The origin of the modern menu card

Until the eighties a menu card was considered a necessary evil with a purely functional character. The result was a multitude of standard brown or burgundy menu covers with a very predictable content. A restaurant owner who wanted something different, just had to manage as best he could. That is, until we at Publica thought it was high time to put our ideas into practice in 1984. At that time we were convinced that a menu card was an important part of your image; a very important business card.

Menu cards, wine cards, dessert cards ...

We started working with an open mind and a lot of strange materials and fabrics, deviating sizes, new fastening systems and up-to-date colours. Restaurant owners slowly became aware that an attractive personalized menu was an added value to their business. Both the character and identity of the restaurant were reinforced by a representative menu card and they had the positive reactions of their customers to prove it. A pleasant side effect of Publica specialising in menu cards was that a modern, good-looking and personalised menu cover became an affordable asset… and that is the only aspect of our products that hasn’t changed ever since.

A pioneer and innovator becomes a designer, manufacturer and supplier

How do you get a menu card that is 100% to your liking? Quite simple; by doing it all yourself! A pioneer always has to deal with some reluctant suppliers because “those materials can’t be used” or the finish you want is “simply impossible”. Eventually our suppliers changed their tune and in those thirty years we gradually changed the very concept of menu cards. Our range of menu cards and covers has been completed with cards for wines, desserts, coffees and beverages, check presenters and even place-mats, hotel information covers and conference pads. In thirty years we succeeded in establishing a reputation of competence and reliability and we have become a three star partner of the European top restaurants and a valued supplier of the hotel industry.

About designs and challenges – imagination at work!

Who says A, must say B ! If you incite customers to develop their own style of menu cover, you have to be prepared to accept the challenge to do the impossible. That’s where you start doing strange things with wood, metal and all kind of synthetic materials. You will even adapt and improve printing processes in order to obtain a perfect and unique Publica print. And after many years you become a leader in the market, a position that creates obligations and expectations, but that is our challenge. That’s what keeps us sharp and ground breaking innovative.

Supplied from stock but still with your personal appeal

On our webshop you can put together you very own menu card, with your business’s logo, name or graphic. We have a very large stock of menu covers, in all kind of colours, sizes, materials and systems. Besides that, we have our own design studio. Because we fabricate everything ourselves, we can be a broad-minded partner who does not scare easily for a healthy challenge. Our stock menu cards are always favourably priced and the delivery times are very fast.