A menu is a list of prepared dishes of food

made available to a client, and but its content

and presentation must attract the client and
represent value for money. Menu planning is
one of the functions required before assembling
the food materials to produce quality meals.
Preparing an excellent menu is perhaps one of
the greatest challenges of a caterer or a chef as it
may actually spell the difference between a
mediocre service and exceptional one. Having a
well –planned menu is therefore, an aspect
which must be carefully thought of.
 When menu planning a menu, it is
essential to always keep the client’s
needs in mind. As different clients
have different needs, it is best to offer
a wide selection of dishes ranging
from classic to contemporary item.
The client’s age, sex, nutritional
needs, food preferences and
spending behavior are factors that
should be carefully considered.
A.MENU
Menu is a detailed list of food and beverage
offerings with their respective prices. This
means that a menu is a valuable piece of
literature for selling an establishment and its
services. It must therefore have accurate
descriptions and pricing. Thus, it should be
prepared through thorough planning and
 A good menu is determined through the
following characteristics.
1. Presents clear or unambiguous information.
2. Adheres to food safety and nutrition policies of the
food business.
3. Meets or outstrips guests’ expectations.
4. Meets the quality standards of the food business.
5. Truthfully describes the taste and preparations of
each dish in the list.
6. Abides with the production and service facilities of
the business.
B. Menu Planning
Menu planning is one of the important managerial
activities of food and beverages operations executed by a
team comprising the entrepreneur/proprietor, the
restaurant manager, and the executive chef.
Menu planning calls for careful thought on many factors
that would determine the success of the F&B operation.
Menu forms the basis or acts as a guide upon which all
other managerial and operational activities of F&B
operations rest on.
Menu planning is the most important aspect of planning
and organization in the food industry. It is an advance plan
of a dietary pattern over a given period of time.
The aim of menu planning is to:
1. Meet nutritional needs -- ““Recognition that food is
treatment”-- part of medical therapy;
2.Plan meals within the food cost;
3. Simplify purchase, preparation, and storage of meals;
4. Provide attractive, appetizing meals with no
monotony;
5. Save time and money;
6. Minimize overhead expenditure, i.e., fuel, electricity,
water, labor;
7. Meet//exceed customer expectations;
8. Determine production methods and distribution
systems;
9. Dictate staffing levels; and
 Major Considerations in Planning Menus
The Importance of Menu Planning
It’s important to understand the basics
before creating your menu:
 Your guests
 Production and service capabilities
 Availability of ingredients
 Food cost
 Learn why each point has a part to play
when drawing up a menu.
A. Your Guests
 Understand your guests by:
 Knowing who they are
 Why they eat out
 What they eat
 When they eat
 Where they prefer to eat
Important elements to remember include:
 Meeting their needs and expectations
 Considering their personal characteristics
 Understanding potential issues such as health
conditions, nutritional needs and religious restrictions
 Pricing dishes according to what guests would be
comfortable with
B. Production and Service Capabilities
 Study the following factors:
1. Size of establishment
How big are the kitchen and service areas?
What tools and equipment can fit there?
What is the staff size needed to operate your
establishments?
2. Skills of available staff
Are they graduates of culinary schools, experienced
in other restaurants, or beginners?
What cooking methods are they familiar with?
What dishes can they cook?
How much food can be dished out at every service
time?
3. Available tools and equipment for preparation and service
What are the tools and equipment that you already have?
What type of dishes can such tools and equipment be used
to prepare and cook?
4. Food budget
 How much are you willing to spend on food, and how
much are you considering to earn from the food budget?
5. Time available for preparation and service
 What periods will you serve food?
 Are you going to offer breakfast, afternoon tea or supper?
 Are you going to open your restaurant only during lunch
and dinner?
 How many hours will be allotted for preparation and
cooking?
 How many meals can the staff prepare and dish out?
C. Availability of Ingredients
Consider the availability of ingredients and what recipes can
be created:
Market location – where will your restaurant be located?
What are the available ingredients in that location?
Ingredients’ seasonality – what are the seasonal ingredients
in your location? Can you create special dishes with these
seasonal ingredients? Also, use the ingredients that are in
season all year round for dishes that will stay in the menu
for a long time.
Costs – how much are the ingredients in your area? What
is the range of prices from supplier to supplier? Will it be
better to locate nearby suppliers from another location?
Sourcing ingredients locally means it’s easier to ensure
fresh and consistently good ingredients.
D. Food Cost
It’s important to account for the cost of
ingredients to balance quality and profits. It’s
covered in-depth in the module the Importance of
Counting Costs but take note of the following:
Set a target cost, usually 30 to 45% of the food
selling price.
Check if the cost targets are met and menu
pricing is not too high, which might turn off
potential diners.
Ensure every kitchen staff is cost-conscious and
knows the basics of recipe costing
 A BALANCED AND ACCURATE MENU
Learn what you can do to ensure balance and accuracy in
your menu.
A Balanced Menu
A balanced menu should offer variety in a way that
suits the concept and purpose of your establishment,
without diluting the unique selling point (USP) of your
restaurant.
1.Why is a balanced menu important?
It gives substance to the business
It makes guests notice what exactly they like, without
realizing it
It allows guests to easily choose what they want, at the
2. How do we achieve balance in a menu?
Six factors to consider when creating a menu to ensure
the right amount of variety and balance:
The spread of dishes and ingredients used
The spread of price points and profitability
The seasonality within the dishes
Healthy options
The ratio of dishes within each section

