Menu Planning and Types

The Menu as the Focal Point of Food Services

  • The menu is the focal point of food services.

Importance of Menu Planning

  • A study revealed that:
    • 88% of patients were given a choice of foods.
    • Some patients desired more vegetarian or special needs choices.
    • 65% felt the food impacted their overall experience.
    • Only 20% reported food improved their stay (NHS, 2020).
  • Menus serve as the central control for planning foodservice operations.
  • They must navigate the complexities of:
    • Customer needs/wants
    • Food availability
    • Facilities
    • Budget
    • Other elements of the flow of food

Today’s Plan

  1. Define how menus control for the interrelated elements of food services
  2. Describe different types of menus and where they are commonly used
  3. Practice menu development skills
  4. Review menu assignment
  • Menus act as a managerial control tool, determining resource allocation, based on available resources.
  • Resources to Consider:
    • Food Availability
    • Labor Costs and Skill
    • Equipment and Facilities
    • Production and Service Capabilities
    • Time
    • Budget
    • Customer Needs and Wants
  • The way menus are planned dictates operational functions.
  • Menus must match resources in:
    • Purchasing
    • Production
    • Service
  • Menus communicate customer options in the front of house (FOH).
  • They can tap into consumer trends.
  • Educate on restaurant vision or ideals.
  • Drive sales.

Types of Menus

  • Three main types of menus:
    1. Static
    2. Single-use
    3. Cycle

Static Menus

  • Common in most restaurants.
  • Intended for:
    • Clientele changes daily, or there are many options.
    • For flexibility, rotating items can be used within an otherwise static menu.
  • Menu items need to be extensively tested before being placed on a static menu.

Single Use

  • The menu is only used once.
  • Used for single catered events.

Cycle Menus

  • Menus are on a repeat.
  • Eases some planning work.
  • Makes forecasting, ordering, inventory, and production easier.
  • Length of cycle depends on customer’s length of stay.

Selective Menus

  • Selective menus have two or more choices in some or all menu categories
    • Full selective – more options in all categories
    • Semi selective – 2 options or not in every category
    • Non-selective – 1 item per category

  • Think about a restaurant experience where you ate a multi-part meal that you loved. Take a moment to consider what things about that experience improved the meal for you? Hint: It is not always the food.

  • Possible answers:

    • Variety of options
    • Mix of flavors
    • Variety of textures
    • Appearance – colors and shapes
    • Type of cuisine
    • Good pairings
    • Ambiance
    • Customer service

Systems Approach to Menu Planning

  • Menu planners need to take multiple things into consideration before making a menu to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.

  • Considerations:

    • Customer needs and wants
    • Mission and goals of the establishment
    • Budget
    • Food options and availability
    • Staffing
    • Equipment and facilities
    • Time

Customer Motivations

  • Demographics – age, gender, health state, ethnicity, education
  • Sociocultural Influences-may require research
  • Nutritional Requirements – frequently based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans and/or Dietary Reference Intakes in institutional establishments
  • Food consumption trends, habits, and preferences
    • “Food is not nutritious until it is eaten"

Food Service Goals and Mission

  • What are the goals of your establishment? What do you want your menu to communicate?
  • For institutional food management, we have mission statements
  • Hospital example: The Nutrition and Foodservice Department is dedicated to providing a diet of healthy, wholesome food that will complement the patient’s care and promote successful recovery from the injuries or conditions that led to hospitalization. Furthermore, it is our mission to educate patients regarding diet so that they may continue to consume a healthy combination of foods.

Budget

  • This would need to cover all costs, including food, labor, and overhead
  • Define the raw food cost goal of meals before planning a menu
  • Balance high and low-cost items
  • Frequently institutional food services receive reimbursements or other government funds that control costs
    • School reimbursements in 2022-23 are 4.43 per lunch and 2.67 per breakfast for high need districts

Production and Service Capacities

  • How much could you cook with one conventional stove top and oven?
  • How could you expand the number of items made if limited to one oven?
  • Additionally, refrigeration and storage space would need to be considered

Purchasing and Food Availability

  • This can expand or limit your options
  • Consider your delivery schedule

Style of Service and Staffing

  • Is your service cafeteria style? Quick serve? Full sit down? Each will change the amount of FOH staffing you’ll need and could affect the items planned.
  • Do you have an ample amount of well-trained BOH staff? Are they chefs or not? This will affect their capabilities in terms of menu items. The number of staff also affects how the menu is planned. Need to plan balanced work-loads.
  • Creating a well-planned menu

Selective Menus

  • Selective menus have two or more choices in some or all menu categories
    • Full selective
    • Semi selective
    • Non selective

Additional sticking points to consider

  • Cultural foods
  • Variety
  • Compatibility
  • Visual, textural, and flavor appeal

Suggested order for planning

  1. Entrees – a protein frequently with a side grain. Most expensive part and planned first. Salads with protein are entrees
  2. Items paired with the entrée – make sure things pair with one or more entrees. This extends to grains, soups, salads, etc
  3. Vegetables and “sides” – have multiple varieties of both starchy and non-starchy accompaniments
  4. Desserts – have both light and heavy varieties. Light varieties are great with heavier entrees.
  5. Condiments – make sure all condiments pair with items and all items are considered
  6. Breads – a variety that work with multiple entrees and may carry to breakfast as well
  7. Breakfast – Similar guidelines to lunch and dinner
  8. Beverages – include a variety of both hot and cold

Selective Menus

  • Selective menus have two or more choices in some or all menu categories
    • Full selective
    • Semi selective
    • Non selective

Next Time

  • Start discussing Food Safety and the costs of foodborne illness