Blackboards and Signs

A-frames are for the footpath and the entry. They are the ones that bring people in, and they need enough weight or a fillable base to stay upright, because a board that blows over twice a week gets left inside.

Wall-mounted boards are for the menu itself. They free up counter space and cannot be knocked over, but you lose the ability to move the message to where the traffic is.

Liquid chalk markers give sharper lines and stronger colour, which is why most new cafe boards use them. They need a non-porous surface and they are removed with a damp cloth rather than a duster.

Traditional chalk suits a classic timber-framed board and is easier for staff who write the specials quickly. It smudges, which is either charm or untidiness depending on the venue.

Most are built for daily outdoor use and come in each night. Leaving one out through a wet night will shorten the life of the frame, particularly where the board meets the timber, and the writing will not survive rain either way.

Where the board sits under an awning or beside outdoor seating it fares better; see commercial outdoor umbrellas for the shade side of a footpath setup. Check footpath trading rules with your council before buying a size. Many local areas set a maximum footprint and require the board to sit within a defined zone, and that decides the size you can buy.

Big enough to read from across the footpath, which usually means fewer words than people want to fit. A board with four lines gets read; a board with the whole menu on it gets walked past.

Keep the standing menu on the wall board inside and use the outside board for one offer. That split works better than trying to make one board do both.

Damp cloth for liquid chalk, a dry duster or board rubber for traditional chalk, then a proper wash with mild detergent when the surface starts to grey. A board that is never fully cleaned builds a haze that makes new writing look faded.

Timber frames want wiping rather than soaking. Anything with a cleaning product in the kitchen area belongs with the surface cleaners rather than being improvised.

Pick one person with legible handwriting and let them own it. Boards written by whoever is on shift drift in style within a fortnight and start to look neglected.

If nobody on the team can write well, a printed insert in a holder is more honest than a badly written board. Menu and bill holders cover that option.

Allergen information, anything self-service on a buffet line, and the back-of-house notices staff need. For a buffet, labelling each dish alongside the chafing dishes answers most customer questions before they are asked.

Behind the kitchen door, use proper safety signs rather than a handwritten board. A chalk warning next to a deep fryer is not signage.