The Death of the Menu Board
Why QSR's most iconic fixture is becoming irrelevant in the age of predictive ordering
In 2024, digitization is expected to take over even more of the QSR infrastructure. Many QSRs are working to integrate their online ordering systems with search engines and maps, making it even more convenient for customers to order from a restaurant they stumbled across while browsing on the web. But this integration represents something far more profound than convenience—it signals the obsolescence of the physical menu board that has defined quick-service restaurants for decades.
The menu board, that illuminated beacon of choices hanging behind every QSR counter, is becoming as antiquated as the phone booth. Since 2023, Gen Z and millennials have used QSRs much more than older generations. These digital natives don't need to stare at a menu board to make decisions—they've already decided what they want before they arrive, guided by AI algorithms that know their preferences better than they do.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way QSRs interact with their customers. In 2024, expect to see AI being used to create highly personalized dining experiences. From AI-driven recommendations based on past orders to personalized marketing messages, AI is enabling QSRs to cater to individual customer preferences like never before.
The truly revolutionary brands are moving beyond personalized recommendations to predictive ordering. Imagine arriving at your local QSR to find your usual order already being prepared, charged to your account, and ready for pickup—all because predictive algorithms anticipated your arrival based on your location data, historical ordering patterns, and even your calendar appointments.
This isn't just about technology—it's about reimagining the entire value proposition of quick service. The menu board represented choice and decision-making. The future of QSR is about eliminating choice friction entirely, creating a seamless flow from desire to consumption that bypasses traditional decision points.
The brands that recognize this shift will transform their physical spaces from choice-making environments into pure fulfillment centers. The menu board won't disappear overnight, but its relevance is already fading. Smart QSR operators are designing spaces and systems for a post-menu-board world where the customer's choice has already been made before they walk through the door.
Sources:
AlphaSense QSR Trends 2024
Wavetec Quick Service Restaurant Trends
Snackpass QSR Technology Trends 2024
Toast QSR Industry Statistics 2025