A.The spread of dishes and ingredients used

 As a general rule, a menu should have 20% of dishes in
each section feature the same accompanying dish
components and 20% of dishes in the menu use the same
cooking method.
B. The seasonality within the dishes
Have more than 30% seasonal dishes on your menu with
more than 2 seasonal dishes per section.

C. The ratio of dishes within each section

Have 3 to 6 sections on your main menu and 2 to 4
sections on other menus
Have 4 to 12 dishes per section
Avoid having more than 12 dishes so as not to confuse
your diners

D. The spread of price points and profitability

A good menu should have less than 10% low profit dishes,
more than 30% high profit dishes and more than 50% high
profit top sellers.
E. Healthy options
 Have more than 20% of healthy dishes on the menu or 1
healthy option per section
 Have healthy substitutes or alternatives made available
to diners (as service exceptions)

Menu Accuracy
A good menu is a menu that:
 Is honest, accurate and reliable
 Has good menu descriptions to influence diners’
decisions and selections
 Communicate what is offered, how dishes are cooked
and the price
 Menu Accuracy Guidelines
 Ensure your menu is accurate, promote your dishes and
avoid misrepresentations. Consider the following
guidelines:
1. Representation of quantity
- Information related to quantity must be clear and
accurately stated.
2. Representation of quality
- In developed countries like the United States, food
products are classified according to quality grades. Use
words like Prime, Grade A, Good, No. 1, Choice, and
other quality descriptions for officially certified foods.
3. Representation of price
- Menu prices and other charges must be clearly indicated
so that customers know how much they need to pay when
ordering. This should also include service charge
(gratuity), and any extra charges such as corkage fee, cover
charge, etc.
4. Representation of brand names
- Restaurants are expected to serve whatever brand they
claim to be using. For example, a restaurant that advertises
itself as serving Kobe beef must ensure the claims are true.
5. Representation of product identification
- Actual ingredients used and substitutes must be declared.
For example, descriptions like: ‘sweetened with non-sugar
 6. Representation of origin
- Identify the source of ingredients if it carries prestige, or an
assurance of quality. Restaurants can attract customers and
boost sales using the names of places where the ingredients
come from. For example: Maine lobster, Idaho potatoes,
Danish bleu cheese.
7. Representation of advertising terms
- Advertising exaggerations and misleading words and
statements are not acceptable. For example, using the term
‘jumbo hotdog’ for a regular-sized hotdog is misleading.
Descriptions must be truthful for dishes such as low-calorie
desserts and aged steaks.
8. Representation of means of preservation
-Terms like ‘frozen’ are not the same as fresh. ‘Bottled’ is
different from ‘canned’.
9. Representation of food preparation
- When you say ‘charcoal-broiled’, it has to be
really charcoal-broiled, and not broiled using a
broiler. ‘Prepared from scratch’ cannot be used for
food prepared using convenience products.
10. Verbal and visual presentation
- What is shown in menu folders and menu boards
must be exactly what will be served to guests.
Portion sizes must be as pictured.
11. Dietary or nutritional claims
- Appropriate dietary terms must be used. For
example, ‘low-fat’, ‘sugar-free’, salt-free’.
FUNCTIONS OF MENU
1. Information: what food is available, how it is cooked and presented and
at what price.
2. Order: presents the dishes in a logical order, usually listing the menu
items under course headings.
3. Choice: determines the freedom of choice that a guest may have.
4. Image: presents the overall image and style of the restaurant.
5. Sales: appropriately describe the dishes and increase the sale

