The Answer Is Easy: Make the Most of Your Business Tax Deduction by Purchasing New Digital Menu Equipment Before the End of the Year. Owning, operating, or managing a business such as a quick-service restaurant (QSR), café, fast casual restaurant, or dining service is no easy feat and is something to be proud of. This year in 2023, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has made it a bit easier to own or operate such a business, at least as far as expenditures go, like equipment and hardware upgrades. By purchasing new equipment before the end of the year (December 31, 2023), like digital menu boards and accompanying hardware accessories, you’re not only investing in your business for increased revenue next year, you’re also making the most of your business tax deduction.

Under the new law, businesses can expense more. According to the Official website of Section 179:

“The Section 179 deduction for 2023 is $1,160,000 (this is up from $1,080,000 in 2022). This is a full $80,000 increase from last year. This means U.S. companies can deduct the full purchase price of ALL qualified equipment purchases, up to the limit of $1,160,000. In addition, the “total equipment purchase” limit has been raised to $2,890,000 (up from $2.7 million in 2022). The deduction can include both new and used qualified equipment.

In addition, businesses can take advantage of 80% bonus depreciation on both new and used equipment for the entirety of 2023. Remember to keep supply chain issues and delivery times in mind when making your Section 179 purchases for 2023, as equipment must be purchased and put into service by midnight 12/31”

Typically, capital expenditures (purchased assets whose usefulness or value to a company exceeds one year) are deducted over a number of years through a process of depreciation, amortization or depletion, rather than being deducted in the year the assets were purchased. 

As the end of 2023 is nearly upon us, we wanted to remind you (franchisees, franchisors, QSR owners and operators, and dining service managers) that now, before January 1, 2024, might be a good time to purchase that much needed new equipment or update your old tech, like digital menu hardware – monitors, digital menu accessories, computers, media players and even whole upgrades like installation of digital menus that replace static menus. (Need help deciding what equipment works well for your locations? WAND experts can help you tailor your set up and procure upgraded hardware.)

Of course, check with your tax accountant first to ensure your purchase will qualify before you go on a spending spree. There are several qualifying factors and stipulations.

Just because you purchase capital equipment, doesn’t mean you automatically get the deduction; you must elect it. To elect to take the deduction, you’ll need to fill out Part 1 of IRS form 4562 and attach to your tax return.

Make the most of this deduction and savings by connecting with us for more information and asking us about specials on new products including Smart Stanchions, Smart Tags and more.

“I was so glad to have WAND Digital’s participation in our Hospitality Marketing Conference. Because of their support, we were able to utilize their innovative digital display boards and smart tags for our conference signage. Their partnership was a huge benefit to our organization and a wonderful opportunity for our members to experience their cutting-edge products in action.”

Victoria Marley, Manager of Partnerships & Programs, Hospitality Minnesota

We’re still buzzing from Hospitality Minnesota’s October 2023 marketing conference at Maddens on Gull Lake (Brainerd, MN). The conference brought together the state’s vibrant hospitality industry to have engaging conversations, learn and share relevant and forward-thinking ideas, and dive into opportunities for hospitality marketers. 

We at WAND Digital were delighted to support the event and share the magic and real-life utility of WAND’s digital signage technology. We’re grateful to Hospitality Minnesota for inviting us to share our expertise in hospitality marketing in the space of digital menu technology and customer experience.

• Marketing as an Experience vs. a Product/Service. Along with focusing on the value of your products and services, always take a step back to see how marketing these products can make for a great customer experience. Learn how WAND customers put customer experience at the forefront with digital signage technology and strategy.
• Employ dynamic and enticing animation and design. On digital signage, using dynamic and enticing animation and design can drive sales and guest loyalty. Instead of static or over-used (familiar) design, dynamic animation creates a modern experience that can delight and surprise guests. Read more on adding movement to your designs in this WAND insights article.
• Meet with and learn from other hospitality industry experts: We loved meeting and hearing from other hospitality industry experts. Hearing what challenges you are facing and what opportunities are out there for hospitality businesses was refreshing and motivating. If we met you or reconnected with you, thank you! We look forward to staying in touch.

“Building great relationships with guests has always been a passion of mine. We were thrilled to share our 15 years of experience at this year’s Hospitality Minnesota conference and help businesses connect with their guests in more meaningful ways.”

Bill Graham, VP WAND Digital

Congratulations to our clients at Auntie Anne’s for gaining significant efficiencies through WAND Digital’s complimentary integration with the Revel Systems’ POS (point of sale) system. This integration allows for Auntie Anne’s to ensure all prices displayed on their digital menu boards automatically match the pricing in the Revel POS Management Console. 

