knowledge base.

It depends on how many menu items you have and where you want your sign displayed.

Behind-the-counter wall menus can 10’+ feet wide.

All other menu signs can come in any size you want — though most are at least 2′ x 3′ feet.

Repetitive item descriptions.

Too many restaurants take up valuable design space by using redundant descriptions with the same ingredients, or superfluous adjectives or cooking methods (like ‘fried’ or ‘smothered’).

Bottom line:

Make every item description very unique, concise, and clear to your customers.

Place your menu signs on walls or in A-Frames in open, visible areas near your entrance or above counters or bars.

The main priority is to have your signs clearly legible and readable.

TIP: Avoid placing your menu signs near other text-heavy signs — like boring compliance signs — that may distract your customers. 🙄

You bet.

A-Frames are a great way to showcase your new items, especially if you have a fluid menu or run a lot of specials.

TIP: Put your A-Frame outside to get the most attention and improve your chances of attracting foot traffic.

For any course, there are absolutely no restrictions on when you can watch the videos, download the printables, etc.

And you also don’t have to take each level in order — you can jump directly to the material that interests you the most.

We close enrollment, after a short enrollment period, before we release all-new content updates, add course levels, videos, etc.

You can download each printable by clicking on the file name link within each course level.

Yup, there’s a 30-day money back guarantee on any course.

Just make sure to send us an email within 30 days of your course purchase.

(More about our Refund Policy.)

ChalkRight is the name of the school that teaches all of A La Chalk’s chalkboard courses.

Each course includes pre-recorded video lessons that are updated with each new course release.

TIP: If you can’t salvage your chalk surface, re-spray it with a can of cheap chalkboard paint. Let it dry, then you’re good to go again.

Yes, they absolutely do (it’s a myth that they don’t).

Erasing can be the tricky part, though.

If you want to be able to erase your marker, you probably want to avoid your average, textured drywall, since walls are generally porous.

The best way to erase your chalk markers is with a damp cloth or a damp Magic Eraser.

But what really matters is your surface’s material.

This is when we start talking about the term porosity — if it’s porous, it will absorb the ink more and be more difficult to erase.

Here’s the best way to think about it:

Harder and smoother = less porous. So easy to erase.

Soft and textured = more porous. So hard to erase.

You can add strips of magnetic tape or you can try and paint a layer of magnetic primer on your board (unfortunately, that’s kinda hit or miss).

Choose colors that represent the themes and emotions of your restaurant brand:

• Red — red is all about passion, energy, and speed. If you’re an efficient, fast-paced operation, consider this color in your signage. Think Chick-fil-a or Chipotle.
• Green — green signifies tranquility, health, and calm. Use it if you sell organic or farm-to-table ingredients or a menu that promotes wellness. Think Panera or Starbucks.
• Orange / Yellow — these represent simplicity, convenience, and a touch of youthfulness. So you’ll see it a lot in high-energy venues, like fast-food restaurants. Think Whataburger, Popeyes or Denny’s.
• Blue — blue is all about peace, nature, and freshness, usually seen with seafood or nautically-themed menus. It’s hard to pull off on its own, so make sure to pair blues with reds or yellows. Think Joe’s Crab Shack.
• Pink — unlike blue, pink resonates with females and is often associated with affection, love, and family. That’s why you’ll see them in bakeries and ice cream shops. Think Pinkberry.

TIP: Try and stay away from the color black — not only is it difficult to stand out on signage, it’s often associated with work or intensity, rather than relaxation and enjoyment.

You want to season to brand new chalkboards for a few reasons:

• To extend the life and quality of your board.
• To prevent ghosting (faint leftover chalk).
• Creates a smooth surface for your chalk markers.
• To prevent stains.
  
• To make your board easier to clean.

If you don’t season it, your chalk markers will leave stains after you erase each design — especially if your board is not labeled as ‘non-porous’.

If this doesn’t work, use a wet Magic Eraser or a Magic Eraser sheet.

If the Magic Eraser still doesn’t work, you may need to repaint the surface of the chalkboard — I like to use Rustoleum chalkboard spray paint for this.

Use the Chalk Way, if you’re on a budget and your printed design is not too complex.

Use the Transfer Paper Way, if you want cleaner markings to help you draw your final design.

Last but not least, use the Projector Way, if you want to go digital and have a large project.

The Transfer Paper Way requires transfer paper (shocking 🤣).

While the Projector Method requires an investment in a stand-alone projector.

Design a digital template, print it out on paper, then use transfer paper to trace it on your chalkboard.

Just follow the Transfer Paper Method.

Check out my Canva tutorial on how to upload fonts.

See ‘My Favorites’ section in the Free Fonts post.

Just click on any element — a text box, image, etc. — then click the link icon (paperclip) in the top toolbar.

Then just paste your link in the text field, and you’re all set. 😉

Check out the site Font Pair.

And don’t forget:

Within Google Fonts, if you scroll down on a specific font page, Google will make recommendations for you under ‘Popular pairings’.

1. Click Download in the top right corner.
2. In the ‘File Type’ drop-down, select PNG.
3. Check the Transparent background checkbox.
4. Click the Download button.
5. (Optional) Open your downloaded .png in a program like Adobe Illustrator to confirm your background is transparent.

$10 / user / month.

It’s worth it —this cool drag-and-drop editor will save you a ton of time, so you don’t have to buy Adobe Photoshop (or any of those difficult programs) that cost hundreds of dollars.

It’s my favorite tool that I use for everything. 👍

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