Reviewer in TLE
Second Quarter
The Menu and The Food Service Operation
The Menu Helps to Determine Staff Needs
Variety and complexity increases, number of personnel increases
- Production staff
- Service staff
- Back-of-house staff
The Menu Dictates Production and Service Equipment Needs
Tableside service
- carving utensils, trolleys, gueridon, salad bowls, suzette pans, souffle dishes, soup tureens, large wooden salad bowl, rechaud,
Voiture (heated cart for serving roasts) and ......
The Menu Dictates Dining Space
A take-out sandwich or pizza operation would require no dining space and the amount of square feet required per person would be
minimal.
On the other hand, if a restaurant offers a huge salad buffet, dessert selection or an after-dinner trolley, wide aisles would be needed to
allow guests ease of movement and moving of equipment.
Purchase Specifications May Be Dictated By The Menu
If the menu offers such items as USDA Choice New York strip steaks, quarter-pound lean beef burgers, grade AA eggs, freshly
squeezed Florida orange juice, or vine-ripened tomatoes, back-of-house procedures will not only include receiving, storing, issuing,
and producing the menu items but also purchasing the specific products described. (When such factors as grade and portion size are
not dictated by the menu, managers and chefs must determine purchase specifications and related quality factors.)
How and When Items Must Be Prepared
To stimulate guest interest, the menu planner may offer a dish prepared in a variety of ways:
- Cooking methods
- Poached, broiled, batter-dipped, deep fried
The finished product must be prepared using the method indicated on the menu
Small quantities cooking (a la carte)
Batch cooking
The Menu is a Factor in the Development of Cost Control Procedures
As the menu requires more expensive food items and more extensive labor or capital (equipment) needs, the property’s overall
expenses and the procedures to control them will reflect these increased cost.
The Menu and the Service Plan
Type and size of dinnerware
Types of flatware
Garnishes (place be service or production staff)
Timing requirement for ordering
Additional dining service supplies to serve the item
Special serving produces
Special information (doneness of the steaks, over easy or sunny side eggs, etc.)
Menu Design
First impression is always important, the entire menu should complement the operation
- Theme
- Interior Décor
- Design (Merchandising)
- Creativity
- Material
- Color
- Space
Menu Design
- Type style and/or lettering
- Names of food items
- Description
- Popular items are at the top of a list
- Clip-ons, inserts (daily specials)
- Operations address
- Beverage service notice
- Separate menus for each meal period
- Separate menu for host/hostess and guests
Menu Styles
A table d'hôte (a complete meal for one price)
A la Carte (items are listed and priced separately)
Combination (combination of the table d'hôte and a la carte pricing styles)
Fixed menus: a single menus for several months
Cycle menus: designed to provide variety for guests who eat at an operation frequently - or even daily
Types Of Menus
Breakfast
- (offers fruits, juices, eggs, cereals, pancakes, waffles, and breakfast meats)
Lunch
- (features sandwiches, soups, salads, specials; usually lighter than dinner menu items)
Dinner
- (more elaborate, steaks, roasts, chicken, sea food and pasta; wines, cocktails, etc..)
Types Of Menus – Specialty
Children’s
Senior citizens’
Alcoholic beverage
Dessert
Room service
Take-out
Banquet
California (breakfast, lunch and dinner menu items on one menu)
Ethnic
Basic Rules Of Menu Planning
Know your guest
- Food preference
- Price
- Age
Know your operation
- Theme or cuisine
- Equipment
- Personnel
- Quality standards
- Budget
Selecting Menu Items
Menu category:
- Appetizers
- Salads
- Entrees
- Starch items (potatoes, rice, pasta)
- Vegetables
- Desserts
- Beverages
Common Sources For Menu Item Recipes
Old menus
Books
Trade magazines
Cookbooks for the home market
Menu Balance
Business balance
- balance between food cost, menu prices, popularity of items, financial and marketing considerations
Aesthetic balance
- colors, textures, flavors of food
Nutritional balance
Elements Of Menu Copy
Headings
- Appetizers
- Soups
- Entrees
Sub-heading
- Under entree:
- Steak, seafood, today’s specials
Descriptive copy (describe the menu items)
- should be believable and made in short, easy-to-read sentences
- no description is needed for self-explanatory item. i.e. Low Fat Milk
Truth-in-menu
Grading (foods are graded by size, quality, in line with official standards)
“Freshness” (cannot be canned, frozen or fresh-frozen)
Geographical origin (cannot make false claims about the origin of a product)
Preparation (if the menu says baked, it cannot be fried instead)
Dietary or nutrition claims (supportable by scientific data)
Supplemental Merchandising Copy
Includes information such as:
- Address
- Telephone number
- Days and hours of operation
- Meals served
- Reservations and payment policies
- History of the restaurant
- A statement about management’s commitment to guest service
Menu Layout
Sequence:
Appetizers, soups, entrees, desserts
- Depends on the operation (side orders, salads, sandwiches, beverages)
- Depends on popularity and profitability
Placement:
- artworks; space; boxes; clip-on; etc.
Format:
- Menu’s size
- General makeup
Typeface:
- Printed letters
- Font size
- Type face
Artwork:
- Drawings, photographs, decorative patterns, borders
Paper:
- Texture
Cover:
- Color
- Texture
