1. Chapter 6
The Menu
Food & Beverage Operations
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 1
Menus are what initially attract most diners to an establishment so Much attentions must be paid to this F&B
topic
2. Chapter Overview
• Menu pricing styles
• Menu schedules
• Types of menu
– breakfast, lunch, and dinner
– specialty
• Menu planning & design
• Menu evaluation
• Contribution margin
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 2
Hope 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.
3. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3
Table DHote=Prix Fixe. Remember- may show up on
exam
6. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 6
Who can tell me what types of restaurants that might offer these types of menus?
Fast Food, Buffets
Cafeteria, Institutional, Military, Rest Home, Senior Facility
7. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 7
8. Common Specialty Menus
• Children’s • Take-out
• Senior • Banquet
citizens’ • California
• Alcoholic • Ethnic
beverage
• Dessert
• Room
service
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8
10. Menu Planning
• Know Your Guests (p.132)
• Guest preferences:
– Interviews
– Surveys
– Comment cards
– Trade journals
– Production/sales records
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10
Size of the Kitchen and Facility follows Menu Design and
Capacity
11. Menu Planning
• Know your quality requirements
• Mix of characteristics:
– Flavor
– Consistency
– Texture
– From/shape
– Nutritional content
– Visual & aromatic appeal
– Temperature
Make-buy analysis
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 11
Make it of Buy it?
Labor versus expertise and expense
12. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 12
If 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
13. Sources for Menu Item Recipes
• College or Culinary
School
• Work/Restaurants
• Classic Cookbooks
• Trade Magazines
• Colleagues
• The Internet
• TV
• Experimentation
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 13
14. Typical Order of Menu Item Selection
• Appetizers and soups
• Salads
• Starches and vegetables
• Entrees
• Desserts
• Beverages
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 14
15. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 15
No tricks only good food. Proper spelling, grammar and balance makes a popular
menu
16. Menu Design
Truth-in-Menu Laws
• Grading (jumbo
shrimp?)
• Freshness claims
• Geographical origin
• Preparation
• Dietary or nutrition
claims
• Portion size
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 16
You cannot lie on a menu. All things need to be accurate and correct.
Examples: Shanghai Hairy Crab but it’s Alaskan Snow Crab
Coke but your serving Pepsi or another cheaper brand. Happens a lot here Rolex watch?
17. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 17
18. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 18
19. 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
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 19
Software 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!
20. Contribution Margin Classifications
Contribution Margin=Selling Price-Food Costs
C STAR PUZZLES
M
PLOWHORSE DOG
Popularity
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 20
Looking 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,
21. Menu Review
•Menu pricing styles
•Menu schedules
•Types of menu
•breakfast, lunch, and dinner
•specialty
•Menu planning & design
•Menu evaluation
•Contribution margin
21
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 21
Let’s go over and review these before we conclude with today’s lesson!
Hungry?
