Print Kit for Opening a Restaurant: What to Order and When

Opening a restaurant means juggling permits, hiring, suppliers, a soft opening and a hundred small decisions, and printing tends to land at the very end of the list. Then, the week before opening, you realize you need menus, a sign for the sidewalk, something for the window and a way to tell the neighborhood you exist. This guide lays out a practical print kit for a new restaurant, café or food counter: what to order first, what to order before opening day, and what can wait until you know what your guests actually order.

Before you design anything: lock these four things

Most early reprints come from details that changed after the files were sent. Settle these first:

• Final menu and prices. Run your soft opening or friends-and-family nights with simple printed sheets, then finalize. Dishes get cut, renamed and repriced in the first weeks, and you do not want 500 laminated menus with a dish you dropped.
• Hours, phone and web address. Use a phone number and URL you will keep. A QR code that points to a page you control (your website or online ordering page) can be updated without reprinting.
• Your logo files. Get a vector version (AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF) from your designer. Our guide on vector vs raster logos explains why this matters for signs and banners.
• Required menu wording. If you serve raw or undercooked animal foods (think oysters, sushi, eggs cooked to order or burgers cooked to temperature), food safety rules call for a consumer advisory. A Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants bulletin explains that the advisory must include a disclosure of the item and a reminder that eating it raw or undercooked may increase risk, and that it must appear on each menu where it applies. Confirm the current wording with your inspector before you print. If you are part of a chain with 20 or more locations, the FDA menu labeling requirements also call for calories on menus and menu boards.

Tier 1: order 3–4 weeks before opening

Menus

Menus are the one piece of print every guest touches. Decide first how your service works:

• Counter service or takeout: a single-sheet menu that guests can take home works well. It doubles as a takeout menu for the bag.
• Table service, menu changes often: paper menus on a solid stock you can reprint cheaply when prices or specials change.
• Table service, stable menu: a more durable, wipeable material is worth the upfront cost.

For most new restaurants, Common Menus are a sensible starting point because your menu will almost certainly change in the first few months. Once your menu is stable, you can move to a tougher material. Our restaurant menu printing guide compares materials, sizes and durability in detail.

Menu design tips that help both guests and the kitchen:

• Group items the way guests decide: starters, mains, sides, drinks, desserts.
• Keep descriptions short and specific: key ingredients and the cooking method.
• Use a body font size people can read in dim light. Test a printed proof at your actual table lighting.
• Mark dietary icons (vegetarian, spicy, gluten-free options) with a clear legend.
• Leave out anything that changes daily; put specials on a separate insert or board.

Business cards

You will hand them to suppliers, local business owners, event planners and catering inquiries, and keep a stack by the register. Standard Business Cards are enough for opening. Put your address, hours, phone, website and a QR code to your menu or reservations page on them. A card by the register also works as a pocket-size takeout reminder.

Tier 2: order 2 weeks before opening

Grand opening banner

Your permanent sign may take weeks to fabricate and permit. A temporary banner fills the gap and announces the date. 15oz Single Sided Blockout Banners use a heavyweight, opaque vinyl that is listed for grand openings and lies flat with low curl, so your message stays readable on a storefront or fence. Keep the message short: your name, "Grand Opening" and the date, or "Now Open" so it keeps working after the first week. Before hanging anything, check your city or county sign rules and your landlord's lease; many have limits on temporary banners and how long they can stay up. See our banner materials guide if your spot is windy.

Sidewalk sign

For walk-in traffic, an A-frame on the sidewalk does a lot of quiet work every day: daily specials, happy hour, "Order here," or simply pointing people to an entrance that is hard to spot. Sidewalk Signs are portable plastic frames built for outdoor use, with interchangeable 4mm Coroplast inserts, so you can swap the message for seasonal menus or new promotions without buying a new frame. Again, check whether your city requires a sidewalk permit before putting one out.

Window graphics

Your windows can show hours, your logo, delivery app logos you actually use, and "Now Open" messaging. Clings are easy to remove and reposition when hours change. Our guide on 3-second sign readability applies here too: big type, high contrast, one message per panel.

Tier 3: order for opening week

Table tents and counter displays

Once guests are seated, table tents are where you promote what raises the check: desserts, drinks, combo deals, loyalty programs or catering. 4x6 Table Tents are a compact size that fits most tables without crowding plates. Use one side for an add-on offer and the other for your Wi-Fi or a review/social QR code. We cover what to put on them in Table Tents and Counter Displays That Sell Add-Ons.

Takeout stickers and labels

If you do takeout or delivery, a branded sticker on every bag or container keeps your name in front of the customer at home and can seal the bag. A simple round or rectangle sticker with your logo and website is enough to start. Our stickers vs roll labels guide helps you choose once your volume grows.

Tier 4: after opening, once you have data

Neighborhood marketing

After the first few weeks, you will know your busiest days, your best sellers and where your guests come from. That is the moment to reach out to the neighborhood around you:

• Door hangers for nearby apartment complexes and neighborhoods (where allowed), with a menu highlight and a first-visit offer. Standard door hangers are a straightforward, low-cost option. Read our door hanger campaign guide before you plan routes.
• Postcards or EDDM to reach every address on chosen mail routes. Our EDDM guide explains how it works.
• Flyers for nearby offices that might order lunch or catering.

Use a unique offer code or QR code on each piece so you can tell which channel brings people in.

What can wait

• Premium specialty menus or covers, until the menu is stable.
• Branded packaging beyond stickers, until you know your takeout volume.
• Gift cards and loyalty cards, unless your POS already supports them.

Restaurant print kit checklist

Frequently asked questions

How many menus should a new restaurant print?

Start with enough to cover your seats plus a buffer for damage and takeout, and expect to reprint once the menu settles. A smaller first run on paper is cheaper than replacing a large run of durable menus after your first price change.

Should I use QR code menus instead of printed menus?

Many restaurants use both. A QR code is handy for online ordering and for takeout, but a printed menu is easier to browse, works when phones are low on battery, and suits guests who prefer paper. If you use QR codes, follow our QR code printing guide for size and placement.

What file format should I send for my menu?

A high-resolution PDF with fonts embedded, the correct trim size and bleed is the safest choice. Our print-ready file checklist walks through each step.

Open your doors with print that works

At KEOPSY, a real person reviews every file before it prints, checking for low-resolution images, text too close to the edge, missing bleed and other issues that are easy to miss in the rush before opening day. If you do not have a designer, the AI Design Studio helps you create menus, table tents, banners and signs using your own logo, colors and photos. Start with the essentials, keep your files ready for the menu changes that always come, and add neighborhood marketing once you know what your guests love.