Leveraging this flexible cloud POS system paves the way for multi-location growth. By integrating this best-in-class quick-service restaurant POS system with WAND Digital’s high-performing digital menu board technology, Auntie Anne’s has been able to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and increase overall revenues.

Revel–a pioneer of the cloud-based iPad POS–is one of the best restaurant POS systems to integrate with WAND’s digital menu solutions. On top of a seamless integration, WAND Digital’s Intelligent Menu System provides clients with further controls and override capabilities to edit item values.

We will work side-by-side with your team to integrate and set up your POS system platform of choice with your WAND digital menus. Whether it’s a new POS system or you’ve already been using it, we’ve got you covered.

With several digital menu board platforms on the market for quick-service restaurants (QSRs), dining halls, drive-thrus, and food service operators to choose from, you might be feeling overwhelmed by features, offerings, and more as you do your initial comparison research. 

Instead of comparing features side-by-side in a long list, we’re looking at the bigger picture to help make your comparison research a bit simpler. In this article, we’ll compare WAND Digital with Xenial – A Global Payments Company.

Xenial is a large global company that makes digital signage, software, and hardware for several industries and at enterprise scale. When it comes to managing a signage display network at scale, they make it seem easy to provision and deploy devices at an enterprise level. If you’re looking to deploy hundreds or thousands of displays and all the accompanying technology, you might consider what they offer.

Though, because they play at such a large scale with a “to the max” mentality, their services and features could be more than a small-to-midsize QSR franchise or food service operation would need to set up one, a couple, or even a few dozen locations with digital menu board technology.

Because WAND Digital is centered on getting QSRs, fast casual restaurants, and food service operators up and running quickly and smoothly with digital signage technology, we won’t take you down a rabbit hole of distracting features or next-level products. Xenial’s endless options could be overwhelming for small and mid-size operations and distract from what it takes to operate and scale successfully. 

If you’re making the transition from static menus to dynamic digital menus, consider a partner that will listen to your needs and goals and tailor a solution for you. WAND experts will help you decide on the optimal set-up and solution based on your business’s budget, parameters, and challenges. Then, we’ll procure and install hardware (like displays) for you, install WAND’s digital menu board software, integrate it with your POS system (if desired), and train and support your teams to ensure you get up and running quickly and sturdily. 

With WAND’s installation and onboarding services, content management resources, and award-winning menu design, you’ll be able to easily make updates to menu items, prices, descriptions, calories and sizes, as well as upload brand assets, schedule day-parting, and deploy a premium outdoor and indoor experience from one store to hundreds in minutes.

There are some benefits to working with a large global corporation like Xenial. But, another drawback can be the maze you have to navigate in order to get useful and timely support from staff who know you as a client. 

WAND offers 24/7/365 support. Our support team is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and they are always ready to respond to your service needs. WAND’s experts know our clients and our products well. One reviewer on Featured Customers writes, “Not only is the software easy to use but the relationship with WAND is supportive, helpful and open. It’s a great partnership.” 

In addition to around-the-clock support and a partnership mindset, WAND has decades of award-winning menu design in our portfolio and can help you design, test, and optimize your unique menu to maximize engagement and ROI.

For all these reasons, we hope you’ll see that WAND Digital is the preferred alternative to Xenial. Overall, Xenial offers a lot across the spectrum of digital signage needs. Though, their size and focus on enterprise-level operations could leave you overwhelmed with your transition from static to digital menus.

If you’d like to continue your research to find the best digital menu board platform for your business, see the related articles below for additional comparisons of the best digital menu technology on the market.

Disclaimer: All information was obtained from public sources on or around the date of publishing this article and may have changed since then. References to Xenial are for illustrative and educational purposes only. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by Xenial.

Paul Cingolani, Resident District Manager, San Jose State University, Compass Group USA

Twenty-eight San Jose State University (SJSU) dining and retail locations:

• Student Union (main dining hall, catering, chefs kitchen, restaurants, retail, etc.)
• Ginger Market (a popular grab-n-go market with autonomous checkout)
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library

As a client of Compass Group USA, SJSU chose WAND Digital to support their vision for a modern university experience through digital displays and accompanying technology in their food service locations on campus, including the Student Union, the popular grab-n-go store Ginger Market, which was the first autonomous checkout store in Silicon Valley, and San Jose’s largest library, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library. 

