Designing a donburi and bento menu
Rice bowl menus work best with a photo of every bowl. Guests choose donburi visually: katsu, teriyaki chicken, gyudon, salmon, tofu. A photo grid with a clear price badge on each item lets people decide in seconds.
Keep names short and add one line describing the main ingredients. If you offer a regular and large size, show both prices on the badge or next to the name.
Bento boxes and set meals
Bento boxes and set meals are popular for lunch and takeaway. List what comes in each box, for example rice, main, salad and miso soup, so guests know exactly what they get.
Poster-style layouts with bold color blocks, like the one in this template, give a Japanese street-food feel and stay readable from a distance.
How to create a donburi menu board in minutes
Open the donburi template in Buzzblender Menu Board Studio. It already contains example sections, dishes, prices and photos, so you start from a finished design instead of a blank page.
Click any title, dish name, description or price directly on the board to edit it. Replace dish photos with your own images or pick from the suggested food photos, and use fit and cover modes to frame each photo. Drag text, prices and images anywhere on the board and resize them like in a design tool.
Choose a horizontal 16:9 screen (1920×1080) or a vertical 9:16 screen (1080×1920), pick a color theme, and export a PNG. You can also save the menu as an editable HTML file and open it again later to change prices or items.
Menu board design tips for donburi businesses
Keep it readable. Guests usually look at a menu board from several meters away, so use large text, strong contrast between text and background, and fewer items per section rather than more.
Guide the eye. The top-left area and large photos get the most attention. Put your signature or most profitable items there, and use one accent color for prices so they are easy to find without dominating the board.
Keep it current. Out-of-date prices and sold-out items frustrate guests. Because the board is digital, update it whenever your menu changes and re-export in a few clicks.
Digital menu board vs printed menu
Printed menus and chalkboards are cheap to start with, but every change costs time and money. A digital menu board shown on a TV can be updated as often as you like: new prices, seasonal items, daily specials or time-of-day menus such as breakfast and lunch.
A digital board also looks consistent and professional, with sharp photos and clean type. And if you run several screens or locations, the same design can be reused everywhere.
How to show your menu on a TV with Buzzblender
The easiest way to get your menu board on screen is Buzzblender digital signage (buzzblender.com). Click Push to Screens in the editor and your board goes straight to the Buzzblender app, ready to display on any TV in your venue.
With Buzzblender you can update prices and dishes on every screen from one place, schedule breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, run promotions at the right time of day, and manage several screens or locations without visiting each one. Learn more at buzzblender.com.