If you are in the hospitality industry, you know how difficult it can be to find durable and inexpensive material to print menus on. There are varieties of options, however, you may have never heard of a cork menu cover for your restaurant menus. This article will cover some of the advantages and disadvantages of menu covers made of cork, comparative cost in relation to other popular durable materials and the different types of cork available for manufacture.
Cork is a truly unique and interesting wood and also one of the world’s easiest materials to recycle. Cork has low density, is buoyant and virtually impermeable to liquids. This makes it ideal for a restaurant setting where patrons may be spilling water and other drinks on the menus. A cork cover will ensure that a business will not have to reprint menu inserts over and over again because of water damage. It would also be able to avoid using damaged or unsightly menus with its customers that may begin to cause an image problem. Although there are numerous uses for cork because of its unique properties, protection from water damage and the overall durability of cork are why it would be beneficial for the restaurant industry and its menus. The type of cork mentioned here is cork oak from the cork oak tree.
Cork is some of the most durable wood in the world. It can take a compress of almost 40% and still return back to its original shape. Menus in restaurants are often mishandled or discarded especially if they are left on the tables instead of collected by wait staff after an order has been placed. Menu covers can cost anywhere from 17 to 30 dollars apiece and more depending on how many are ordered and what material they are made out of. A cork menu cover design can also be accomplished at additional cost. The picture is a good example of a menu cover from Boxerbrand. This expense can be astronomical if a restaurant has to go through and replace a number of menu covers every 6 to 9 months. Leather and other materials can become stained or ripped and the restaurant may have no choice but to use them. Customers who receive these may not feel they are eating in a clean establishment. A draw back to using this material is that it can cost far more than mainstream and perfectly adequate menu covers.
How Much is a Cork Menu Cover
The price of menu covers in general can vary greatly depending on the amount ordered, the type and quality of the specific material and also the cost of any designs or logos imprinted on it. In general, the price per cover for a cork restaurant menu cover is around 18 to 30 dollars. This does not include the price of printing logos on the menu. Cost will also vary depending on the number of pages or views the menu needs to have. In general, cork is far more expensive than alternatives such as leatherette, which is nylon like material usually around the edges of a menu with the center being made of a clear plastic for inserts. These can retail for 2 to 5 dollars apiece, again depending on the quantity ordered as well as other factors. The added cost that a person will pay for the cork cover will show in the longevity and durability of the material. Menu cover wholesale pricing can be very cheap, but the quantities may need to be fairly large.
Most restaurants may not need to go to the extreme of cork menu covers however; they can be a wise investment. Cork is highly impermeable to water and other liquids which is useful in a restaurant setting. It is a durable material able to withstand extreme pressure and still maintain its shape. If a company notices that it spends far too much on the replacement of its menus it might want to consider switching to cork, especially a higher end restaurant where the unique properties of the wood would be noticed and appreciated.