WAND consulted with Paul and his team through a site survey and tailored planning process to ensure the installation and placement of the displays were optimized in each of the 28 food service locations on campus. The commercial-grade digital displays and tablets provide menu and item information and branded signage, which is easily edited in real time, creating a seamless, modern food service experience for patrons, a simplified workflow for food service and retail staff, and easy digital display management for IT and marketing staff at SJSU.

“Great communication! WAND was flexible to our needs and schedule and the technology and service is in demand by other departments.”

Paul Cingolani, Resident District Manager, Compass Group USA for SJSU

Jason Neilsen, Technology Delivery Manager, Compass Digital for client American Airlines at their new hospitality complex in Fort Worth, Texas.

American Airlines opened a new hospitality complex for visiting employees at the heart of their $1B Fort Worth, Texas headquarters in early 2023. The complex features a 600-room hotel and an endless list of amenities, including several dining options such as a cafe, dining room, tavern, grab-and-go market, eurobar and more.

American Airlines’ vision was to “simplify team members’ visiting experience by building a modern hospitality complex at the heart of our campus. A place where visiting team members can lodge, eat, socialize, and work out.” 

As a client of Compass Digital, the digital and technology innovation arm of Compass Group North America, American Airlines chose WAND Digital to support this modern experience through digital displays and accompanying menu technology in their food service areas of the complex. 

WAND helped Compass install and integrate WAND’s software and hardware technology solutions in several spaces, which were still under construction at the time. “Will [from WAND] took notes and made sure he had all the equipment we needed for an efficient installation. Even though the spaces were still in construction, he had a vision,” shares Jason.

The commercial-grade screens and tablets display brand assets and menu information, which is easily edited in real time, creating a seamless modern dining experience for patrons and a simplified workflow for food service staff.

“When it comes to digital signage, WAND Digital is top tier. We get what we pay for with the quality and level of service.”

Jason Neilsen, Technology Delivery Manager, Compass Digital

Leah Gayowski, Division Marketing Director, Eurest USA (division of Compass Group)

At the Tesla Cafe located in Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, employees and visitors can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner cafeteria service with daily hot entree specials, sandwiches, burgers, grab n’ go items and more.

Tesla wanted to upgrade their static printed menus and signage to digital displays to make the dining experience at their new global headquarters enjoyable and efficient for employees, customers and visitors alike, as well as to align with their mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. 

WAND helped Tesla install and integrate WAND’s software and hardware technology solutions at the cafe. The commercial-grade screens display brand assets and menu information, which is easily edited in real time.

Tesla Cafe also updates their mobile and web menu weekly so patrons can easily check out what the cafe is serving that day and week.

“Scheduling was prompt and installation was quick. The [WAND] team was very flexible to work with us by transferring all of their materials into our vans so we could get them into the Tesla factory.”

Leah Gayowski, Marketing Director, Eurest USA (division of Compass Group)

Leah shares that Tesla is often rebuilding and renovating at their headquarters to continue to optimize the spaces and keep things fresh. So, they plan to install more monitors in more locations at Tesla’s headquarters.

In comparing WAND’s digital menu board technology to other digital signage platforms, we could go feature by feature, but we understand that can be overwhelming. If you are an owner, operator, marketer, manager, etc. of a quick-service restaurant (QSR), fast casual restaurant or food service, this article is for you as you dive into your initial comparison research of the best digital menu platform for your operation. 

Instead of a long list, we’re looking at the bigger picture–the focus and capabilities of the technology and company–to help make your digital menu and signage comparison research a bit simpler. In this article, we’ll compare WAND’s digital menu platform with Nutrislice’s.

We know our clients’ needs, industry requirements, consumer demands, and food service and QSR trends. We’ve designed our software and built our technology solutions specifically for food service and quick-service restaurant owners and operators.

With features like WAND’s order status module (for drive-thrus), interactive service kiosks, mobile and web menus, A/B testing, advanced analytics, menu templates, and easy-to-update menu details (like items, prices, descriptions, calories and sizes), you’ll be able to deploy a premium outdoor and indoor experience from one location to hundreds in minutes. 

Additionally, WAND’s digital menu board software was built specifically to help you stand out from the competition with easy branding and marketing tools. With our QSR pedigree, we can help food service operators, like hospital and college cafeterias, become best-in-class dining options for their patrons.

WAND’s suite of integrations is prepared to connect to your point-of-sale (POS) system and create a single source of truth for powering, managing, and revising your digital menus.

