Menu Planning and Management in Food Outlets

The assignment discusses the importance of menu planning and management in food outlets. It highlights various aspects to consider while formulating a menu, such as maintaining quality, customer satisfaction, and handling constraints. The report also references relevant studies and research papers on menu planning in different contexts.

Menu Planning

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK...............................................................................................................................................1
1 History and development of menu with its various type.....................................................1
2 Considerations and constraints of menu planning...............................................................4
3 Major elements affecting menu pricing...............................................................................5
4 Issues involved in implementation of strategy recognise nutritions concerns....................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Menu is refer to a list of beverages and food items available in a restaurant. This is used
at food outlets and restaurant to make the customers aware about dishes and its prices. This work
as a silent salesman (Kuo and et. al., 2012). Various factors are there that require to be consider
while develop the menu as this support in attract more customers and contribute in its growth.
Set the right price for the food product and maintain its quality is very essential for a food outlet
as this support in satisfy the needs of customers and encourage them to visit again. Origin and
development of menu and different type of menu is all given in this report. Along with this,
major factor that affect menu pricing and various strategies to recognise nutrition concerns is
also detailed in this.
TASK
1 History and development of menu with its various type
In a restaurant or in food outlet, menu refers to the list of all beverages and food offered
to the individual. Mainly, menu can be in to the form of a la carte, in which consumers given a
chance to choose from a list of options or table d hote under which a sequence of dishes is served
to the individual. One of the main aim of every restaurant is to sell its maximum food and
beverages products to kits customers. Menu is known as one of the common feature of every
food business. This is used as a selling tool in any dining area. Décor, ambience, colour scheme,
theme, building, infrastructure, food served to customers and employees work in that is all
known as the core aspects of a food business (Ducak and Keller, 2011). Mainly menu is known
as the extension of all main policies of a food business including catering, marketing and
financial. One of the main reason behind this because an individuals consider various factors
during formulation of menu such as various type of diners, their taste, spending power, age and
ratio of male and female. Price of food items include in a menu based on various elements such
as type of service, food items include in menu, type of furniture, operating hours, location and
many more. One of the main aim of menu is to make the diners inform about the items of food
and beverages served by a food outlet and about its price. Menu is also known as silent salesman.
For design a effective menu it is very essential for an individual to have artistic and technical
skills. One of the main benefit of hood menu planning is that it give confidence to servers, diners
and owners of food outlet.
History, origin and development of menu
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Various stories are there related with the origin of menu. Chinese invented the menu very
early as they believes that they have given paper to the world but historical data and evidence
related with this fact is not available (Kanai and Kitahara, 2011). Menu is a French word that is
originated from the minutus that is Latin word whose meaning is something made small. In early
times, menu was used in written on board and from this “a la carte” come into existence that
means from the board. A popular history is there behind the invention of menu. Duke Henry of
Brunswick, hosted a small get together in the year 1541 and on that day he passed a written slip
that reflected the food items to be served in that party. One of the main reason behind that paper
is to make the individuals inform and provide them an opportunity to select the beverage and
food items in advance. After that small get together that written slip of paper was named and
popular as “Menu”.
Word called “Menu” has various opinions but mainly there are two basic facts which are as
follows:
 Variety of beverage and food items served
 A long slip of paper
In starting time, menu was a long written slip of paper but as the time passed it changed
on gradually changed into a small card and after that table d hote came into existence. Table d'hote: This type of menu provide a whole meal for single price. In some cases
two or more than two meals are offered to customers which different price for each meal.
Sometimes these type of menus provide limited choices to the individual within the food
items they select. These menus are also known for its fixed price. A la carte: In this type of menu all beverages and food items offered to the customers
are listed and priced separately (Soria-Contreras and et. al., 2014). Under this diners
have the choice to choose from various desserts, dishes and food items included in the
menu to make their own meal. Price of every items they select is added and become the
final cost of their meal. Combination table d' hote/ a la carte: Many restaurants and food outlets have menus that
is a combination of both a la carte and table d' hote pricing style. Table d' hote menus
provide a selection of desserts priced individually and many a la carte menu consists
choice of food items. Basically this type of feature is shown in ethnic and Chinse
restaurants.
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 Fixed menus: This type of menu is mainly used by the restaurants and coffee shops.
They use a single menu for a long time period (Dixon and et. al., 2014). Some common
items are used to form the menu and some special offers are given to the loyal customers.
This type of menu are suitable for the restaurants in which customers do not visit
frequently.
