Menu Design

MODULE: 3
Subject: Menu Design
Introduction:
The menu is the centrepiece of any eating establishment. It is not just a list of
food items for sale, but the reason why that establishment exists menu planning, therefore
maybe considered to be one of the most critical activities of foodservice operations. It he
décor, service style, costume and required cooking skills
Menu – is a detailed list of food items that maybe ordered or served. A menu is a
reflection of particular operations, mission and therefore will vary greatly from one
organization to the next
Menu planning – is the process of deciding what you will eat for each meal, including
main dishes, side dishes and desserts it also entails how many meals to plan for and when
to serve them
Factors in menu planning
 Target customers
 Business capabilities
 Environmental consideration
 Aesthetic quality
Factors influencing Menu Planning
 Organizational
 Customer characteristics
o Demographic
o Socio-cultural influences
o Nutritional requirements
o Food composition, trends and habits
 Operational functions
 Managerial
Menu are grouped by price
 Ala carte menus

o The food items are priced separately or individually, this allows customer
to select foods they want
 Table d’Hote menu
o It offers a complete meal at a fixed price usually with a choice of same
item
 De jour menu
o It means “Menu of the day” this is a good way of utilizing lectures and
food bargain
Types of menu
 Selective menu – includes two or more choices

 Non-selective menu – this type offers no hoice
 Static or set – in this type, the same menu are used each day
 Single use menu – is the type that is planned for a certain day
 Cycle menu – planned set of menu that are offered in rotation set on interval
Menu writing – is an underappreciated art from a menu is a tool to help your demand
develop long term relationship with your customer
5 dos in writing a menu
 Do use evocate vocabulary ex. Very spicy to flaming hot

 Do match writing with branding
 Do invest in quality printing to better spinoff your content
 Do categorize your menu contnent
 Do consider a-b testing your menu
Menu Pattern - Defined as an outline of food to be included in each meal. The usual
schedules are
Three (3) meals a day- breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper served within a certain time
span.
Menu Pattern
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Fruit/Juice Soup (Optional) Soup
Cereal Entrée/Sandwich Entrée
Egg/Protein Dish Salad/Vegetables Two

Vegetables
Toast/Bread Bread and Butter Salad
Beverages Beverages Bread and

Butter
Dessert
Beverages
Menu Groupings
1) Appetizers (Hot or Cold)

2) Soup (Clear or Cream)
3) Salad
4) Entrees (Fish, Meat, or Poultry)
5) Dessert (Hot or cold)
6) Beverages
The menu – is an itemized list of food served at a meal
Menu design and format – a menu card must be designed and worded to appeal to the
guest, to stimulate sales, and often to influence clientele to select items the food service
wants to sell
Guidelines
 The menu card should be of a size that can be easily handled

 It should be spotlessly clean
 It should be simple in format with appropriate print size and type
 It should have ample margin space
 It should be highly legible
 It should be interesting in color and design
 It should be harmonize with décor of the foodservice
Menu marketing – the manner in which food choices are presented to potential customers
can have a significant impact on sales. It is estimated that two-thirds of menu choices
made are influenced by the menu itself
Factors:
 Menu board and signage

o Menu and signage can have a significant impact on food sales on
commercial operations. The purpose of menu boards are sometimes
referred as “silent” sales representatives, that encourage potential
customers to make a choice
 Spoken menus
o This concept is quite common in fine dining establishments where staff
verbally describe menu choices to customers rather than present menu
8 essentials in menu design and layout
1. Be aware of eye scanning patterns

2. Divide the menu into logical sections
3. Use photos sparingly
4. Consider using illustrations
5. Don’t emphasize currency signs
6. Consider using box
7. Typography
8. Choose appropriate colors
Standardize recipe – is a written instructions used to consistently prepare a known

quantity and quality of food for specific location. A standardized will produce that is
close to identical in taste and yield every time it’s made, no matter who follows direction
A good standardize recipe include:
 Menu item name

 Total yield
 Portion size
 Ingredients list/quantity
 Procedure
 Cooking temperature and time
 Special instruction
 Mis en place
 Service instruction
 Plating
Advantages
 Consistent quality and quantity

 Standard portion size/cost
 Assuring nutritional content
 Aiding in forecasting and purchasing
 Dew errors in food order
 Work simplification
 Assisting new employees
 Incorporate HACCP principles
 Reducing waste
Models in recipe costing
1. Portion cost
2. Food cost percentage
3. Selling price
4. Food cost
5. Food percentage
6. Mark-up margin
7. Contribution margin
Menu analalysis- focuses on understanding how your restaurant is functioning in terms of

pricing and performance. It explores every facet of yout menu, from virtual design to the
psychological and calculated math behind it
Aspects:
 Adapting menu offerings

 Menu aesthetics
 Menu description and pricing placement
Benefits:
 Increase sales
 Keep pulse on the competition
 Understand profitability
 Recognize latest customer trends
Menu analysis process:
 Menu evaluation
 Menu item classification
 Four box analysis
 Menu summary sheet
 Menu engineering graph
 The human touch
Menu engineering – means balancing the high and low food cost items. It also includes
strategically featuring or promoting items to help reach your targets. Is about maximizing
profitability menu items and encourage customers to buy what you want them to buy.
Benefits:
 Learn how to profit contribution of each menu item

 Discover the power of classifying menu items
 Eliminate across the board price increase
 Find out how menu placement and layout dramatic affects profit
 Helps to immediately identify “dead weight” on your menu
Menu categories
 Stars: popular and profitable

 Opportunities: popular, but unprofitable
 Puzzle: profitable, but unpopular
 Dog: unpopular and unprofitable
Organized menu – the speed of taking orders is a significant part of the good impression
and quality service at any restaurant
Essential:
 Menu groups
 Pictures
 Colors
 Prints
Profitable dishes – menu items that are popular and commonly ordered by customers
Strategies:
 Calculate food costs

 Implement mark up to cover overhead cost
 Ensure portion control
 Analyse menu psychology
Tips on how to make profitable
 Dash of speed
 Soupcon of storage
 Helping of hunger
 Plenthora of pricing
 Taking the competition into account
 Determine why your restaurant is worst visiting
 Profit is king
 Master the art of menu design
Sample menu design

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MODULE: 3

Subject: Menu Design

Factors in menu planning

Factors influencing Menu Planning

Menu are grouped by price

 Ala carte menus

 Selective menu – includes two or more choices

5 dos in writing a menu

 Do use evocate vocabulary ex. Very spicy to flaming hot

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Fruit/Juice Soup (Optional) Soup

Cereal Entrée/Sandwich Entrée

Egg/Protein Dish Salad/Vegetables Two

Toast/Bread Bread and Butter Salad

Beverages Beverages Bread and

1) Appetizers (Hot or Cold)

The menu – is an itemized list of food served at a meal

 The menu card should be of a size that can be easily handled

 Menu board and signage

8 essentials in menu design and layout

1. Be aware of eye scanning patterns

Standardize recipe – is a written instructions used to consistently prepare a known

A good standardize recipe include:

 Menu item name

 Consistent quality and quantity

Models in recipe costing

Menu analalysis- focuses on understanding how your restaurant is functioning in terms of

 Adapting menu offerings

Menu analysis process:

 Learn how to profit contribution of each menu item

 Stars: popular and profitable

 Calculate food costs

Tips on how to make profitable

Sample menu design

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