Once upon a time, clear menu covers were simply the low-cost alternative for the short-order diners that dotted the American gastronomic universe. They were plain and they were clean. They were all-American too, in that they represented the American character: utilitarian yet transparent. They didn't call attention to themselves, but let the obvious goodness of what was on the menu shine through and speak for itself.
Well, the diners of North America still employ these workhorses of the menu cover landscape. The quality is better than it used to be, and the cost is hardly a consideration.But now- we hear from the menu covers' suppliers themselves- that clear menu covers are all the rage in trendy bistros, high-brow burger and wine establishments, and 24-hour West Coast eateries. How come, when there are just so many great menu covers' styles for all budgets and culinary modes out there? The answer is "plain." The same honest American features our working-class diners valued in decades past are those in high demand by the new breed of restauranteur.
In addition to the all clear vinyl menu cover, deluxe sewn menu covers- which are clear except for their stitched-edge bindings, and the new clear menu covers on colorful spiral bound spindles are making their way into the rough red-brick walled and polished wood-plank floored restaurants in urban, exurban and tourist-town locales.
Take a page from the past, and upgrade to clarity with out pretension. Plus, it's a real money-saver in these recessionary times.
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