Whether it’s a merchandise showcase, decorative display, or convenient setup of complimentary items, just about every kind of restaurant has some sort...
Whether it’s a merchandise showcase,
decorative display, or convenient setup of complimentary items, just about every kind of restaurant has some sort of display on its tabletops, countertops, or bar.
Creating a tabletop display is slightly different than creating a regular merchandise display; however, the five steps below make creating display on your tabletops a breeze!
Step One: Think About Your Restaurant
You might think this step is unnecessary; after all, you own or manage your restaurant – why should you need to think about it?
In reality, you DO need to think about several things regarding your restaurant. The next few steps will help you do that more thoroughly, but as you’re scanning your restaurant and thinking about your future tabletop displays, consider where you want to situate your displays, the kind of merchandise you want to display, and what kinds of display fixtures might work best for you.
Step Two: Decide Where to Situate Your Tabletop Display
The phrase “tabletop display” suggests the display will be on your tabletop; however, which tabletop? Your restaurant might have tables of various sizes and, depending on the point of your display (see below), one size of tabletop might work better than another size.
Too, you might actually want your tabletop display to be a countertop or bar top display.
Step Three: Determine the “Point” of Your Tabletop Display
Obviously, one point of your display is to showcase a product of some sort.
However, you must also decide if:
- Your display will showcase complimentary items like packets of condiments or seasonings, or breath mints, hand wipes, or toothpicks.
- Your display will showcase additional merchandise for sale.
- Your display will be purely for decoration.
Step Four: Choose Your Tabletop Display Fixtures
Some of the most popular display fixtures to use for tabletop and countertop display fixtures are plastic containers and acrylic bins. You can find these display fixtures in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, and they’re durable, versatile, and easily converted into “storage fixtures” once they’ve run their course on your tables!
However, if you choose plastic containers or acrylic bins for your tabletop displays, note that you can pair them with other display fixtures. Depending on the size of your display space – and how large you want to make your display – you might use one of the varieties of display racks. For example, you can situate your plastic containers or acrylic bins on small wire display racks. This will help keep your tabletop or countertop from becoming overwhelmed and allow your customers more room.
Step Five: Create Your Tabletop Display!
You might think this step seems obvious, but there’s no better way to make sure you display is going to work than first creating it and then giving it a try yourself.
Once you fill your display fixtures with the merchandise you want to display and situate the fixtures on your tabletop (or, countertop or bar – whichever you choose), put yourself in the position of the customer. Sit at the table or at the bar, or stand by the countertop. How does the display look from your position? Can you easily do what you need to do at the table, without the merchandise getting in the way? Can you easily access the products if you need to?
If the display doesn’t work, rearrange a few things until it does; if it does work, you’re ready to go!