 Cycle menus: This type of menus are used to offer variety in food to the customers.
Three to four weeks is the typical cycle range. Set a right length of cycle is very
important. Optimum length of cycle help in satisfy the customers and increase efficiency
of business operations. It support restaurants in generate large amount of profits and
encourage individuals to visit again.
Type of menu
Mainly there are three type of menus known as breakfast, dinner and lunch but as the
time passes more development has take place in this. Various type of menu can be understood by
the following points: Breakfast: This type of menu is used in various restaurants and they offer juices, fruits,
cereals, eggs, waffles and pancakes. Mainly this type of menu offer limited items to
customers. Served the individuals in right way is very essential in this. Lunch: In case of lunch menus, it is very essential to add only those food items that are
easy to make. Salads, soups and sandwiches are the most common food item of lunch
menus. It is very important to add variety of food items in lunch menus as this encourage
customers to visit again. Dinner: This is known as the main meal of large number of people (Payne-Palacio,
2016). Usually, diners are willing to pay more for the dinners as compare to breakfast and
lunch and that's why they always expect to choose from a variety of items. Seafood,
chicken, steaks and pasta are the most likely dishes of dinner. Brunch menus: This type of menu is a combination of lunch and breakfast dishes that
are eaten usually later morning and can be extended to 3 pm.
 Speciality: Variety of special menus are there include pool side to after noon. Following
are the major type of speciality menus:
Children's
Dessert
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Senior citizen's
Ethnic
Banquet
2 Considerations and constraints of menu planning
Menu planning a big role in success of a food outlet and in attract large number of
individuals. For develop a effective menu, it is very essential for manager of food outlet to
consider the following things: Balance: It is very important for food outlet to provide a well rounded meal its
customers. This consists that offer a entrée, vegetable, side dishes and dessert to the
individuals. It is very important for manager to consider this factor while formulate a
menu for the restaurant. Variety: This is one of the major factor that require to be consider during menu planning.
Dishes of food outlet require to have colour this make the food appealing to the eyes of
diners (Funabiki and et. al., 2011). Further efforts should be done to mix and match the
texture by consists crispy, creamy, soft and crunchy foods. Occasion: This is other element that require to be consider, elegance of occasion or event
require to match with the elegance of menu. For example if it is a official party them
upscale fare is usually the way to go. If there is a informal meeting than casual would be
appropriate.
 Dietary restrictions: Know the preferences of customers is one of the factor that require
to be consider during menu planning. Large number of individuals are there who follow a
special diet such as low fat and vegetarian. All this should be consider.
Constraints of menu planning Ingredients: Before finalise the dishes of menu, it is very important to choose the
standard process that will be used by staff to make final dishes. It is also very important
to ensure that all ingredients will be available during the life of menu. Facility layout: It is very important to have required resources and enough space
available to make the dishes to the customers. Costs: Food items that require high cost and investment to produce should be deleted
from the menu. Expensive food items required to be priced a level so that should be
removed from the menu.
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 Quality levels: Quality play a big role in food products. It is very essential for manager of
food outlet to know the level of quality what the diners expect. Knowledge of employees,
ingredients, process, method used to make the dish all impact on its quality.
3 Major elements affecting menu pricing
Various elements are there that affect the menu pricing as given into following points: Customers: Respond of consumers towards the final price of product is one of the major
factor that pricing process (Ozdemir, 2012). Research must be carry out by food outlets
in order to collect information about how sensitive customers are? Further, how much
individuals are willing to pay is another factor that affect pricing. Competitors: Rivals of firm exist in market and on which rate they sell the product
directly impact on pricing strategy of firm. For attract large number of customers and to
retain them for a long time organisation offer various features and extra benefits to its
customers. Product cost: This is one of the factor that affect the price charged by firm for its final
product. In this enterprise undertake all the amount spent on marketing activities, product
development, testing and on packaging. Further life cycle of a product also impact on its
price. For example; in introduction stage promotion cost of firm remain high as company
invest more in marketing activities to make the individuals aware about its products. Weather: This is one of the factor that affect the price of food products. Crops are get
affected by the weather during growing season. A little variation in weather give rise to
scarcity of crop which increase its prices. In case of good growing season food prices
may go down due to results in a surplus. Pests: Elements such as disease and pest damage can destroy a crop. Transportation costs: When prices of gas and oil are higher then it increase the
transportation cost of food products. This impact on final price of product. Labour costs: Large number of people work in agri-food system and if labour cost rise
then food prices of also go up.