A lack of focus on one industry could mean watered-down solutions for QSR and fast-casual restaurants. With a focus just on the food service industry, Nutrislice might not have their eye on helping you stand out from the competition.

In the food service industry, there can appear to be less competition because patrons of these facilities are often already committed to the space that the food service is in. For example, imagine taking a trip to a hospital and needing dinner and breakfast during your stay. Would you have a choice between the hospital’s food service and another’s? Likely, no. But these days, you might hop on an app for food delivery service and order from a local restaurant. So, if you are looking for your brand and marketing to stand out from the competition, WAND Digital is a good alternative to Nutrislice. 

One of Nutrislice’s core solutions is displaying nutrition information, which is important for food service in the industries they serve. One of their products they do this through is a digital labeling system that requires the customer to scan with their phone a QR code to learn additional details about the item. An alternative, perhaps more user-friendly option, would be on-site touch screens (tablets) the customer can interact with to view the menu items and details – especially if all of your food items are not on display (and therefore would not have a designated digital label).

Currently, Nutrislice’s only POS system integration is with Oracle’s MICROS Simphony. So, if you operate with a POS system such as Toast, Revel, Square, PAR Brink or another, syncing your POS system data and capabilities with your menus could be a costly custom integration.  

When it comes to hardware, WAND Digital looks out for our clients in the long run with end-to-end tailored solutions. We guide our clients through display selection based on the environment and intended use, like if the displays and hardware need to be weather resistant or able to withstand the harsh environment of commercial kitchens. We’ll procure, install, and get your hardware up and running smoothly. WAND Digital powers these displays through proprietary software that communicates wirelessly to updated display operating software, making these smart screens smarter. 

Nutrislice on the other hand uses an open source media player approach, which can be limited in capacity and capability. And, when it comes to which displays you use, they seem to be less invested.

The bottom line is that WAND Digital ensures that your end-to-end solution is optimized for your business no matter how unique each of your locations are. 

If you’d like to continue your research to find the best digital menu board platform for your business, see the related articles below for additional comparisons of the best digital menu technology on the market.

Disclaimer: All information was obtained from public sources on or around the date of publishing this article and may have changed since then. References to Nutrislice are for illustrative and educational purposes only. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by Nutrislice.

Known for their heavenly chocolate malts, delicious grilled-to-order burgers, and all-around quality, Becks Prime quick-service restaurant (QSR) is considered an institution in Houston, Texas. The original location, on Kirby Drive, recently underwent a remodel, the first major facelift (inside and out) since their doors opened in 1985. 

“We’ve always had quality of food, service and experience as a top priority, so we wanted to ensure we continued to meet that standard with the remodel. From upgrading the drive-thru with digital menu boards, to sourcing premium, long-lasting wood for the new patio deck, it all had to reflect our service and values,” shares Mike Knapp, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Becks Prime.

When Knapp and co-founders Win Campbell and John Storms first opened Becks Prime, they had spent a year developing a menu with first-rate ingredients. They wanted to turn the fast food and drive-thru model upside down by sourcing fresh (never frozen) food and ensuring every detail of the experience–from the napkins, to the drive-thru speakers, to the design–was congruent with the quality of food and service.

Fast forward to 2021 when Becks Prime kicked off their original restaurant lcoation’s refresh in order to continue to meet their guests’ expectations and uphold their standard for quality. With more than 50% of their business being drive-thru orders, they knew their static plexiglass drive-thru menus and “stick-in-the-ground” promotional signs were no longer cutting it. The static menus and signs were not only costly and time-consuming to update and susceptible to weather damage, they also made for a less-than-pleasant experience for guests and were a disadvantage in a competitive digital market.

Becks Prime turned to WAND Digital to upgrade their drive-thru static menus with digital menu boards and accompanying technology, including WAND’s digital menu board software and commercial-grade, weather-resistant displays. The objectives for the upgrade? Stand out with quality drive-thru experiences, grow revenue, and increase efficiency in operations. 

WAND experts worked alongside Becks Prime to install the new hardware and software, integrate their POS system, and onboard their team with the new technology. 

“We have been very detailed on what we want, and WAND has been able to deliver.” –Mike Knapp, Becks Prime Co-Founder

With the new digital menu boards and technology, employees can easily change menu item prices, schedule day-parts, upsell items with dynamic designs, run promotions, and more. 

The upgrade to digital menu boards has helped Becks Prime improve order accuracy and speed, increase ticket size, reduce printing and shipping costs, make real-time updates to the menu, and provide a better experience overall for their guests and employees. Feedback from managers is that people love the look.

