Does your water brand appear on menus?💧

Hi, it’s Wassim from Burger Index,

This week, we’re diving into brand visibility on menus. Imagine I’m a brand manager at Nestlé Water conducting a product presence audit across online menus. The key question: Does my water brand actually appear on the menus where my products are sold?

The short answer? Sometimes.

Using Burger Index, we analyzed over 31,000 restaurant menus in the UAE and found that only 16% of stores mention the brand name of the water on their menu. That means a staggering 84% remain unbranded—a massive opportunity for food and beverage brands to boost visibility.

Among the 16% of branded water on menus Arwa and Perrier hold the lions share.

Still water accounts for 90% of total water products listed, while sparkling water is growing with almost 10% of products listed and is available in 22% of stores analysed.

Of the products listed more than 98% do not mention a size.

Only 64% of products listed include a photo.

Size trends show a strong preference for 500ml bottles followed by 400ml.

Putting my brand manager hat back on, let’s talk about how brands can change that.

Direct engagement: Engage with restaurant owners, procurement managers, and distributors to understand why your brand isn’t featured and emphasise the benefits of listing your brand.

• Incentives & promotions: Offer incentives (discounts, marketing support, or bundling deals) to get your brand placed on the menu.

• Exclusive agreements: Negotiate exclusive or preferred supplier agreements where possible.

• POS & menu branding: Provide branded menu materials, signage, or digital assets to make menu placement easier for stores.

• Collaborate with delivery apps: If applicable, ensure your brand is visible on online food delivery platforms.

But it all starts with regular audits to evaluate the distribution gaps, and that's where Burger Index can help.

To track products across menus and groceries globally, click here or visit www.burgerindex.com to book a call with us.

Stay ahead with Burger Index