Restaurant Window Decals: Hours, Specials and Delivery

Where Should the Hours Go?

Put the hours on the entry door at eye level, below the logo, on the side of the door people use. That is where a guest looks when they reach for the handle, and where a passerby checks whether you are open for lunch.

Group the days that share hours, such as Mon to Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., so the hours read in a glance. If lunch and dinner hours differ, show both clearly on separate lines.

Keep holiday hours and temporary changes off the decal. Put those on a cling or a small printed card, so the permanent decal stays accurate.

How Should Specials Change on the Glass?

Specials belong on window clings, because they change. A cling holds by static, with no adhesive, so it goes up in minutes and peels off clean when the special ends. Store it on its backing and it can come back next season.

Give the special its own pane, separate from the hours, so swapping it never touches the permanent decals. One special per cling, with a photo of the real dish and a short name, reads better than a list.

Keep cling sizes consistent so each new one fits the same spot. A 12 x 18 inch cling starts at $29.99; the cling page opens on 24 x 36 inches. A 24" × 36" Window Cling is $99.99. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item. Printed in the USA in 48 hours and shipped nationwide, flat $10 shipping to any US address.

Where Should Delivery and Pickup Information Go?

Put delivery app decals and pickup instructions near the door, grouped with or just below the hours. Delivery drivers look for the right entrance and the pickup spot; walk up guests look for whether you deliver.

If pickup uses a different door or a side window, say so on the glass at the main entrance: "Online orders: collect at the side window." That one line saves your staff from answering it all day.

Use the decals the delivery services supply for their logos. Keep them in a neat row, not scattered across the glass. If you add a phone number for catering or large orders, set it under the hours in the same font, so the door reads as one tidy block of information.

How Much of the Glass Should You Cover?

Cover less than you think. Diners passing by want to see people eating, the lights, the room. A window covered edge to edge looks closed or empty even when it is full.

Use perforated film where privacy helps, such as a kitchen pass, a back wall or a side window facing a parking lot. Perforated film shows your graphic outside and keeps a view out from inside. Storefront window graphics on perforated film start at $96.29 for a 24 x 36 inch pane.

Keep the dining room glass mostly clear, with the logo, hours and one special doing the talking.

Should Decals Go Inside or Outside the Glass?

Hours and logo decals can go either way. Outside, they read directly and are easy to replace; inside, they are protected from weather and cleaning but must be printed reversed. Window clings belong inside. Perforated film goes outside, facing the street.

Restaurants clean their glass often. A decal on the outside face takes squeegees and cleaners every day, so a laminated decal, which the store hours and glass door decals include, holds up better.

Say which side each piece goes on when you order. The proof will show it as it reads from the sidewalk.

What Should Restaurants Avoid on Their Windows?

Avoid four things. Old information, such as last year's hours or a special that ended, tells guests nobody is watching. Too many messages, which turn the glass into a wall of text. Faded or peeling decals, which look neglected. And printed promotions covering a required notice, such as a permit or inspection card your local rules call for.

Assign one person to check the windows each week. Take down what is out of date, fix what is peeling, and make sure the hours still match the schedule.

How Do Windows Work With the Rest of the Restaurant?

Windows are one stop on the guest route. A flag at the curb catches drivers, a sidewalk sign catches walkers, the windows confirm you are open, and table tents suggest what to order once guests sit down. The restaurant signage checklist walks through every stop.

Use the same colors and logo on each piece, so the curb, the glass and the table look like one restaurant.

How Do Windows Work for a Takeout Counter?

A takeout or counter service restaurant uses its windows to move people, not just to welcome them. The glass should answer where to order, where to wait and where to pick up, before anyone walks in.

Put a short line by the order door, such as "Order here," and another by the pickup spot. If online orders have their own shelf or window, say so on the glass at the main entrance. A guest who knows where to go does not stand in the wrong line.

Keep the menu off the window unless it is a short list of best sellers. A full menu on glass is hard to read in sun and goes out of date fast. Put the full menu inside, on a board or a printed menu, and use the window for the one dish that brings people in.

What Seasonal Windows Work for a Restaurant?

Seasonal windows work when they are tied to something you actually serve. A fall menu, a summer drink, a holiday catering offer or a game day special gives the cling a reason to exist and a reason for regulars to notice the change.

Plan the seasons a few weeks ahead, so each cling is printed and on hand before the season starts. Clings print in 48 hours after proof approval, but ordering early leaves time to approve the proof without rushing.

Keep a simple calendar: what goes up, on what date, and in which pane. When the season ends, take the cling down the same day. A summer special still on the glass in October is a small sign that nobody is minding the front.

What Should You Check on Restaurant Window Proofs?

Check first for an hours decal with a wrong time or a missing day. Read each line against the real schedule before you approve.

Next, check for a cling special with a price that changed. If the cling shows a price, check it against the menu on the day you approve the proof.

Also check for a decal for the inside of the glass that was not reversed, so it reads backward from the street.

How Do You Order Restaurant Window Decals?

Measure the door glass and each pane, decide which side each piece goes on, and send your logo, hours and special. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item if you send a phone photo or a ChatGPT image, and a free proof comes with every order.

Decals, clings and perforated film print in 48 hours after proof approval and ship for a flat $10 per product to any US address. Decals ship on the full sheet with cut lines plotted; most need transfer tape, which is not included. In San Antonio, Inline also installs window graphics.