Ordinami.itA tourist in front of a menu that's only in the local language will either order something they know, like a margherita pizza, bombard the server with questions during peak hours, or use their phone's translation app to read that "pasta alla gricia" is "pasta in the gricia way". In all three cases, the restaurant loses out: lower bills, slower service, and an avoidable embarrassment.
Which languages are really necessary
English is the bare minimum and covers most visitors. Then it depends on who's walking into your restaurant: in popular tourist areas, German and French are a must, while Spanish is common in coastal regions, and Portuguese or Eastern European languages might be prevalent in certain zones. Don't guess: ask your servers which nationalities they see most often, or look at the languages used in your Google reviews.
What to translate and what not to
- Translate the descriptions: ingredients, cooking methods, and the story behind each dish. This is where tourists make their decisions.
- Leave in the local language the names of traditional dishes: carbonara, ossobuco, and tiramisù are why tourists come in. Keep the local name, with a translated explanation below.
- Always translate allergens: this is where misunderstandings can cause the most harm.
- Beware of false friends: "peperoni" in English doesn't mean "pepperoni" (which, for Americans, refers to spicy sausage), and translating "secondi" as "seconds" is meaningless.
The problem with printed menus
A multilingual printed menu has two major flaws: either you print a separate menu for each language, with costs and copies circulating around the dining area, or you cram four languages onto one page, making it unreadable for everyone. And every time you change a dish, you'll need to reprint multiple versions in different languages.
How digital menus solve the problem
With a menu featuring a QR code, the problem disappears: customers scan the same code as everyone else and choose their language, keeping the menu clean and simple. With the MEDIUM plan from Ordinami, your menu is available in 6 languages: update a dish once, and the translated versions will stay in sync, without the need for paper handouts or separate editions to keep track of.
The economic return
A customer who understands the menu will order with more confidence: they'll try the appetizer they wouldn't have risked, the recommended wine instead of the default beer, and the dessert with a name they can finally comprehend. And the server, freed from their role as interpreter, can serve more tables more efficiently. If you work in a tourist area, a multilingual menu isn't a luxury: it's probably the investment with the fastest return you can make on your menu.
Final warning: the quality of the translation matters just as much as its existence. Have at least the English version reviewed by someone who speaks the language fluently — ten minutes of revision can avoid the kind of mistakes that end up getting photographed and shared on social media, with your restaurant's name in full view.