Split Flap at Marczyk Fine Foods

Location: Denver, Colorado (The Denver International Airport)
Use Case: Retail Signage
Client: Marczyk Fine Foods
Design Style: Contemporary Artisanal, Hanging Signs
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Split Flap Specs

Size: 3 ROW x 24 COLUMN Display
Dimensions: 70″ x 20.5″ x 5″
Finish: Classic Black Sheet Metal Casing
Installed: 2026

Project Overview

With 77.8 million annual travelers, Denver International Airport ranks as America’s third busiest. Its single, massive terminal sees more foot traffic than Chicago O’Hare, LAX, or JFK. Amongst the fray of passengers, DIA also features some infamously bizarre artwork, leading Condé Nast to call it the “most interesting airport in America.” So how does Marczyk Fine Foods, a local Denver staple, stand out amidst the din?

For them, the solution was to go analog with a Split Flap display. Their market signage gives the store a personal, kinetic touch that engages guests rather than dictates to them. As the flaps turn over, their gentle clicking and clacking draw attention to the storefront even in the busy airport setting. The unique analog motion and sound of the display make a sensory impression on visitors, leaving them with a memorable experience in an otherwise transitive place.

Functionality and Design

Split Flap displays have a long history in airports, being the dominant form of transit signage for railways and airports alike during the golden age of transportation. Before the introduction of digital screens, Split Flap displays were used to give travelers real-time updates on departure gates, delays, and baggage claim carousels.

Marczyk Fine Foods touches on this nostalgia with their market signage, but the display has a distinctly modern twist. Its short, quippy messages tend to offer a touch of humor and personality that reflects the brand’s identity. It’s a delightful recontextualization of the analog technology, turning what used to be a dry, authoritative mass communication device into an expression of character, demonstrating Marczyk’s local sensibilities and playful sense of humor.

“Menus are more than lists; they are a language that translates food into symbols people can recognize, point to, and share,” says Melissa Houghton, Digital Marketer and Food Studies graduate student at New York University. “From ancient mosaics to modern signage, menus have always been tools of connection, bridging what we eat with how we understand one another.”

A custom Split Flap display in our Classic Black casing, created specifically for Marczyk Fine Foods, is hung above the glass bakery case, rotating through brand messaging using kinetic motion.

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Behind the Scenes

At Oat Foundry, every custom Split Flap display build begins long before a single flap clicks into place. Each project (such as Marczyk’s Fine Food) is created specifically for your unique space, down to scale, messaging, and installation style. What seems like a simple board is actually a part of an intricate system, often composed of thousands of individual parts that work in perfect synchronization. 

Sheets of cold-rolled steel are cut, bent, and powder-coated before being assembled into a durable cabinet, the structural backbone of our displays. Inside, electronics and proprietary software bring the system to life, with technicians manually installing each printed flap into the rotating carousel. The result is an orchestrated balance of precision, craftsmanship, and motion, where every flip, sound, and transition is the product of intentional, behind-the-scenes work happening in Oat Foundry’s Philadelphia-based workshop. 

Each Oat Foundry Split Flap display is built to order, right here in our Philly-based workshop.

Retail Use Case

Airport terminals, not unlike food halls, are naturally chaotic places. Some guests linger for hours while others sprint to make their connection. Stores selling duty-free luxury goods and local delicacies rub shoulders along the stretching walls of long concourses. Massive windows offer a peek into air travel’s logistical underbelly, while airplanes depart and land in a carefully choreographed dance beyond. It is high-traffic and distraction-rich environments like these that store signage has historically been optimized for. The market signage for Marczyk Fine Food is no different. The dynamic display creates an interactive experience with guests, who can watch, listen, and read as the board transitions from one message to the next.

“I come from a food & beverage background and understand how important it is to keep menus current,” says Director of Sales Kristy Brunhofer, who, in addition to Marczyk, has coordinated Oat Foundry retail signage for Starbucks and Momofuku.

“Unlike traditional alternatives, which are often cumbersome to update, our content management system makes refreshing content incredibly fast and easy,” she explains. “The beauty of mechanical, kinetic displays is that they’re so much more than a menu. You can rotate through community messaging, personalized notes for guests, and fun, Instagrammable moments. They evolve with the space every day, creating engagement that static or digital alternatives just can’t match.”

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Press and Media

The Denver Business Journal celebrated Marczyk Fine Food’s new outpost at DIA, and Westword, one of Denver’s prominent arts & culture magazines, listed Marczyk Fine Foods as one of the best local places to eat at DIA.  5280 Magazine, another staple in Denver’s arts & culture scene, also listed Marczyk Fine Foods in their write-up of the best food and drink at DIA.

Featured Content

The Interactive Menu: The Future of Food and Beverage

Pictured: 3 Row by 7 Column custom split flap display for Mothership in Boston.

FAQS

Can Split Flap be customized to my space’s unique requirements? 

Yes, every Oat Foundry Split Flap display is customized and built to order. Our sizing starts at sizing such as a concise 1 Row x 8 Column display and can be scaled up from there. In addition to size, the flaps can be customized with unique fonts and symbols, and the colors of the case, flaps, and text can all be made custom-to-order.

What makes Split Flap displays ideal for high-traffic spaces? 

Split Flap displays commands attention in high-traffic environments through motion and subtle sound. Because the flaps’ speed can be reduced by lowering the rotation speed, Split Flap is also perfect for quiet, low-traffic spaces. Their distinctly analog sound has been compared to white noise or rainfall, which enhances a quiet, soothing soundscape.

What if I only need a Split Flap display for a limited period of time? 

We offer Split Flap rentals on a week-long basis in three sizes. They make excellent statement pieces for events, trade shows, brand activations, or even parties. Pending availability, our two smaller rental sizes (3 Rows x 16 Columns or 24 Columns) can be rented with 10-day notices, but our larger rental display (6 Rows x 32 Columns) requires 3 weeks’ notice to properly prepare and ship.

How efficiently does Oat Foundry’s analog signage run?

Oat Foundry’s Split Flap displays run on a fraction of the energy required to power a digital sign of the same size. The displays do not run hot like many screens, reducing energy consumption. The Philadelphia Citizen highlighted Oat Foundry’s eco-friendly signage and efforts to integrate sustainability throughout the production process.