Menu Planning: Principles, Factors, and Stages of Development

This assessment explores the principles and factors of recipe development, factors influencing menu-planning decisions, stages of menu product development planning, and the findings of customer requirements for a new food concept. It also justifies menu design and the development of the food service environment to support the menu, recipe, and service style. Recommendations and a review of performance in relation to developing and implementing new food concepts are provided as well.

Menu-planning
1

2

INTRODUCTION
In the world of globalization, Food industry is also growing across the world. Recipe are the key
to the food service business Menu planning plays crucial role in effectiveness of product and
success of business. It is very essential to learn and understand about meal management and
menu planning. .Menu planning is a way to make sure about the eating a balanced diet meeting
the nutritional needs. Menu planning save time and money. Menu planning is the best way to
ensure diet and to utilize the money and time efficiently. Menu planning benefited in term of
money, and having variety of food, less stress and helps in eating real food. STRADA
Restaurant has been chosen for assessment. Strada restaurant is an Italian restaurant of UK chain
of branded restaurants. Headquarters of Strada is located in LOndon and England. This
assessment introduce about the principles and objectives of meal management and menu
planning by adopting new product development approach. The assessment included the cultural,
physiological, socio economic and other dimensions. Market research is also present in this
assessment. This report is including the management skills to develop the new menu planning.
this assessment also justify the menu design to reflect the menu compilation and recipe
development and including the development plans of food services. in task one there is report of
a multi cuisine italian restaurant chain of UK.
TASK A
This report is providing information about the Italian Restaurant chain. STRADA is a UK
chain of brand specialising in Italian cuisine having 14 Strada sites and 5 Coppa Clubs. In the
period of ownership there are about 20 restaurants. The menu of Strada is the best Italian
culinary diversity.
1.1 Discuss the principles and factors of recipe development
Menu is the central of every restaurant. For preparing food, recipe is a standardized and
tested procedure which includes various incidents of the food items and their promotions (Davis,
and et.al, 2018. ). Some variety of guiding principles are required to be considered such as the
recipe should be tasty and it should be full flavoured for developing recipe development. the
name of recipe should be attractive that it attract the consumer and it also shows what time is
needed to cook the dish. Further, recipe should also involve the ingredients along with their
proportion and quantity and various equipments, environments and temperature. Price of recipe
3

should also be according to the recipes that customers willing to pay the price of recipe. in
deciding the price of recipe, taste is the one and only thing that customer want. Hygienic
environment in the restaurant is also required in the development of recipe. cleanliness is the
factor affecting the recipe development. Taste with cleanliness is best in development of recipe.
1.2 Assess factors that influence menu-planning decisions
When it comes to the healthy eating, planning leads to success in healthy eating.
Availability of money, food habits of customers, availability of time and availability of food
ingredients ar the major factors affecting the menu planning decision. Availability of seasonal
ingredients also plays a role in deciding the menu of the restaurant. before preparing the menu, it
should be well planned and forecasted the demands of customers that what is like by the
customers. Availability of money, i.e budget of customer is the main and key factor in preparing
the menu plan.. Availability of time is also very necessary as time matters for everyone.
Customers do not eat food outside daily. mostly on weekend, people use to eat food outside. So
time matters in deciding the menu plan. Along with this all factors, it is very crucial point that
the location of restaurant. if the restaurant is on seaside than customer used to come again and
again which helps in deciding the menu plan for Italian restaurant (Bristow. and Jenkins, 2018).
Another way in deciding the menu planning is taking feedback in writing about the recipe, ie
about taste and what advise what to develop.
1.3 Discuss factors that influence service methods
The method used to serve food to customers is the known as service method which are
affected by variety of factors. Number of customers can easily be serves if there is efficient
service staff employees in the restaurants. It decides on the scenario of the restaurants that if
employees is limited and customers are more than buffer system and pick and move system is
the best way of service method. but if there is sufficient cooks and waiters in the restarants than
it is better to serve on table, which Strada restaurants prefer. Further the types if food also affect
the service method, like if there is lunch than buffet system is better and if their is lunch and
dinner than table service is effective method of service (Pillsbury, R., 2018.). Strada restaurants
chains are preferring table syet5m of service which gives more satisfaction in comparison with
buffet service system.
Advantages of table service
4

● Table service gives more satisfaction to the customers.
● Table service is attractive and efficient service method.
Disadvantages of table services
● It require huge amount of employees
● It also increases the cost of recipe as service tax is to be born by the customer.
● It cannot serve large number of customers.
Advantages of buffet system
● Easy and simple method and itcan serve large number of customers.
● This type of service did not require huge number of waiter.
● it can reap large turnover
Disadvantages of buffet system
● Sometimes customer do not feel better in self service, it gives less satisfaction to
customers.
● It become loss when owner prepared lot of food and customer didit come. its wastage of
money, food and time.
2.1 Discuss the stages of menu product development planning
There are various stages that should be performed in planning product development .
Very first thing to do is deciding by considering the management and customers. Commercial
bench sample is created by developing prototype on the basis of rough archetype. For
determining customer feedback, a testable prototype is rolled out. for developing the plan of new
product, a operation test is conducted and with the help of marketing the product is pushed to
clients are pulled. With the support of customers in the market, the product is refined and
filtered. It can only be done by effective marketing and consumer feedback. For developing the
product in the market, it should be clearly be in the mind that it it should be differentiated from
competitors product. Sales mix factor also helps in developing the product as sales mix is the
proportion of product that are sold in the market and sales mix is very important because a
company’s product are likely to vary in their profitability (Kumar, A. and Smith, S., 2018.).
2.2 Evaluate the influences of different factors on the development process
5

