Digital Menu Board Costs for Small Businesses

Plan an affordable digital menu board setup: compare TVs, software fees, shared menus, free plans, and the checks to make before adding more screens.

What you actually pay for

A digital menu board has three parts: the screen, the device that runs a web browser, and the software that puts your menu on it. Most small restaurants already own the first two. Any TV with an HDMI port works, and if it has no built-in browser a streaming stick adds one for $30 to $50. The software is the only recurring cost.

Software pricing, explained

EZmenu charges by the number of connected menu boards across your whole account, not per location and not per menu. One board is free forever. Basic is $5.99 a month for up to five boards, Multi is $9.99 for up to ten, and larger plans go up to fifty boards for $39.99. A two-store setup with four TVs is $5.99 a month in total, which is less than a single reprint of paper menus.

What drives the price up

Each TV that stays paired counts as a board, even if it is turned off. Disconnect TVs you no longer use so they stop counting. Features such as slideshows, scheduled price changes, scrolling messages and YouTube playback belong to higher plans, so decide which of those you really need before upgrading.

Hidden costs to watch

Printing new menus every time a price changes is the cost most owners forget. A screen that nobody can read from the counter is another: a 32 inch TV is fine behind a small counter, but a wide drive-thru or a long dining room usually needs 43 inches or more. Finally, budget an hour of staff time to mount the TV, connect it to Wi-Fi and pair it.

Checks before adding more screens

1. The TV can open a website in its own browser. 2. Wi-Fi reaches the spot where the TV will hang; test with your phone. 3. Your menu image is readable from where guests actually stand. 4. You know who on the team will update prices. Once those four are true, adding another board is a two-minute job.