Street food stall banners
The crowd reads your name from twenty metres away, while the queue reads your menu from two. Those are two different signs, and most stalls only really design one.
Sign one: the name above the heads.
At a busy market, the bottom half of your stall disappears behind customers. So your name has to live up high, on the top of the gazebo frame or the trailer. Keep it to the name plus one or two words on what you cook: "Bao", "Wood-fired pizza", "Jerk chicken". A hungry person scanning a row of stalls is choosing by food type, so a clever name alone will not do it.
As a guide, letters of around 125mm can be read from about 15 metres, so take a look at our letter height table if your pitch is further from the crowd. Most market gazebos are about 3 metres across, so measure yours between the legs, and order the banner slightly narrower so it can be pulled tight with ties.
Sign two: the menu for the queue
People in a queue have time, but they still want to be ready when they reach you. Put the menu where they can see it from the back of the line, at or above eye height, on the side facing them. A menu placed on the counter only serves the person already ordering.
- Five or six dishes at most, with prices in large figures
- The vegetarian and vegan options easy to spot
- Payment methods shown, so that people have a card ready
Allergen information must be kept current, and the rules apply to you as a food business. Check them with the council where you are registered or with the Food Standards Agency, and leave a place for your hygiene rating too.
Menus change, so build a system
Dishes sell out, and prices move. Rather than reprinting, use a base board with a strip for each dish, attached with Velcro. A sold-out dish comes off in a second, and you can print new strips for just the items that change.
Things that ruin banners on a pitch
| Hazard | What it does | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Heat and flames | PVC and vinyl can soften, scorch or burn | Keep all print well clear of grills and gas. Follow the organiser's fire rules |
| Grease and smoke | Films the surface and dulls colours | Wipe down after each event. Keep banners upwind where you can |
| Wind | Puts strain on eyelets and gazebo legs | Tie at every eyelet, weigh down the legs, and consider mesh |
| Packing up tired | Creases and folds in a wet banner | Roll, never fold, and dry it out at home |
Pieces for a typical stall
| Item | A1 | 40in x 30in | 60in x 40in |
|---|---|---|---|
| PVC banner print | £20 | £25 | £45 |
| 5mm Foamex mounting | £14 | £22 | £37.50 |
Guide prices from our price list. They exclude VAT and delivery and assume print-ready artwork.
Wider headers are quoted to size. If you trade from a vehicle, see food truck wraps. Everything has to share the van with your cooking kit, so measure the load space before you pick board sizes.
Names that carry.
Your questions.
Do I need flame-retardant banners?
Some events ask for this. Check with each organiser what they require, and tell us before you order, so we can advise on what we can supply.
How do I clean grease off a PVC banner?
Use a mild detergent and a soft cloth, then rinse and let it dry. Do not use solvents, which can damage the print.
Can one banner suit all my different pitches?
Yes, if you size it for your smallest gazebo. Add extra ties, so you can adjust it for each frame.