Coastal Grill: 11% Dinner Sales Increase with Digital Menu Boards
"Our digital menu boards have completely transformed our dinner daypart. The dynamic content captures attention in ways static boards never could. We've seen an 11% lift in dinner sales, and our average ticket size is up nearly $2.50 per order."
— Michael Torres, VP of Operations, Coastal Grill
Company Overview
| Company | Coastal Grill |
| Industry | Fast-Casual Restaurant (QSR) |
| Concept | Fresh seafood and coastal cuisine |
| Locations | 45 restaurants across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina |
| Average Unit Volume | $1.8 million annually |
| SignageStudio Customer Since | September 2023 |
The Challenge
Coastal Grill, known for their fresh-catch seafood and coastal-inspired menu, was struggling with several operational and marketing challenges:
Stagnant Dinner Sales
While lunch traffic was strong, dinner sales had plateaued. The dinner daypart represented only 28% of daily revenue despite representing 40% of operating hours.
Static Menu Limitations
Traditional lightbox menu boards couldn't effectively communicate:
- Daily fresh catch specials (which changed based on availability)
- Limited-time offers and seasonal items
- Family meal deals and catering options
- Nutritional information increasingly demanded by health-conscious customers
Slow Speed of Service
Order times were averaging 4.2 minutes in the drive-thru, well above the industry target of 3.5 minutes. Customers struggled to read dense menu boards, leading to indecision at the speaker.
High Print Costs
The chain spent approximately $12,000 per location annually on printed menu materials—over $540,000 total. Any menu change required a 3-4 week lead time and significant expense.
Inconsistent Guest Experience
Menu pricing and promotions varied between locations due to distribution delays. Corporate had limited visibility into what each restaurant was actually displaying.
The Solution
Coastal Grill partnered with MediaSignage to implement a comprehensive digital menu board solution:
Drive-Thru Configuration
- Pre-sell boards at the entrance to the drive-thru lane
- Main menu boards (3-panel video wall configuration) at the speaker post
- Order confirmation screens displaying order accuracy in real-time
- Pick-up window displays for last-chance upsell opportunities
Indoor Dining
- Primary menu wall (4 x 55" displays in 2x2 configuration)
- Secondary promotional displays highlighting daily specials
- Self-order kiosks (12 high-traffic locations) for order customization
Content Strategy
Dayparting Implementation The menu board content automatically transitions throughout the day:
| Time | Content Focus |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM - 10:30 AM | Breakfast items, coffee promotions |
| 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM | Lunch combos, quick-serve options |
| 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM | Snacks, afternoon beverages, early dinner teasers |
| 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Full dinner menu, family meals, premium items |
| 9:00 PM - Close | Late-night value menu |
Dynamic Content Features
- Weather-triggered promotions: Hot soup features on cold days, frozen drinks during heat waves
- Inventory integration: Automatically removes sold-out items, promotes overstocked inventory
- Animated highlights: Subtle motion draws attention to high-margin items
- Real-time pricing: Enables dynamic pricing for delivery aggregators vs. in-store
Implementation Details
Pilot Program
Coastal Grill started with a 5-store pilot to validate the concept:
Pilot Results (8 weeks):
- 6% overall sales lift
- 9% increase in combo meal attachment rates
- Order errors reduced by 15%
- Average drive-thru time improved by 12 seconds per car
Based on these results, leadership approved full chain rollout.
Full Deployment Timeline
| Phase | Duration | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | 8 weeks | 5 stores |
| Phase 1 | 6 weeks | 15 stores (highest volume) |
| Phase 2 | 8 weeks | 15 stores (medium volume) |
| Phase 3 | 6 weeks | 10 stores (remaining) |
| Total | 28 weeks | 45 stores |
The Results
After 14 months of full deployment, the results have transformed Coastal Grill's performance:
Sales Impact
These results align with industry research showing that 91% of restaurants report increased sales after implementing digital menu boards, with an average increase of 8-10%.
Operational Improvements
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive-thru order time | 4.2 min | 3.6 min | 14% faster |
| Order accuracy | 94.2% | 98.1% | 3.9 points |
| Menu change deployment | 3-4 weeks | < 1 hour | 99%+ faster |
| Print costs (annual) | $540,000 | $45,000 | 92% reduction |
Customer Experience
- Perceived wait time reduced by 22% in indoor waiting areas
- Customer satisfaction scores increased 18% (post-visit surveys)
- "Modern and innovative" brand perception increased 34% in brand tracking studies
According to a Forrester Total Economic Impact study, QSRs can save $30,000 in printing costs per year per location—Coastal Grill has exceeded this benchmark.
Financial Performance
Investment Summary:
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hardware (135 displays, players, mounts) | $485,000 |
| Installation across 45 locations | $112,000 |
| SignageStudio enterprise license | $54,000/year |
| Content development | $35,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | $686,000 |
Returns (First 14 Months):
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Print cost savings | $495,000 |
| Incremental sales revenue | $3,200,000+ |
| Labor efficiency gains | $180,000 |
| ROI achieved in | 10 months |
Key Features Driving Success
1. Dynamic Dayparting
The automated content scheduling ensures the right menu is displayed at the right time—no manual intervention required.
"Before, our crew would sometimes forget to change the menu inserts for dinner. Now it happens automatically at exactly 4:00 PM, every single day, at every location." — Regional Manager
2. Animated Menu Items
Subtle animations on featured items increased attention by 800% compared to static images, according to research from the Highstreet Living Retail Lab.
3. Order Confirmation Screens
Drive-thru confirmation screens display orders in real-time, allowing customers to verify accuracy before reaching the window.
- Order errors reduced by 15%
- Customer disputes at window decreased 67%
- Speed of service improved by 12 seconds per car
4. LTO Promotion Power
Limited-time offers now launch simultaneously across all 45 locations at midnight on launch day.
- LTO awareness increased 340%
- LTO conversion rate improved 28%
The Team's Perspective
"I was skeptical at first—I've been in the restaurant business for 25 years and thought our traditional boards worked fine. But seeing the dinner numbers climb month after month changed my mind completely. The ability to push family meal deals starting at 4 PM has been huge."
— Robert Jackson, Franchise Owner (8 locations)
"Managing content for 45 restaurants from my laptop is incredible. Last week we had a supplier issue and had to pull a menu item temporarily. In the old days, that would've been a nightmare of phone calls and printed signs. Now I updated all locations in 30 seconds."
— Amanda Sullivan, Marketing Director
"The order confirmation screen is a game-changer. Customers can see their order on screen while it's being entered, and they catch mistakes before they become problems. Our customer complaints about wrong orders dropped dramatically."
— Carlos Mendez, Drive-Thru Operations Lead
Looking Ahead
Coastal Grill is planning several enhancements for 2026:
AI-Powered Upselling
Testing AI integration to suggest relevant add-ons based on order contents. Early tests show 27% larger orders when AI-powered suggestions are displayed.
Mobile App Integration
QR codes on displays will link to the mobile app for loyalty rewards and mobile ordering.
Voice-Activated Ordering
Pilot program for AI voice ordering at drive-thru, with digital displays providing visual confirmation.
Expanded Analytics
Integration with POS data for real-time menu performance dashboards showing which items and promotions are driving the most revenue.
Quick Stats Summary
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Dinner sales increase | +11% |
| Average ticket increase | +$2.47 |
| Combo attachment rate | +9% |
| Drive-thru time improvement | -14% (36 seconds) |
| Order accuracy improvement | +3.9 percentage points |
| Print cost reduction | 92% |
| ROI timeline | 10 months |
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