How Coffee Shops & Cafés use Chalkboard Signs
- 30 May 2019
Have you ever thought how useful and ubiquitous chalkboard signs are?
Chalkboard Signs - How Coffee Shops, Cafés & Restaurants use chalkboard signs
For small business owners, chalkboard signs are one of the ‘quick hits’ that can really add value to a coffee shop, cafe or restaurant, whilst also enhancing customer experience.
Benefits of chalkboard signs
The benefits of chalkboards lie in their simplicity. They offer a ‘homegrown’ feel to customers who love to see things like funny messages (ideal for going viral on social media) or perhaps just to spot that promotional deal that encourages them to buy ‘just one more cookie;.
From a business perspective, chalkboard signs are also extremely practical, requiring no special equipment other than chalk pens and are easily wipeable to be used many, many times in the future.
What’s more, customers love the unique style of handwriting often used on chalkboard signs as it gives them an affinity with the cafe, restaurant or coffee shop. Printed or graphic design sign boards tend to look a little sterile or corporate, and customers don’t notice them as readily as they do chalkboard signs.
Styles of chalkboard signs
Chalkboard signs are available in a range of styles to suit any theme or layout of your cafe, coffee shop or restaurant.
- Table Top Chalkboards - ideal for cafes showing their promotions and offers Framed Chalkboards - ideal for restaurants to show daily specials.
- Chalkboard panels - handy for that whimsical note, or maybe wifi passwords?
- A-Board Signs - ideal to list more copy, or perhaps that wisecrack that you’re hopeful will become a viral meme?
- Chalk insert panels are also available to fit onto existing sign boards, thus adding a multitude of design options and ideas to reinvigorate that plain old white board!
- Exterior traditional Chalk A-Board signs are ideal for pubs and restaurants, usually offering enticing messages or offers, or simply listing opening times.
Why chalkboard signs work so well
In today’s ‘always on society’ we’ve even more distractions and less time to focus on things it seems, doesn’t it? Perhaps we’ve become a little immune to the old-hat disruptive or interruption marketing methods of previous years, and focus more on brief, light-hearted and simple messages?
Maybe we’re reluctant to focus on those corporate and designed messages and adverts, preferring instead to look for something more natural like hand-written pithy words or messages?
Whatever the reason may be, the truth is that chalkboard signs work wonderfully well - especially for eateries, cafes, bars, restaurants and almost any leisure venue.
They are impactful, simple, practical and in many cases, even fun. Staff actually enjoy showing a little bit of creativity when writing messages on chalkboard signs. It builds engagement and empathy between the customer and the venue, and it almost never ever feels like we’re being marketed to.
Isn’t that enough to extol the virtues of chalkboard signs? If not, let’s consider what chalkboard signs bring (literally) to the table :-
- Simple, yet effective.
- Cheap, yet reusable.
- Fun, but focussed messages.
- Stylish and engaging.
- Almost always noticed.
- Practical and durable.
Obviously, chalkboard signs are not restricted to eateries, cafes, bars and shops. Anywhere there’s a message to be shown simply, effectively, cheaply and individually, chalkboard signs are your friend.
Office party, wedding, corporate retreat, workshops - the list is endless of places that can benefit from chalkboard signs. Anywhere a simple message - directions, sales targets, motivational quotes etc. - is needed, look for a chalkboard sign to deliver it in style.
Chalkboard signs aren’t just for leisure and workplaces either. Around the home is one of the most popular uses these days. Reminding parents who’s on the school run, storing that recipe or shopping list, or just adding that affirmation you noted on Pinterest, all are well served by chalkboard signs.
Ideas for coffee shops, cafes and restaurants to up their chalkboard sign game
Now we’ve shown you the whys, let’s think about the hows. How can a chalkboard sign improve your business?
After all, it’s one thing to go viral, yet another thing altogether to go bust because you’re too focussed on finding great content for that funny message you want to write up.
Ideally, you should want your chalkboard signs to do at least one of the following :-
- Brand your business - perhaps make your cafe known as the place with the inspiring daily quotes.
- Sell your goods - what better way to sell more products than by enticing the customer to avail of your up-sells and promotions? What better way to sell another cookie than with a tabletop chalkboard sign offering a discount on the next purchase on return of an empty plate?
- Market your business - websites, email lists, and other ways to bring customers into your business can all be advertised on chalkboard signs. Social media hashtags to suggest User Generated Content is free advertising on social media these days, so why not offer competitions for the most likes?
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how a venue uses a chalkboard sign really - there are so many ways to be effective towards many different goals.
What matters is that they are proven to work, provide many benefits and are relatively inexpensive whilst remaining immensely flexible in their use cases.
Whether it be a table top chalkboard sign, an outside A-frame chalkboard sign, or just a framed chalkboard signs convincing you to buy that dessert you was trying to avoid, they all have one thing in common. They work like a charm for bars, coffee shops, cafes and restaurants.
However, they’re not only useful for eateries, as crafters, office workers, homeowners and many other people enjoy they chalkboard signs on a daily basis.
Why don’t you look into chalkboard signs today ? Your business will be better off with one almost immediately!
So what use are you going to put your chalkboard to in your business? Answers on a chalkboard...
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