The Complete Restaurant Signage Checklist: 14 Signs Every Location Needs
A restaurant needs 14 signs across four zones: curb, entrance, interior and back of house. The stakes are higher than most owners think, because signage is doing sales work: in the FedEx Office What’s Your Sign survey conducted with Ketchum Global Research, 76 percent of consumers said they had entered a store they had never visited based on its signs, and 68 percent said signage reflects the quality of the business. Walk the checklist below from the street inward and note what is missing, faded or misspelled; the same survey found 52 percent of consumers are less willing to enter a business with poorly made or misspelled signs.
Key takeaways
- The FedEx Office and Ketchum survey of 1,000 American consumers found 76 percent have entered a business new to them because of its signage.
- Signage quality is read as food quality: 68 percent say signs reflect the quality of products or services.
- Four zones to cover: curb visibility, entrance conversion, interior experience, and compliance.
- Most restaurant signage needs no permit; the exterior building sign and anything illuminated usually do.
- Menus, hours and promo signage should be built for cheap frequent replacement; brand signage for durability.
Zone 1: curb and street, getting noticed
- Main building sign, sized to the road using the 1 inch per 10 feet legibility rule covered in our letter height guide. Permits usually required, see the sign permit primer.
- Promotional banner for openings, seasonal menus and hiring, typically 3×6 feet from the banner size guide.
- Sidewalk level directional signage if parking or the entrance is not obvious. Coroplast on a frame is the budget answer.
Zone 2: entrance, converting the walk by
- Hours of operation on the door in cut vinyl or a printed window graphic.
- Window graphics showing the food and the vibe. Perforated one way window film advertises outside while keeping the view out from inside.
- Menu display case or window mounted menu, refreshed with poster prints in a standard frame per our poster size guide.
- Open indicator with real presence. A custom LED neon sign in the window signals open better than a switch plate sign ever will.
Zone 3: interior, experience and spend
- Menu boards behind the counter, printed on rigid PVC or foamcore panels that swap out per season.
- Brand wall or logo feature, an acrylic logo sign on standoffs for the polished look, or LED neon for warmth. Acrylic runs 0.25 dollars per square inch, so a 24×12 logo panel is 72.00 dollars.
- Photo friendly decor wall. A neon phrase sign or canvas gallery gives guests a reason to post your dining room.
- Table signage: specials, QR ordering and review prompts. Size codes per the QR best practices guide.
- Wayfinding for restrooms and pickup areas.
Zone 4: compliance and operations
- Required postings, occupancy, health grade, labor law posters, in clean frames rather than taped paper.
- Back of house safety and station signage, laminated or printed on washable PVC.
Budgeting the checklist
| Item | Material | Replacement cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Promo banner | 13oz vinyl | Seasonal |
| Menu boards | PVC or foamcore | Quarterly to yearly |
| Window graphics | Perforated or translucent vinyl | Yearly or campaign based |
| Logo feature | Acrylic or LED neon | Multi year |
| Table and counter signs | Foamcore, hard cards | Monthly to quarterly |
Durable brand pieces justify premium materials, while anything with a date on it should be printed cheap and replaced often. Material lifespans by exposure are compared in which sign material for which environment.
Print the whole list in one order
Every item above is configurable online, from banners to acrylic and 145 premade neon designs, with free artwork help if your menu file is a mess. Most items print in 24 hours with delivery options confirmed in the cart, so a Thursday order can be on walls for the weekend. Start in the shop.
Frequently asked questions
What signs does a new restaurant need first?
Main building sign, hours on the door, menu display and an open indicator. Those four cover discovery and conversion while the interior evolves.
Do restaurant window graphics need a permit?
Usually not, but many cities cap window coverage at 25 to 50 percent of glass. Check the local sign code before covering full panes.
What material is best for menu boards?
Rigid PVC or foamcore panels printed in large format. They stay flat, swap quickly for menu changes and cost little enough to reprint seasonally.
Does signage really affect restaurant sales?
Survey evidence says yes: FedEx Office and Ketchum found 76 percent of consumers have entered a new business based on signage and 68 percent have purchased because a sign caught their eye.
