Table top ads for restaurants

FEBRUARY 6, 2020| SpeedPro Towson

Advertising for your restaurant doesn’t have to stop at your front doors. Many business owners look to outdoor and online advertising to draw in customers, but you can also use the space within your own restaurant. While you will need the eyes of customers for these types of advertising to work, they can be valuable additions to your branding, interior design and word-of-mouth reputation. One of the best areas in your restaurant to advertise is on your tables.

Tables are typically overlooked when it comes to restaurant design and branding. Since your customers spend most of their time sitting at your tables, they are excellent spaces to take advantage of. With customizable tabletoppers and covers, you’ll be able to incorporate tablespace into your branding and catch the attention of your seated audience.

WHAT ARE TABLETOP ADS?

Tabletop advertising lets you use the space on top of your restaurant’s tables to draw customers back in for future visits. Dining tables might not be your first consideration when considering places to advertise, especially because your customers need to enter and sit before seeing them. But they can be just as valuable as other forms of advertising and can create repeat customers.

Typically, tabletop ads work best at more casual establishments, but you can use them in many different environments, as long as you work with an imaging company that can create a graphics that blend in with your restaurant’s aesthetic. A tabletopper, also called a table covering, takes the place of a fabric or plastic tablecloth, which may look nice, but don’t provide anything further. Table coverings protect your tables and also provide an excellent opportunity to advertise.

As far as the design on the tabletopper goes, you have a lot of freedom to include whatever you wish. You can include anything from images of dishes you serve, graphics of your logo and restaurant name or even calendars of upcoming promotional events. It all depends on how you wish to use them and for how long you plan to keep them on tables. For example, you may want to create designs that will work year-round for indoor tables, but you can focus more on the warm weather months for outdoor seating.

Beyond styling the tops of your tables with well-branded and designed covers, you can also make use of tabletop point of purchase displays. These banners sit upright on your table. You can use them to advertise promotional events, push your top-selling or visually-attractive menu items, announce new additions, show weekly specials or convey any other message you want to tell your customers. They’re relatively inexpensive and highly customizable, so you can design them however you’d like.

TABLE COVER MATERIALS

Tabletoppers are available in several kinds of material. Depending on how and where you intend to use your table covers and how long you want them to last, you may need a specific type of material. Regardless of your choice, make sure you work with a reliable imaging studio to get the highest quality possible.

When choosing a material, some of your best options include:

• Polyester with vinyl prints: If you’re looking to design table covers with an imprinted design, you should choose polyester with vinyl printed graphics. The material is resistant to wrinkling, easy to clean in a washing machine and flame retardant.
• Polyester with ink prints: For printed table covers with a more professional look, you can use the same polyester base, but with ink rather than vinyl. Instead of your images lying on top of the fabric, printers will press them into the material. And thanks to the durability and versatility of polyester, the table covers are sure to last.
• Outdoor canvas: Outdoor seating and tables require different kinds of materials, as they’re exposed to the elements. Canvas material made for use outdoors is perfect for patio or sidewalk seating. Typically, the fabric is resistant to water and spills, making cleanup easier on your staff and budget. It’s made for durability while still allowing you to print professional and clean graphics.
• Vinyl: If you want to attach designs directly onto the tables, choose printed vinyl decals. With vinyl decals, you can cover the entire table or apply individual decals. They come with an adhesive backing that makes them easy to apply and remove. Vinyl is also easy on your budget, so you can save on tabletop graphics and spend on other forms of interior branding. Regardless of whether you choose a full wrap or decals, vinyl will work on outdoor and indoor tables, as it is protected by a durable top layer that is weather- and water-proof. It also works on many other surfaces, such as walls, floors and windows.

Each type of material still provides you with the ability to fully customize your tabletoppers. As long as you make the best choice for your uses in terms of durability, you’ll be able to decorate your tables and keep them looking stylish.

TYPES OF TABLE COVERS AND ADS

Even though tables tend to be small, they provide plenty of opportunities to create attractive and persuasive advertising. Covers allow you to protect the tables, turn them into a part of your interior design and directly expose more customers to your branding. Whatever your expectations, there are plenty of options to create the perfect custom tabletoppers for your restaurant.

Before you get to the design, however, you’ll need to choose the type of table cover that best suits your needs. The varieties range from classic to modern, from casual to professional. Some of the options available to you include:

• Convertible: For more versatile sizing, you can choose convertible styles. They allow you to adjust the size of your table covers, so you can use them in multiple places or order a single variety for your tables. Convertible table covers fit tables up to 8 feet long or as short as 6 feet in length.
• Fitted: Draped tablecloths or covers don’t work for every style of restaurant. If you want to keep the sharp edges of your tables and don’t want to have anything hanging down from the sides, you can choose fitted table covers. They cover rectangular tables that are either 6 or 8 feet in length, as well as round tables measuring 30, 48 or 60 inches.
• Stretch: You can give your tables a completely different look with stretch covers. They make your tables appear contoured, as they cover the entire top and stretch down to the bases of the legs. Stretch covers fit 4-, 6- and 8-foot-long tables as well as round tables with 30-, 48-, and 60-inch tops.
• Fully printed: If you want to cover your entire table with graphics, images, colors or patterns, you can choose the fully printed table throw. It allows you to decorate the entirety of the material, from the top down the sides. The style is particularly bold and will stand out and draw the eyes of customers, especially on outdoor or front-window tables. It’s available to fit tables measuring 4, 6 and 8 feet long.
• Imprinted: For a simple look that won’t bust your budget, you can choose imprinted table throws. They are made of polyester material with a simple one- to two-color vinyl logo printed in vinyl at the center. They can fit 6- and 8-foot tables.
• Outdoor: If you want to cover your outdoor patio tables, you need covers that can withstand rain, wind, sun and any other type of weather condition. Outdoor varieties have a fitted style and come in durable materials. They fit 6- and 8-foot-long tables.
• Runner: Even if you don’t want to cover the entire top of your table with branding, you can use a regular tablecloth and put a custom branded table runner over it. Table runners are versatile and affordable, so you can make the most of your business’s tablespace. They come in 24-, 30-, 36- and 60-inch measurements.
• Decal: You don’t have to cover an entire table to make it look exciting or new. Vinyl decals are excellent for sprucing up your tables with your restaurant name, logo or any other graphics you choose. They’re durable, easy to adhere and remove, inexpensive and vibrant. You can use them on indoor or outdoor tables. Along with a few other varieties, vinyl makes an excellent round table topper as well. You can order decals that go to the edges of your table, creating a smooth surface filled with color, patterns and designs.