TYPES OF MENU
1. A la carte means a free choice from the card or
menu and is identified by:
a.Being usually a larger menu than a table d'hôte
menu and offering a greater choice.
b.Listing under the course headings all of the dishes
that may be prepared by the establishment.
c.All dishes being prepared to order.
d.Each dish being separately priced.
e.Expensive than a table d'hôte menu.
2. Table d'hôte means food from the hosts’ table
and may be identified by:
a. Being a restricted Menu
b. Offering a Small Number of Courses, Usually
Three or Four.
c. A Limited Choice within Each Course.
d. A Fixed Selling Price.
e. All the dishes being ready at a set time.
3. Buffet Menu - are prepared for
particular occasions such as weddings,
company functions or celebrations.
a. Mostly consist of two to three courses.
b. Decided by the host, who pays in
advance giving details about the number
of people and service time.

4. Cycle Menu
1. A cyclic menu is one that changes
every day for a certain period; after this
period, the daily menu repeat in the
same order.
2. For example: a seven day cyclic menu
used in schools and hospitals, where
the number of choices must be kept
5.STATIC
a. A static menu is one that offers the same dishes every day.
b. These menus are used in restaurants and other
establishments where the client changes daily or where
enough items are listed on the menu to offer sufficient
variety.
c. A static menu may be in place indefinitely, or it may
change at regular intervals, such as every season, every
month or even every week

6.SET MENU- is one that offers set items pre- arranged by the
host.

7.Cart Du- juor or “ card of the Day”- it offers choices that

are available for particular day only.

8.DEGUSTATION MENU- “ TASTING” list a range of items;

usually specialties of the restaurant, which are served in small
portion.
 What Is a Banquet Menu?
 Banquets often serve exquisite dishes.
 Banquet menus list food selections for banquets, which are festive
dinners that celebrate special occasions. Typically, banquets serve a
single type of appetizer and dessert and allow guests to select their
choice of main course.
Function
 Banquet menus help guests make an informed decision on what to eat
at a banquet. They give details about the dishes, such as ingredients,
sauces and flavorings.
Size
 Banquet menus are typically small and consist of only a few pages. This
is due to the limited dinner selections found at most banquets.
Considerations
 Banquet menus often feature fine dining, including expensive dishes
such as filet mignon, lobster and stuffed chicken. They typically do not
list prices, as guests usually buy banquet tickets that include the cost of
Three Basic Types Of Menu Is Designed
Around The Three Traditional Meal Periods:
BREAKFAST – menus are fairly standard,
items are “simple”, “fast”, and “inexpensive”
LUNCH – it usually features menu items that
are easy and quick to make; it is lighter than
dinner menu.
DINNER – is the main meal for most people, it
is heavier in character and more elaborate than
those offered at breakfast or lunch.
 SELECTING MENU ITEMS:
A. SOURCES FOR SELECTING MENU
 Old Menus
 Books
 Trade Magazines
 Cookbooks for the Home Market
B. STEPS IN SELECTING MENU ITEMS “ menu Structure”
 Bread & Butter
 Entrees
 Appetizers / Soups
 Starch Items and vegetables
 Salads
 Desserts
 Beverages
Items outside Menu Structure
1.Pre- Dinner food items
-Canapes
-Crudites
- Bite size hot and cold hor’s eouvres
2. Sauces and Accompaniments
3. Cheese
4. Accompaniments to coffee
C. MENU DESIGN
Characteristics of a well-designed menu:
 It complements a restaurant’s over-all theme.
 It blends with the interior design of the restaurant
 It communicates with the guests
 It helps sell the operation and its menu items.

D. MENU COPY
Three elements of menu copy:
 Headings – includes major heads, subheads, and names of menu
items.
 Descriptive Copy – informs the guests about the menu items and
helps increase sales. The menu items’ main ingredient, important
secondary ingredients and method of preparation.
Supplemental Merchandising Copy – it includes basic information:
address, telephone number, days and hours of operation, meals served,