Bring finished menu files
Upload the JPG or PNG designs your restaurant already has. Screenfolk manages playback; it does not force a new design workflow.
RESTAURANT DIGITAL SIGNAGE
Menu boards that change with the day.
Upload finished menu designs, arrange breakfast, lunch, dinner, and promotion playlists, then publish the right message to an existing TV from a web dashboard.
LUNCH · 11 AM–3 PMSoup +
sandwich
$14 · Made here this morning
screenfolkLunch menu · on scheduleREMOTE PLAYLIST
THE DIRECT ANSWER
How does Screenfolk work as a restaurant menu board?
Create your menu in the design tool you already use, export it as a JPG or PNG, and upload the finished file to Screenfolk. Build separate playlists for each service period and use daypart schedule blocks to switch between them. After the first complete sync, uploaded menu media can play from local cache during a temporary outage; a connection is still required for updates and online-only slides.
Schedule by daypart
Give breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner, and late-night service their own playlists and time blocks in the local timezone.
Keep the last menu moving
Once synced, uploaded menu media can play from local cache when a temporary connection problem interrupts dashboard access.
YOUR MENU, READY TO PLAY
How do you create content for a digital menu board?
Use the menu-design workflow your restaurant already trusts. When the layout is approved, export a sharp JPG or PNG at the same landscape or portrait orientation as the display. Upload that finished file to the Screenfolk library, add it to a playlist, and choose how long it appears.
Screenfolk is the content-management and playback layer, not a full graphic-design suite. There is no claimed Canva integration. That separation keeps staff from having to rebuild approved menus inside another editor and makes it straightforward to replace a file when a price, item, or service period changes.
Full menu boards
Show an approved food or beverage menu designed for the screen’s exact landscape or portrait orientation.
Daily and weekly specials
Swap a limited-time offer without replacing the core menu or carrying a USB drive to the television.
Guest instructions
Rotate pickup steps, order numbers, wait information, kitchen hours, accessibility notes, and service reminders.
Events and promotions
Use the same screen for tastings, live music, private events, loyalty messages, or a nearby community announcement.
BREAKFAST TO LAST CALL
Can digital menu boards change automatically by time of day?
Yes. Screenfolk lets a restaurant make several playlists available to a player, choose an everyday default, and add schedule blocks for specific days and times. A breakfast playlist might run from opening until 10:30 AM, lunch until 3 PM, happy hour on weekdays, and a late-night menu after the kitchen changes service.
Schedule the player in the venue's timezone and check any block that crosses midnight. The default playlist remains the safe fallback whenever no daypart rule is active. This is especially useful for restaurants whose service and pricing change without needing someone to remember a manual switch.
Breakfast
Put coffee, pastries, or morning combinations on screen only during the hours customers can order them.
Lunch
Change to lunch pricing, quick-service combinations, and midday promotions on the correct days.
Happy hour
Give a time-limited beverage or appetizer menu its own block without changing the rest of the day.
Dinner and late night
Switch to the evening menu, event promotion, or reduced kitchen offering, including blocks that cross midnight.
CHOOSE THE PLAYER
What equipment does a restaurant digital sign need?
Start with a compatible HDMI display and a player that can run Screenfolk. The free path is a laptop, desktop, mini PC, or Chromebook with a current browser. Open the dedicated player URL, connect the computer to the TV, and run the display fullscreen.
When a spare computer is impractical, Screenfolk can include a dedicated player in a tailored scope. Standard software and player setup starts at $199; displays, players, mounts, difficult cabling, creative services, tax, and travel are separate. If you are considering consumer Amazon hardware, read the Fire TV digital signage limits before buying a stick.
Display
Use an HDMI TV or monitor sized for the room, with brightness and duty cycle appropriate to restaurant hours.
Player
Reuse a browser-capable computer or choose a preconfigured Screenfolk Player when dedicated hardware is simpler.
Internet
Provide a connection for pairing, first sync, menu changes, schedule changes, monitoring, and online-only content.
Power and mounting
Use secure cables, ventilation, and a mounting arrangement staff can inspect without disrupting service.
FROM IDEA TO SCREEN
Put a finished restaurant menu on an existing TV.
Keep the content workflow familiar, then let the player handle timing and playback.
- 01
Choose orientation and resolution
Confirm whether the screen will be landscape or portrait before exporting the menu so the file fits without awkward cropping.
- 02
Export the approved design
Save the finished menu as a high-quality JPG or PNG from the restaurant’s existing design tool.
- 03
Build service-period playlists
Upload the files, order the slides, set display durations, and create separate breakfast, lunch, dinner, or promotion playlists.
- 04
Schedule, sync, and walk the room
Add daypart blocks, let every file complete its first sync, and confirm readability from the actual customer line or seating area.
A GOOD FIT WHEN
Screenfolk fits a restaurant with finished content and a screen to use.
- You already make menu designs and want a reliable way to publish them.
- Different service periods need different playlists without a manual daily swap.
- Staff should update a display from a browser instead of visiting the TV with a USB drive.
- One image-first screen is enough to start testing the workflow.
KNOW BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
The player manages the sign, not the menu design process.
- There is no claimed Canva integration or full in-dashboard menu designer.
- New files and schedule changes cannot reach a disconnected screen.
- Online-only slides still need internet even when uploaded menu images are cached.
- Consumer Fire TV hardware must be qualified by exact Android-based Fire OS model; support is not universal.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Straight answers before you set up a screen.
What is restaurant digital signage?
Restaurant digital signage uses a TV or display to show managed menu boards, specials, hours, event promotions, pickup instructions, and other guest information. Screenfolk lets staff publish that content from a web dashboard.
Can I upload an existing restaurant menu design?
Yes. Export the finished menu from the design tool you already use as a JPG or PNG, then upload it to the Screenfolk library and add it to a playlist. Match the file’s landscape or portrait layout to the screen orientation.
Does Screenfolk have a Canva integration?
No Canva integration is claimed. Screenfolk is not a full graphic-design suite; create the finished menu in the design tool of your choice, export a JPG or PNG, and upload that file to Screenfolk.
Can a restaurant schedule breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus?
Yes. Create separate playlists and add time-of-day schedule blocks for the relevant days and local timezone. A default playlist plays whenever no daypart block is active.
Will a restaurant menu board work when Wi-Fi goes down?
Uploaded menu images can continue from local cache after the screen completes its first sync. Internet is still required for the first sync, menu changes, remote status, and online-only content.
Do I need a special commercial TV?
No special smart TV is required for a pilot setup. A compatible HDMI television can use a computer running a current browser, or qualified founding-pilot customers can ask about optional preconfigured hardware. Choose display hardware rated for the hours and environment in which the restaurant will operate it.
How much is Screenfolk for one restaurant menu screen?
Screenfolk Free is $0 for one Network-supported image-first screen with up to 60 stored images; clearly labeled Network ads may appear within the accepted signup limits. DIY Pro is $9.99 per active screen monthly and is ad-free by default. Local Care is $49 per location monthly, additional screens are $10, and standard player and workflow setup starts at $199.
Can I use a Fire TV Stick for a restaurant menu board?
Only use an explicitly tested Android-based Fire OS device in the Screenfolk founding pilot. Screenfolk does not promise compatibility with every Fire TV Stick; the 2025 Fire TV Stick 4K Select runs unsupported Vega OS.
PUT THE NEXT MENU ON SCREEN
Start with one image-first menu board.
Try the browser player, then create a free account for one screen and up to 60 stored menu images. Use finished JPG or PNG designs you already have.