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MENU Design

From design to evaluation

Rationale

Everything starts with the menu. The menu dictates much about how your operation will be organized and managed, the extent to which it meet its goals, and even how the building itself - certainly the interior - should be designed and constructed.

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Nutritional Content

Priority Concerns of menu Planner

Wants and needs

Concept of Value

Item Price

Object of Property Visit

Socio-Economic Factors

Demographic Concerns

Ethnic Factors

Religious Factors

Guest

Quality of Item

Cost

Availability

Peak Volume Productionand Operating Concerns

Sanitation Concerns

Layout Concerns

Equipment Concerns

Flavour

Consistency

Texture/Form/Shape

Visual Appeal

Aromatic Appeal

Temperature

Priority Concerns Of The Menu Planner

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Basic Rules Of Menu Planning

Know your guest

- Food preference

- Price

- Age

Know your operation

- Theme or cuisine

- Equipment

- Personnel

- Quality standards

- Budget

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Menu Design

- Type style and/or lettering

- Names of food items- Include menu description- Popular items are at the top

of a list- Clip-ons, inserts (daily

specials)- Operations address - Beverage service notice

- Separate menu pages for category items

Must be Accurate

Truth-in-menu laws exist cannot mislabel a product “fresh” must be fresh, not

fresh frozen “USDA Choice” actually

“USDA Good” Point of origin must be

correct as well as items offered must be delivered.

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Selecting Menu Items

Must have Menu categories:

Appetizers Salads Entrees Starch items (potatoes,

rice, pasta) Vegetables Desserts Beverages

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Menu Order

Sequence:Appetizers, soups, entrees, desserts

Depends on the operation (side orders, salads, sandwiches, beverages)

Placement depends on popularity and profitability

Placement: Use negative space; boxes; watermarks, etc.

Elements Of Menu Copy

Headings- Appetizers/Cheese - Soups/Salads- Entrees/Desserts

Sub-heading- Description written under entrée title

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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

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2 Panel

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Techniques to influence buying decisions

Keep customer focus on Descriptions

Strawberry Shortcake

Sautéed foie gras, house made drop biscuits, viridian farms

strawberries, fennel-strawberry marmalade

Black truffle-fines herb Dumpling

Parisienne carrots and turnips, horseradish

bavarois and port reduction

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Reduce Price Influence

Place prices after the description & centering makes it difficult for customers to scan for the lowest price.

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Pan Seared Duck BreastOver Kalamata Olive and Rosemary Ravioli, with a local Blackberry Demi Glace -26

Warm Peaches & DonutsFresh White’s Farm Poached Peaches with Belgian

Chocolate filled donut Holes & Toasted Pistachios -10

No

Not putting a dollar sign next to prices makes a customer feel like they can spend more. The dollar sign signifies the picture of actual cash in the wallet being spent, where random numbers add up to a total which we can quantify with the experience, not the cost.

It’s a quick and simple removal of information that leads to more and higher sales. Try it with your next menu!

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Featured Areas

Eyes are drawn to “featured” choices placed in boxes

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Supplemental Merchandising Copy

Includes information such as: Address/Map Telephone number Days and hours of operation Meals times served

Additional Info: (3 fold = inside panel or back, 1 page = back) Reservations info/min. and payment policies (Gratuity %)

Other services provided History of the restaurant or a statement about

management’s commitment to guest service (theme)

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Menu Fonts

Format: Menu’s size General makeup

Typeface: Printed letters Font size Type face

Reading Ability

Use fonts that make it easy for all to read.

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Menu Layout

Artwork: Drawings, photographs,

decorative patterns, borders

Paper: Texture

Cover: Color Texture

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Menu Marketing

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Menus need to match the ambiance of your establishment to build your brand and promote satisfying dining experiences.

Background Color Use

The background colors have a major impact on overall ambiance customers experience.

Fiery red or orange =spicy entrees & trendy food selection.

Cool blues and sea greens lead to a calmer frame of mind and smooth flavors with subtle accents.

Black and white is a classic choice for high-end food that speaks for itself.

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Common Menu-design Mistakes

Menu is too small Type is too small Every item treated the same Some of the operations’ food and beverages are not

listed Graphic problems Basic information about the property and its policies

are not included. Spelling errors

Common Menu Mistakes

Failing to conduct a competitive and profitability analysis at least 2x p/yr.

Failing to update the menu and prices at least 2x p/yr Selling “like-items” that are competitively comparable Failing to have a specialty drink menu (even if you don’t

serve alcohol there are opportunities) Physical menus overly susceptible to wear and tear (food,

grease, tears, water stains, etc)

Resource: Atlanta Restaurant Real Estate Brokers

http://www.shumacher.com/restaurant-consultant-reveals-80-most-common-restaurant-mistakes/

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Evaluating Menus

Print your menus 2-3 times on regular paper to review edits OFF the computer screen.

Read out loud if reviewing alone.

Print your final copy on professional paper, once you have reviewed and are COMPLETELY satisfied.

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Menu Evaluation: Questions Most Often Asked

Is the menu attractive? Do the colors and other design elements match the

operation’s theme and decor? Are menu items laid out in an attractive and logical

way? Is there too much descriptive copy? Not enough? Is the

copy easy to understand? Is attention called to the items managers most want to

sell, through placement, color, description, type size, etc.?

Food Truck Menu

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Bar Type Menu

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Graphic Fonts = Sell Casual

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1 Page Menu

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Bar Menu

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1 page Desserts Menu

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Beverages

Put your drinks first. Your wait staff offers a round of water when most people sit down, but let me assure you, people don’t want the water.

If the beverages are listed as the first thing on the menu – above the appetizers, consumers are more likely to order one.

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Food Pics = Don’t Sell Words do!

Pictures are always deemed unrealistic in diner’s eyes, written descriptions are taken more to heart.

Crafting a back-story or short description for your dishes will work the imagination of your diners, while showing them a picture replaces the memory with it. When the delivered meal is not exactly like the picture, the disappointment is inevitable.

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Kids Menus w/ Combos & Options

Price as a combo - entree, side or dessert, and a drink.

Pricing strategy removes the burden from parents to patch together an appropriate portion size with a la carte options, and eliminates some decision-making stress.

Parents do expect the freedom to customize their child's meal by selecting a beverage, side, or dessert.

Selections should also account for food allergies; list all ingredients and allow substitutions (e.g. corn tortillas instead of flour).

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Designing Kids Menus

Activities: Word puzzles ages 6-10. Coloring or maze activity for pre-readers

(5 and under).

Designs: gender neutral; robots, animals, or

adventure scenes Use a sans-serif font = easily legible for

young readers ("silly" fonts or fonts that mimic kids handwriting = not the best)

And of course, coloring menus should be printed on crayon-friendly paper.

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