In the current scenario of marketing, there are many internal and external factors which
influences the development process. On the development of the product, the human resources i.e
is employees and cost of material have great influence. The development of product is largely
affected by the technological. political and social environment at a time of developing. There is
rapid change in the demand of the customers which are depend on social and traditions. For
developing process it is very essential to have enough finance, time and other resources to
develop product successfully. these all factors also have effect on the development process.
Technological changes is also leads to success of sometime failure, because accepting and
implementing the technological changes needs huge amount of fund and ignoring and using
outdated machines and technologies in manufacturing the product does not give positive result.
so it is very necessary to ensure all the factors changes in the environment and their effect on the
developing process.
TASK B
3.1 Justify a menu design to reflect the menu compilation and recipe development
Strada is the UK chain Branded restaurant specializing in Italian. The chain of Star is
working in the world. To design the menu it is very important for Italian restaurant business. A
well planned menu is the reflection of the restaurant. It should be careful in designing the menu
of the restaurant i,e about menu layout, description, and it colour. Menu is the complement of the
restaurant. Their main slogan was Good times, Great salad, Recipe development means creating
new recipes for different propose. Recipe ensure to be healthy and dietary.
Menu design:
Attractive layout- according to the menu size, one or two maximum column makes an
attractive layout.
No similar products- The food offered in menu should not be similar from other
restaurant menu. It should be different, by name and also by taste.
Short and sweet- The design of menu should not be overwritten or many items written on
menu, it should be short and sweet.
6

3.2 Justify the development of the food service environment to support the menu, recipe and
service style
Types of menu- A'la Carte, Table d' Hote, Menu degustation and Prix fixe is the menu
styles of Italian chain .
Production method of food- Cook freeze method, traditional method, and Sous-vide
method is the common method of preparing food in Italian restaurant.
Factors influencing menu planning decision- While developing the menu it should be ensure
about competition, current trends, equipment and space in the kitchen, cost, food allergies,
number and kills of staff and supplies, etc (Terhorst and Erkuş‐Öztürk, 2018). While deciding
menu planning, restaurant must follow the food labelling act 1999. Service method also
influenced by the development of food environment.
4.1 Show the findings of your research into customer requirements for your new food concept
● Need to discuss statistical surveying – In each new assortment of items under
the development, clients regularly interest for quality item. It must be in
sufficient amount to meet the costs that clients are paying to the organisation.
● Client needs, needs and requests – Consumers turns out with a desire to get item
that could satisfy their necessities. Target shoppers frequently incorporate
administration class individuals that need to deal with their dinners outside
consistently.
● Value for money - Essential factor that each buyer hopes to be drilled in
lodgings They should give nourishment item that are estimation of cash. It
incorporates the market items to be accessible at costs which must be moderate.
All the while they ought to be a quality item too.
4.2 Justify your choice of new food concept
● Have a good idea plan for it and test it: The food of restaurant should be good at
nothing more, nothing else. The food concept should not be always same an as
7

usual it should be more creative that customer do not feel boring.
● High food cost high popularity- The food component which are efficiently
recognized by the consumers and ordered time and again are the top dishes for
the restaurant.
● High food cost low popularity -The high price food items which are not raising
the consumer tastes should be removed from the menu list or the portion size
should be enhanced in order to provide the consumers value for their money
● Low food cost high popularity -The food item with low cost and high popularity
gives the advantage of cost to the food chains
● Low cost low popularity - These food products needs efficient attention in the
menu. This can be done by relocating the product or by bundling it with any
extremely popular dish in order to create the demand for the product.
4.3 Make recommendations
STRENGTH
● Reputation
● Location
● Value Chain
● Skilled employees
● Different taste of dishes
WEAKNESSES
● Unhealthy food
● Evaluating sales
● Changing consumer
perceptions
● Cultural problems or issues
8

● OPPORTUNITIES
● Technological progression
● Food development
● Standardization in food
producing equipments.
● THREATS
● High competitive
environment
● Decreasing demands
● Changing tastes and
preferences of consumers
● High cost of infrastructure
4.4 Review on performance in relation to developing and implementing new food concepts
In preparing the food concept by introducing new development strategies of making
menu of restaurant (Platania, and Spadoni, 2018). I have performed in different stages of menu
planning and applying strategies to find the appropriate solutions and effective judgement has
been on deciding menu planning.
Conclusion
In the above assessment, research and report, it can be said that planning of menu and
recipe and service method is affected by internal and external factor. Feedback and monitoring is
required in the process of product development. There are variety of designs of menu but paper
menu is the best method of planning and designing the menu.
9

References
Books and Journals
Davis, B.,and et.al, 2018. Food and beverage management. Routledge.
Pillsbury, R., 2018. No foreign food: the American diet in time and place. Routledge.
Kumar, A. and Smith, S., 2018. Understanding Local Food Consumers: Theory of Planned
Behavior and Segmentation Approach. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 24(2). pp.196-215.
Terhorst, P. and Erkuş‐Öztürk, H., 2018. Carriers of Change and Continuity: New Restaurants in
Amsterdam. Tijdschrift voor economische en sociale geografie. 109(1). pp.144-160.
Platania, M. and Spadoni, R., 2018. How People Share Information about Food: Insights from
Tweets Regarding two Italian Regions. International Journal on Food System Dynamics. 9(2).
pp.149-165.
10