Best Digital Menu Boards for Quick-Service Restaurants: WAND Digital vs Raydiant

Digital menu boards are now table stakes for small and midsize business owners and operators in the fast casual and quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. For franchisors and franchisees who are ready to make the investment in digital menus for drive-thrus and indoor service, we’ve pulled together comparisons of the best platforms on the market for QSRs. In this article, we’ll compare WAND Digital’s menu system and Raydiant’s.

WAND: A Digital Menu Solution Built for QSRs

QSR-Specific Focus: WAND Digital is exclusively dedicated to QSRs and fast-casual restaurants, offering tools and services designed to help these businesses thrive. By avoiding unnecessary features and distractions, WAND provides a streamlined solution tailored to the unique needs of restaurant operators.

Integrated and Reliable System: Hosted on AWS and supported by an offline automatic playback system, WAND ensures reliable performance. The software integrates seamlessly with industry-leading POS systems like Revel, Toast, and Brink, creating a unified source for managing digital menus.

Comprehensive Software Features: WAND’s platform allows for easy management of menu items, prices, descriptions, calories, and sizes. Operators can also:

• Leverage award-winning menu designs to optimize customer engagement
• Schedule dayparting to display the right menus at the right time
• Deploy consistent branded experiences across one or hundreds of locations

Full-Service Hardware Support: WAND simplifies the transition to digital menus by handling hardware procurement and installation. From sourcing industrial-grade drive-thru displays to installing premium indoor boards, WAND’s experts ensure every solution meets the unique demands of your location.

24/7/365 Dedicated Support: With a support team available around the clock, WAND assists with every step of the process, from installation to ongoing management. This hands-on approach minimizes operational challenges and maximizes the value of your digital menu investment.

Raydiant: Broad Digital Signage for Multiple Industries

Wide-Ranging Focus: Raydiant’s software and plug-and-play hardware are designed to serve a variety of industries beyond QSRs, including retail, healthcare, and corporate environments. While this flexibility may appeal to businesses with general digital signage needs, it results in a product that lacks specific features for QSR drive-thrus or indoor menus.

Content Management System (CMS): Raydiant’s CMS integrates with several POS systems, such as Square and Toast, and provides access to a vast array of features, including:

• Employee rewards and gamification tools Mobile apps and widgets
• Entertainment options like trivia, music, and video clips
• Over 250,000 drag-and-drop templates

While comprehensive, this extensive feature stack can be overwhelming for QSR operators who need a straightforward solution to replace static menus with dynamic digital displays.

Hardware Approach: Raydiant does not manufacture display screens and advises customers to source their own from retailers like Walmart or Best Buy. Their hardware consists of a mini computer that plugs into an HDMI port, requiring each device to be managed independently via their cloud-based CMS. Installation is outsourced to Best Buy’s Geek Squad, leaving customers responsible for navigating industrial-grade requirements.

Customer Support: While Raydiant provides support for its products, the reliance on third-party services for installation and the generalist nature of its offerings may leave QSR operators managing much of the process themselves.

Conclusion

WAND Digital can outfit your QSR or fast-casual restaurant with POS integrations, state-of-the-art hardware, and more tech to fit your needs. WAND will help you procure industrial-grade digital menu boards for your drive-thrus that withstand the weather in any region and climate that your stores are located in as well as best-in-class displays for your indoor spaces. Because we are experts in digital signage for the QSR industry, we can cater to your specific needs and goals from start to finish. We also offer 24/7/365 operational support.

Overall, Raydiant offers a lot across the gamut of digital signage needs. Though, perhaps their lack of focus on QSRs and overwhelming amount of features and technology options could leave you self-navigating the transition to digital menus.

Ready to get started with digital menu boards?

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 Raydiant are for illustrative and educational purposes only. We are not affiliated with or sponsored by Raydiant.

22nd Jul 2022 John Phillips