They are seeing their dedication to all-around quality pay off. “We had a ‘quiet’ reopening after the refresh and still had 1,000 people show up in one day,” shares Knapp.

Now that they have digital drive-thru menu software made for scaling, Becks Prime hopes to roll-out the WAND digital menu board system at additional restaurant locations and use the technology to create an even more personable experience for guests.

“We’re big on personable service. About 80% of our customers are repeat guests, so we would like our employees to recognize them. We’re hoping to use technology to support that personable service as well, like having intuitive ‘Welcome back, this is what you ordered last time…’ messages on the screen when a returning guest arrives,” envisions Regional Operations Manager Alan Underwood.

With their drive-thru digital menu technology, made-to-order food, and vision for the future, there is no doubt Becks Prime will continue to wow their guests and hold on to their place as an institution in Houston.
Learn more about Becks Prime and see a list of their locations.

With several digital menu board platforms on the market for quick-service restaurants (QSRs), dining halls, drive-thrus, and food service operators to choose from, you might be feeling overwhelmed by features, offerings, and more as you do your initial comparison research. Instead of comparing features side-by-side in a long list, we’re looking at the bigger picture – the fundamental aspects of the technology and company – to help make your comparison research a bit simpler. In this article, we’ll compare WAND Digital with SmarterSign.

SmarterSign won’t procure or install hardware for you, although they’ll make recommendations for installation services, for displays, and for what they refer to as SmarterSign players, which are hardware and operating systems that you can run their digital signage software on. Compared to WAND Digital, SmarterSign is more of a build-your-own in regards to setting up each location with all your technology needs. If you are more of the do-it-yourself (DIY) type or are very technically savvy, and you have time to put all the pieces together (literally and figuratively), this may work for you, but it certainly won’t work for all QSR and food service owners and operators.

Not to mention, SmarterSign’s platform is not just for digital menu boards, but for digital signage across several industries like hospitality, healthcare, retail, corporate communications and more.

As you are well aware, QSR owners and operators have busy schedules and often little time to invest into researching, purchasing and implementing new technology and equipment (even if it means time and money saved in the long run). WAND Digital’s full service hands-on support is a major time (and effort) saver for everything you’ll need to implement a digital menu board platform at your location/s. WAND experts will help you decide on the optimal set-up and solution based on your business’s budget, parameters, and challenges. Then, we’ll procure and install hardware (like displays) for you, install WAND’s digital menu board software, integrate it with your POS system (if desired), and train and support your teams to ensure you get up and running quickly and sturdily.

End-to-end support might require a bit more investment up front, but you’ll soon increase your average order values and repeat customer rate, as well as save time and unnecessary costs trying to DIY. Though, WAND does offer digital menu packages for any stage of growth (whether you’re a do-it-your-selfer or you want as much support as you can get).

With our installation and onboarding services, content management resources, and award-winning menu design, you’ll be able to easily make updates to menu items, prices, descriptions, calories and sizes, as well as upload brand assets, schedule day-parting, and deploy a premium outdoor and indoor experience from one store to hundreds in minutes.

Here’s this issue with that: There are risks with connectivity when stringing one media player to multiple TVs. WAND recommends a 1:1 ratio when it comes to players and displays, because multi display players can be unreliable and create a rabbit hole of failure and implementation scenarios. The added complexity of multi display players outweighs the savings, especially as you scale. Yes, SmarterSign does offer a 1:1 ratio, though you’ll need to decide on the best configuration of technology and then install and set-up the player and display yourself (or hire someone else to do it).

WAND Digital will outfit your location/s with modern commercial grade displays, which eliminate the need for an external player. WAND embeds the player within the display itself, which is a more reliable set-up. Though, if you already have display screens you want to use, WAND is able to accommodate and install a WAND media player (though we still recommend taking the embedded player route). With WAND’s easy, no-code, no-fuss displays, and 24/7/365 operational support, you’ll never miss a beat or stress about an outage again.

For all these reasons, we hope you’ll see that WAND Digital is the preferred alternative to SmarterSign. Overall, SmarterSign offers a lot across the spectrum of digital signage needs. Though, perhaps their lack of support when it comes to procuring and installing hardware could leave you with a patchwork of unreliable technology and higher costs in the long run.

If you’d like to continue your research to find the best digital menu board platform for your business, see the related articles below for additional comparisons of the best digital menu technology on the market.

Disclaimer: All information was obtained from public sources on or around the date of publishing this article and may have changed since then. References to SmarterSign are for illustrative and educational purposes only. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by SmarterSign.