There’s a reason cafés and bistros love chalkboards. A hand-lettered specials board feels fresh, personal, and made today, and it invites people to try something new. Real chalk, though, smudges, takes skill, and has to be rewritten every morning. This Today’s Specials Chalkboard Menu Template gives you the look of a lovingly chalked board with none of the mess. Change the dishes in a minute, print, and hang it in the frame by the door.
A Chalkboard, Board by Board
The template is tabloid size, 11 x 17 inches, portrait, a common poster size that fits standard frames and fits in a sidewalk sign holder or on a counter easel. The design reproduces a real chalkboard:
- A wooden frame in warm walnut brown with faint horizontal grain lines.
- A slate-grey board with a soft inner shadow and a few faint chalk smudges, as if yesterday’s specials were wiped away.
- A wooden ledge along the bottom holding chalk sticks in white, yellow, pink, and blue, and a felt board eraser.
On the board, Today’s is written in yellow Caveat above SPECIALS in tall chalk-white Amatic SC letters. Wavy chalk lines with little star doodles at each end divide the board into sections, each in a different chalk colour:
- Chef’s Special: a dashed chalk-outlined photo frame on the left, and on the right the dish name in large handwriting (Braised Short Rib), a description, and the price circled in yellow chalk.
- Soup of the Day and Sandwich Special: side by side, split by a faint chalk line, each with a coloured label, dish, short description, and price.
- Sweet Treat and Drink of the Day: a second pair with the same structure.
Our logo sits in soft chalk white at the bottom of the board, just above the ledge.
Plan a Week of Specials
Specials work best when they rotate with purpose, using what’s in season, what you have in stock, and what regulars look forward to. Here is an example week you could use as a starting point. Each day you only change the dish names and prices on the board:
| Day | Chef’s special | Soup | Sweet treat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Chicken pot pie | Roasted tomato basil | Lemon drizzle cake |
| Tuesday | Fish tacos | Black bean | Churro bites |
| Wednesday | Braised short rib | French onion | Warm apple crumble |
| Thursday | Mushroom risotto | Butternut squash | Chocolate mousse |
| Friday | Beer-battered fish & chips | New England clam chowder | Sticky toffee pudding |
| Weekend | Brunch hash with eggs | Chicken noodle | Cinnamon rolls |
Save a copy of the board for each day. Next week, open Monday’s version, change what needs changing, and print.
Changing Today’s Specials
- Dish names: double-click the handwritten text to type. The Caveat handwriting font keeps the chalk look for whatever you type.
- Descriptions and prices: update the smaller lines. The yellow circle around the chef’s special price is a separate shape, so resize it if the price gets longer.
- Photo: click the chalk-outlined frame and choose Replace Image. Photos with a dark background blend nicely with the slate.
- Section labels: rename them, for example, Quiche of the Day, Salad Special, or Happy Hour.
- Chalk colours: recolour any text or divider with pastel tones (soft yellow, pink, blue, green) to keep the chalk effect. Bright, saturated colours look less like real chalk.
Tips for Convincing Chalk Lettering
- Mix two lettering styles: a tall, narrow font for labels (Amatic SC) and handwriting for dishes (Caveat), as the template does.
- Use off-white, never pure white. Chalk is slightly warm and soft.
- Keep plenty of slate showing. Crowded chalkboards lose their charm, so four or five specials is plenty.
- Add doodles sparingly. The stars and wavy dividers are enough. Too many drawings make the board hard to read.
- Circle the thing you want to sell. A chalk circle around one price draws the eye straight to it.
Writing Specials That Sell
A specials board is a sales pitch in a few words, so each line needs to count. Lead with the ingredient guests care about most (Braised Short Rib rather than Beef Dish), keep descriptions to one short line of two or three flavours, and give the price its own line so it’s easy to find. Use a little urgency where it’s true, such as while it lasts or only on Fridays. Say where special ingredients come from if they are local, such as a nearby farm or bakery. Finally, match the specials to the time of day: hearty dishes at lunch and something sweet with the afternoon coffee.
Printing and Displaying the Board
Download the PDF and print it at tabloid (11 x 17 in) size. Many office printers handle tabloid paper, and any copy shop will. Use a matte paper or matte card stock: a glossy finish would make the board look like a photo rather than a chalkboard. Put it in an 11 x 17 poster frame by the door, clip it to a counter easel, or mount it on foam board for a sidewalk A-frame. For social media, download a JPG. A daily post of the specials board is simple content that brings people in.
Chalkboard Menu Questions
Can I print it on Letter paper?
Yes. The design scales down to 8.5 x 11 inches while keeping its proportions, which is handy for table tents and counter cards. Print fit to page and check that the smallest text is still readable.
Can I show more than five specials?
Swap the chef’s special photo for a second list, or change the bottom pair into a list of three drinks. Keep the board uncluttered for the best effect.
Will it pass for a real chalkboard?
At a glance, yes. The textured slate, off-white lettering, and wooden frame give a convincing effect, especially behind glass in a frame.
Can I use it for a wedding or party?
Absolutely. Change the labels to Signature Drinks, Dinner Menu, or Order of the Day for a rustic event sign.
Chalk It Up
Type in today’s specials, add a photo of the chef’s special, and hang a board that looks hand-lettered every morning, without the chalk dust. Tomorrow, change a few words and print again.