 Other factors: Economic and political conditions of a nation and rules of government
impact final price of a good.
All these are the major factors that impact price of a product. It is very essential for a
food outlet or restaurant to consider all these factors while set the price of product.
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4 Issues involved in implementation of strategy recognise nutritions concerns
New rules and regulations affect the restaurants and make them responsible to supply
relevant and transparent information about the fact that nutrition is very essential for every
restaurant (Christensen, 2014). Today every consumer wants information about what they eat.
Restaurant can offer nutritional information in different ways through which individuals can
easily access the data. In food sector, one of the major challenge is to secure and provide health
food to all individuals. Research reveal that hunger is one of the biggest problem and due to this
progress towards the set goals is slow. Calorie and hunger is one part of this problem and the
other one is that large number of individuals have only minimum access to the calorie. Today
different type of strategies are implemented by food and beverage outlets to recognise nutrition
concerns and during this they face various problem and issues and this can be understood by the
points given below: Cost: This is known as one of the major issue that face by food outlets to during
implementation of strategies to identify nutrition concerns. When hotel and food outlets
do efforts to produce and offer food with good nutrition to its customers then this
increase the cost of both business operations and final food products (Wang and et. al.,
2013). For maintain nutrition in food items restaurant require to use good quality material
and ingredients and all increase the cost of foo products but restaurants can not charged a
high price from its customers as they can set the price of a product up to a standard level.
Overall implementation of strategy by consider nutritions concern give rise to business
operations.
 Lack of food variety: When food outlets do efforts maximise the nutrition of food
products they offer to its customers then it decrease the variety food dishes offered by it.
Only limited products are there that deliver both taste and nutrition value to the
individuals and this decrease the variety of food items. All this decrease the number of
customers visit that restaurant and decrease the number of its profits. In this case new
ways should be identify by restaurant and training should be offer to staff members so
they can cook tasty food and at the same time can maintain and deliver nutrition value to
customers.
All these are the major issues which a food outlet face during implementation of strategy
for recognise nutritions concerns.
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CONCLUSION
From the given project report, it can be summarised that menu is used by food outlets to
make the individuals inform about the food dishes available there and sale them the same.
Various aspects are there that require to be consider by restaurants while formulate menu. All
efforts should be done by food outlets to maintain the quality of dishes they serve to their
customers as this help in satisfy them. Various constraints are there which manager face during
develop menu and that should be properly handled by manager.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Christensen, N., 2014. Labor in school meal programs: Measurement of direct costs and their
influence on menu planning.
Dixon, E. and et. al., 2014. Application of a menu-planning template as a tool for promoting
healthy preadolescent diets. Topics in Clinical Nutrition. 29(1). m pp.47-56.
Ducak, K. and Keller, H.H., 2011. Menu planning in long-term care: Toward resident-centred
menus. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 72(2). pp.e126-e133.
Funabiki, N. and et. al., 2011, June. A proposal of a menu planning algorithm for two-phase
cooking by busy persons. In Complex, Intelligent and Software Intensive Systems
(CISIS), 2011 International Conference on (pp. 668-673). IEEE.
Kanai, H. and Kitahara, K., 2011, March. A menu-planning support system to facilitate
communication among neighbors. In Proceedings of the ACM 2011 conference on
Computer supported cooperative work (pp. 661-664). ACM.
Kuo, F.F. and et. al., 2012. November. Intelligent menu planning: Recommending set of recipes
by ingredients. In Proceedings of the ACM multimedia 2012 workshop on Multimedia
for cooking and eating activities (pp. 1-6). ACM.
Ozdemir, B., 2012. A review on menu performance investigation and some guiding propositions.
Journal of foodservice business research. 15(4). pp.378-397.
Payne-Palacio, J., 2016. Foodservice Management: principles and practices. Pearson Education.
Soria-Contreras, D.C. and et. al., 2014. Feasibility and efficacy of menu planning combined
with individual counselling to improve health outcomes and dietary adherence in people
with type 2 diabetes: A pilot study. Canadian journal of diabetes. 38(5). pp.320-325.
Wang, Y.F. and et. al., 2013. Developing green management standards for restaurants: An
application of green supply chain management. International Journal of Hospitality
Management. 34. pp.263-273.
Online
Type of menu, 2018. [Online] Available through:<http://www.menushoppe.com/8-menu-types-
you-should-know-about>./
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