it’s updated the same day.
- A dish that runs out is removed, and comes back when it’s back.
- A monthly check of photos and prices.
Launch checklist
- The sheet of dishes, sections and prices is ready.
- Photos of the main dishes.
- Arabic and English, with consistent spelling.
- A web page, not a PDF.
- A fixed, clear code, with the Wi-Fi name.
- Tested from a guest’s seat on more than one phone.
- Someone is responsible for updates.
A ready menu without the hassle
Sahtein takes most of these steps off your hands. We build the menu with your dishes, photos and prices, in Arabic and English, and you get table tents, stickers and a poster with your code, ready for any print shop. When a price or a dish changes, we update it for you and the same code keeps working.
Questions
Does the code change when I edit the menu?
No, as long as the code opens a fixed link and the menu is edited behind it. That way you change prices and dishes without reprinting the cards.
How big should the code be?
There's no single number for every venue. Print a test copy, put it where it will sit, and scan it from a guest's seat with several phones. If it struggles, make it bigger or move it closer.
Does every dish need a photo?
No. Photograph your best sellers and the dishes whose names don't explain them. A bad photo is worse than none.
Should I start in Arabic or English?
Write in Arabic first, since it's the language most of your guests read, then English, and let guests switch between them in one tap.
