Chapter 3

The Menu
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
The Menu
Lists items available for selection by a
customer.
Most important internal control of the
food service system.
Major determinant for the budget.
Gives customers a sense of who you are
as an operation.
Part of an organizations brand identity.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Trends
Menu items from other countries.
Vegetables (meatless entres).
Self-contained foods (wraps and
calzones).
Focaccia and flavored breads.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Presentation
Function of menu customer education
Spoken Menu orally presented by dietetic
technician to a patient
Braille, picture, & large-type menus for
customers with vision, hearing, or speech
impairments
Table dhote food items grouped together &
sold for one price
A la carte food items priced individually
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Pattern
An outline of the menu item categories
for each meal (appetizers, entres, and
desserts).
Number of menu item choices in each
can vary according to the goals of the
foodservice operation.
One of three basic types of menus used.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Types of Menus
Static Menu
Same menu items are offered every day.
Frequently used if restaurants concept is
built around the menu, including:
Dcor
Advertising campaign
Market segment identified as the target audience
Examples: Red Lobster, Olive Garden
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Types of Menus (cont.)
Cycle Menu
Different items each day on a weekly, bi-
weekly, or some other basis, after which the
cycle is repeated.
Seasonal cycle menus are common.
Used in healthcare institutions and schools.
Offers variety with some degree of control
over purchasing, production, and cost.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Types of Menus (cont.)
Single Use
Planned for service on a particular day and
not used in the exact form a second time.
Used in on-site foodservice in which the
customer does not vary much from day to
day.
College and University foodservices use
single-use menu as monotony breaker.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Degree of Choice
Number of choices determined by goals
of each foodservice operation
Static menu might have few choices in
limited-menu restaurant
Cycle or single-use may provide
selection for some items but not others
i.e. catered business lunch, no choice for
center-of-the-plate or salad but choice of
bread, beverage, or dessert
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Structure
Issues to consider in menu structure:
Location of foodservice
Name of the foodservice (what it says to a
customer)
Primary target audience
Menu priorities
Capabilities of the staff
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Structure (cont.)
Balancing labor & food cost is challenge
Menu planner concerns:
Adding variety to seasonal menus
Keeping cycle menus exciting
Offsetting high-priced items with low priced
Grazing eating small amounts of food
throughout the day
Grazing = flexibility + frequency + food

Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Breakfast and Brunch
Breakfast
Fewer people eat breakfast than lunch or
dinner, accounts for ~20% of daily
restaurant traffic.
Commercial and on-site foodservice
operations usually offer traditional breakfast
items and light and healthful options.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Breakfast and Brunch (cont.)
Brunch
Mid- to late-morning meal.
Combo of breakfast & lunch type items.
Commonly served on weekend or catered
events.
On-site foodservice operations may serve
brunch in lieu of both breakfast & lunch on
weekends and for special occasions.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Lunch
Difficult meal to deliver to customers.
More complicated than those served at
breakfast.
Must be produced faster than dinner items.
Meal most eaten away from home.
60% of individuals consume a commercially
prepared meal at least once a week.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Lunch (cont.)
Lunch-to-go
Quickly growing trend for workers.
Must travel well.
Cheap and fast.
Packaging, while adding cost, is secret to
successful lunch-to-go program.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Lunch (cont.)
Catering
Remains one of the big profit makers.
Time is most important factor (usually part
of the contract).
Offered by many restaurants.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
School Lunch
The goals of the USDA School Meals
Initiative (SMI) for Healthy Children are:
Incorporate culinary principles of taste &
presentation
Incorporate regional, cultural, ethnic, &
other preferences
Provide safe meals for children
Make meals accessible to all children
Reinforce classroom nutrition education
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
School Lunch (cont.)
Increase appreciation for food origins,
cultural food history, variety of foods, and
relationship to environment and agriculture
Support & teach principles of social meal
Educate in preparation & service of healthy,
economical meals
Serve in encouraging environment with
adequate time for meal service
Link with school nutrition policy promoting
healthy food choices throughout the school
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
School Lunch (cont.)
Schools can choose one of four systems
for their menu planning:
Enhanced Food-based menus
NuMenus (Nutrient Standard Menu
Planning)
Assisted NuMenus (Assisted Nutrient
Standard Menu Planning)
Traditional Food-based
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Dinner
Traditionally includes entre, potato,
vegetable, & salad
Supper lighter or late evening meals,
menu similar to breakfast, brunch, lunch
Menus getting shorter, but appetizer
section is getting longer
Ethnic cuisines impact menus
Desserts commonly included on menu
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Factors Affecting Menu Planning
Customer satisfaction.
Producing menu items at an acceptable
price.
Government regulations.
Management decisions.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Customer Satisfaction
Sociocultural factors customs, norms,
values, and demographic characteristics.
Food Habits and Preferences
Small-scale surveys
Formal and informal interviews
Observations of plate waste
Customer comment cards
Tallying of menu selections
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Nutritional Influence
Should be a primary concern for
planning menus.
Motivated by increasing public
awareness of the importance of nutrition.
Food Guide Pyramid
Most on-site foodservice operations have
registered dietitian or consultant for
nutritional aspects of menu planning.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Food Guide Pyramid
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Aesthetic Factors
Includes:
Flavor
Texture
Consistency
Color
Shape
Combinations of foods
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Government Regulations
Menus will be impacted by local, state,
and/or federal regulations.
Required to meet menu planning guidelines,
if receive state and/or federal funding.
Required to plan meals in advance for
periodic review by state or federal
reviewers.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Management Decisions
Food Cost include both raw and
prepared food costs for each menu item.
Production Capability skill of personnel
and layout of the facility.
Type of Service holding capability and
amount of employees.
Availability of Foods improvements in
transportation make foods available.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Planning
Responsibility of team rather than an
individual.
General Considerations:
Quantity.
Quality.
Price.
Brand names.
Product identification.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Planning
General Considerations (cont.)
Points of origin.
Merchandising terms.
Means of preservation.
Food preparation.
Verbal and visual presentation.
Dietary or nutritional claims.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Planning Process
General principles applicable to on-site
and commercial foodservice operations
More variety needed in on-site
foodservice
Person eating out often goes to
restaurant for particular menu item
Do not want change every day or week
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
On-site Foodservice Operations
Steps in Menu Planning:
1. Plan dinner meats or other entres
for entire cycle.
2. Select luncheon entres or main
dishes, avoiding those used on
dinner menu.
3. Decide on starch item appropriate to
serve with entre.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
On-site Foodservice Operations
Steps in Menu Planning (cont.):
4. Plan desserts for both lunch & dinner.
5. After luncheon & dinner meals have
been planned, add breakfast & any
others.
6. Evaluate if clientele, government
regulations, & managerial
considerations have been met.
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Commercial Foodservice Operations
Systematic approach to menu planning.
Conduct a market study
Perform a competitive analysis
Interview restaurant critics/reviewers
Attend food shows
Develop a unified theme
Include current trends
Analyze nutritional content

Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Commercial Foodservice Operations
Systematic Approach (cont.)
Ensure variety and balance of menu items
Price menu accurately
Check on availability of food products
Match menu with skill level of kitchen
personnel & balance production stations
Control labor costs
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Commercial Foodservice Operations
Systematic approach (cont.)
Increase sales with menu merchandising of
appetizers and desserts
Test recipes and make adjustments
Standardize recipes
Conduct taste testing
Establish garnish, plating, & portion
standards
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Menu Pricing
One of the most difficult decisions
management makes
Covers cost of food, labor, additional
operating costs (rent, energy,
promotional advertising)
Includes perception of value and
competition
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Pricing Methods
Factor Pricing
Raw food cost x pricing factor = menu sales price
Prime Cost
Raw food cost & direct labor cost of employees
involved in preparation of a food item but not
service.
Actual Cost
Actual food cost actual labor cost + other variable
cost + fixed cost + profit
Foodservice Organizations, 5th edition
Spears & Gregoire
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Pricing Psychology
Odd-cent pricing creating an illusion of a
bargain.
Price ends in an odd number ($4.75).
Price ends in a number other than zero ($4.77).
Price is just below zero ($4.99)
Pricing by the ounce customers weigh their
own portions.
Two-tier upscale amenities & menus for
patients willing to pay for special items or
service.