cha6 menu

Chapter 6

The Menu Food & Beverage Operations

1Tuesday, May 19, 2009Menus are what initially attract most diners to an establishment so Much attentions must be paid to this F&B topic

Chapter Overview

• Menu pricing styles• Menu schedules• Types of menu

– breakfast, lunch, and dinner – specialty

• Menu planning & design• Menu evaluation• Contribution margin

2Tuesday, May 19, 2009Hope everyone has eaten already.

We’ll talk about the types of menus and planning needed to maximize profits and keep prices and items on line.

Three Categories of Menu Pricing Styles

• Table d’hote– A complete menu for one price (prix

fixe) • A la carte

– Food & beverage items are listed and priced separately

• Combination table d’hote /a la carte– Chinese & other ethnic restaurants

3Tuesday, May 19, 2009Table DHote=Prix Fixe. Remember- may show up on exam

4Tuesday, May 19, 2009Prix Fixe/Table Dhote

5Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Menu Schedules

• Fixed menus (a week, four weeks, longer)

– When guests visit frequently– Enough items / variety for repeat guests

• Cycle Menus– When guests eat daily– Noncommercial operations– Both a la carte or table d’hote

6Tuesday, May 19, 2009Who can tell me what types of restaurants that might offer these types of menus?

Fast Food, BuffetsCafeteria, Institutional, Military, Rest Home, Senior Facility

Types of Menus

• Breakfast – simple, fast, inexpensive

• Lunch– Easy & quick, variety, less filling than

dinner menus• Dinner

– More elaborate, leisurely, frequently include wines, cocktails, elaborate desserts


Common Specialty Menus• Children’s• Senior

citizens’• Alcoholic

beverage• Dessert• Room

service

• Take-out• Banquet• California• Ethnic


9Tuesday, May 19, 2009Typical Family Restaurant in America

Menu Planning

• Know Your Guests (p.132)

• Guest preferences:– Interviews– Surveys– Comment cards– Trade journals– Production/sales records

10Tuesday, May 19, 2009Size of the Kitchen and Facility follows Menu Design and Capacity

Menu Planning• Know your quality requirements• Mix of characteristics:

– Flavor– Consistency– Texture– From/shape– Nutritional content– Visual & aromatic appeal– Temperature

Make-buy analysis

11Tuesday, May 19, 2009Make it of Buy it?

Labor versus expertise and expense

Menu Planning

• Know Your Operation– Theme or cuisine– Budget/cost– Ingredient availability– Equipment concerns– Personal concerns– Peak volume production & operating concerns– Sanitation concerns– Layout concerns

12Tuesday, May 19, 2009If you know your capabilities and weaknesses you have abetter opportunity to succeed.

May seem complex but a Chef and Manager who has their pulse on these issues will be able to capture revenue

Sources for Menu Item Recipes

• College or Culinary School

• Work/Restaurants• Classic Cookbooks• Trade Magazines• Colleagues • The Internet• TV• Experimentation


Typical Order of Menu Item Selection

• Appetizers and soups• Salads • Starches and vegetables• Entrees• Desserts• Beverages


Menu Balance

• Business balance– Food costs, menu selling prices, popularity of

items• Aesthetic balance

– Colors, textures, flavors of foods• Nutrition balance

– For both non-commercial & commercial properties

15Tuesday, May 19, 2009No tricks only good food. Proper spelling, grammar and balance makes a popular menu

Menu Design

Truth-in-Menu Laws• Grading (jumbo

shrimp?)• Freshness claims• Geographical origin• Preparation • Dietary or nutrition

claims• Portion size

16Tuesday, May 19, 2009You cannot lie on a menu. All things need to be accurate and correct.

Examples: Shanghai Hairy Crab but it’s Alaskan Snow CrabCoke but your serving Pepsi or another cheaper brand. Happens a lot here Rolex watch?

Menu Design

Steps in Menu Layout (sales-oriented)• Sequence: a beginning, middle, an end• Placement: white space• Format: size, shape, makeup (Exhibit 7 p.143)• Typeface: font, size, hand-lettered• Artwork• Paper• The Cover


Common Menu-Design Mistakes

• Menu too small/too large• Type too small• No descriptive copy• Every item treated the same• Some food & beverages not listed• Basic property information not included• Blank pages

• Evaluating Menu

Class Activity: Evaluating the Menu


Menu Management Software

helps plan, price, evaluate menus• Precosting analysis:

– estimate profitability prior to production /service

• Postcosting analysis: – analyzes results based on actual sales

• Menu engineering software: – processes menu mix & contribution

margin data

19Tuesday, May 19, 2009Software is increasingly assisting restaurant managers make better decisions on merchandising their food and beverage.

Remember: The sole purpose of opening up a business is to buy wholesale, adjust and alter the item then sell it for more!

Contribution Margin Classifications

Contribution Margin=Selling Price-Food Costs

STAR

PUZZLES

PLOWHORSE DOG

Popularity

CM

20Tuesday, May 19, 2009Looking at this chart Plowhorse is an item that does not provide the best possible pricing but is popular and guest continue to enjoy the menu item.

What kinds of items would they be? Steak and Lobster, Crabcakes, Caviar, Lamb Chops, Filet Mignon, Duckling,

Menu Review

21

•Menu pricing styles•Menu schedules•Types of menu •breakfast, lunch, and dinner •specialty •Menu planning & design•Menu evaluation•Contribution margin


Let’s go over and review these before we conclude with today’s lesson!Hungry?

cha6 menu

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