Why is pavement signage particularly effective for promoting sharing-plate menus?

Sharing plates are a social, experience-led format that benefits enormously from curiosity-driven footfall. A well-worded A-board communicates the communal, relaxed nature of the offer in an instant, making it far more likely that a passing group will choose your venue over a competitor with no visible hook.

How often should I update the messaging on my outdoor chalkboard sign?

As a minimum, update it every service period — lunch and dinner — and whenever a key sharing dish changes. Frequent updates signal freshness to regulars and give passersby a new reason to stop each time they walk by, which is especially valuable on high-footfall streets.

The Journal · SIDEWALK SIGNS

2027 Sharing Plates Trend: Win the Pavement

By Charlotte Whitfield · Country Manager United Kingdom · 2026-10-05

The Sharing Revolution Is Coming — Are You Ready for It?

It is not often that a wholesale giant hands you a roadmap eighteen months in advance, so when Bidfood identifies sharing plates as one of its headline 2027 trends alongside functional ingredients and contrasting textures, it is worth sitting up and taking notice. Sharing formats drive longer table dwell times, higher average spends, and — critically — stronger word-of-mouth. The diners who share also snap, post, and tag. The opportunity is real, but so is the competition.

The Battle Begins on the Pavement

Here is the inconvenient truth: your beautifully composed sharing boards are invisible to anyone who has not already decided to walk through your door. In a high street where every operator is chasing the same footfall, the thirty seconds a passer-by spends glancing at your frontage is the entire window you have to convert curiosity into a reservation.

That is precisely where a well-placed A-board earns its keep. A bold, hand-written daily special — "Mezze for two, changing weekly" or "Sharing Sunday: three courses, one slate" — communicates the experience before a guest even reaches the handle. It is immediate, tactile, and human in a way that a digital display simply cannot replicate.

Why Chalk Still Sells in 2027

There is something about chalk lettering on dark slate that signals care, craft, and freshness. It tells the guest that a real person wrote that message today — and that the menu inside is equally considered. As sharing-plate culture leans harder into the artisanal and the convivial, your exterior signage should echo exactly that warmth.

The Securit® Sidewalk Sign "Woody" is built for precisely this moment. Its solid wood frame and quality blackboard surface give you an authentic, high-end aesthetic that suits everything from a neighbourhood bistro to a city-centre bar. Stable in everyday terrace conditions and easy to update between services, it lets you rotate your sharing-plate messaging as often as the kitchen changes the menu.

Make the Trend Work for You Now

Bidfood's forecast is a gift — use it proactively rather than reactively. Start trialling sharing formats this autumn, refine them through winter, and by the time 2027 arrives you will have the offer, the stories, and the street presence to own the trend in your area.

The diners are coming. Make sure they stop.

See the product →

Frequently asked questions

Why is pavement signage particularly effective for promoting sharing-plate menus?: Sharing plates are a social, experience-led format that benefits enormously from curiosity-driven footfall. A well-worded A-board communicates the communal, relaxed nature of the offer in an instant, making it far more likely that a passing group will choose your venue over a competitor with no visible hook.
How often should I update the messaging on my outdoor chalkboard sign?: As a minimum, update it every service period — lunch and dinner — and whenever a key sharing dish changes. Frequent updates signal freshness to regulars and give passersby a new reason to stop each time they walk by, which is especially valuable on high-footfall streets.