Once you choose the right variety for your uses, you can move on to creating a design. If you have multiple sizes of tables throughout your establishment, you can order multiple sizes, select adjustable styles or pick a size that fits most of your tables and fill in the gaps with vinyl.

TABLETOP POINT OF PURCHASE DISPLAY

While point of purchase displays aren’t the same as covers, they’re still extremely useful for advertising purposes. You can even use them alongside tabletoppers to make the most of the space. With tabletop signs, you can advertise various items and events to your customers. With an eye-catching design, you’ll provide your guests something to look at while they wait for food and drinks. Point of purchase displays on tables might convince guests to return for another visit.

Tabletop displays are an excellent way to upsell, even without a waiter present. You can feature pictures of delicious desserts to get guests thinking about having something sweet after their meal. A display with images of popular beverages can convince guests to order something besides water. Your options for displays are limited only by what you offer. Whether it’s a new menu item or a customer favorite, featuring it on your table displays will encourage more guests to order it.

And table ads aren’t just for selling your menu items during your customers’ visit. You can also use them to keep guests coming back. Advertise your weekly specials with a small Monday through Sunday calendar. Tell them about your happy hour specials. Post the dates for upcoming or weekly events, such as live music, sports games or other special nights. You can use tabletop ads to feature any kind of regular offering, and if it interests your customers, they may keep it in mind and come back for another visit.

BENEFITS OF TABLETOP ADS

Table covers do more than just make your furniture look pretty. They also help your business in multiple ways. From exposing new visitors to your brand to coordinating the overall look of your restaurant, tabletop ads are not to be overlooked.

Tabletoppers can:

• Provide full customization: When it comes time to design your tabletoppers, you’ll have plenty of options to bring your ideas into reality. First, you can choose your base material, which may differ depending on the style of your restaurant and whether you want to use them indoors or outdoors. Then, you can select the shape of the tabletopper, which allows you to fit it precisely with your furniture or adjust the amount you want to drape over the edges. Finally, you’ll have free rein over the design, which you can personalize with colors, patterns, graphics, images and important information.
• Help coordinate tables with your restaurant’s design: While bare tables look average, using tabletoppers will take your interior or exterior design up a notch. Table covers look excellent on their own, but they look much better when incorporated with other parts of your branding. Rather than have plain, boring tables, you can match them to your restaurant’s look or your other advertising materials. With seamless coordination, you’ll have a more visually appealing and welcoming restaurant.
• Strengthen brand memorability:When in your restaurant, your customers will spend the most time at their tables, sitting, eating and chatting with friends. This level of exposure makes tables the perfect places to incorporate your branding. If you design table covers with your logo, business name, catchphrase or any other relevant details, they’re sure to catch the attention of any table occupants. They’ll be more likely to remember your branding and relate the experience they had with your restaurant’s name.
• Improve presentation: Well-designed tabletoppers can make your restaurant look professional and refined, as they’re far more impressive than bare tables or plain cloths. They also give your establishment the appearance of having years in the business.
• Are easy to store and transport: In some cases, you may want to store or travel with your tabletoppers. You can use them for outdoor patio tables and put them away for the cold months or when the weather is bad. Or, if you want to participate in a local food festival or trade show, you can easily take tabletoppers along with you. Depending on the material, most of the table coverings are lightweight and foldable, making them perfect for packing up and tucking away or traveling.
• Freshen up your tables: Over time, your tables will take on a lot of wear and potential damage, especially if you run a particularly busy restaurant or family-friendly establishment. Even if your tables begin to look dull or you’ve had them for a while, it may be time to give them a new look. Purchasing new tables for your entire restaurant can be a costly purchase. With table toppers, you can revamp their appearance, make them last longer without needing repairs or replacements and prevent future damage at a much smaller expense.

All of these benefits will also contribute to word-of-mouth marketing. As customers visit your establishment, they’ll have greater exposure to your branding and connect it with their experiences with your food and waitstaff. If you provide them with a pleasant experience, they’re more likely to remember your branding in a positive light and to recommend your establishment to their friends and family.

GET TABLE ADS FOR YOUR RESTAURANT WITH SPEEDPRO

With over 20 years in the imaging industry, SpeedPro has everything you need to make your restaurant branding eye-catching and professional. From table covers and toppers to a wide variety of signage, we use high-quality materials and printing processes to create custom advertising for your restaurant. SpeedPro will help you and your marketing team make the most of your budget and provide you with assistance throughout the entire process — from design planning to installation.

To get started partnering with SpeedPro, find your local studio and request a quote for your upcoming project.