FOOD 8000: Menu Analysis of Rodeo Goat Restaurant in Dallas, Texas

This report presents a comprehensive menu analysis of the Rodeo Goat restaurant in Dallas, Texas, focusing on its effectiveness in attracting and serving its target market. The analysis begins with an overview of the restaurant's market segment, including its physical location, decor, and customer demographics. The report identifies the restaurant's target audience and assesses the extent to which it successfully attracts them, highlighting any disconnects. The core of the analysis centers on the restaurant's menu. The report examines the menu's layout, design, and content, identifying both strengths and weaknesses. It evaluates the menu's appeal, legibility, and use of graphics, as well as the clarity and descriptiveness of food item descriptions. The report also addresses pricing strategies and the presentation of nutritional information, including the absence of calorie information and the lack of menu cleaning protocols. Finally, the report suggests specific improvements to enhance the menu's effectiveness and appeal to customers, including the use of graphics, more descriptive language, and the inclusion of nutritional information. The report also analyzes the impact of menu design on consumer choices and discusses the importance of menu cleanliness.

Running Head: SOCIOLOGY 1
Menu analysis
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation

PSYCHOLOGY 2
Introduction
The menu of a restaurant is an essential part of the business. It is the look and the feel of
the menu that motivates the customer to browse the different foods of the restaurant and look for
new options. The business of even the most popular restaurant can go down if its menu is not
designed carefully. The paper makes a menu analysis from an actual restaurant and identifies
what makes the menu less than optimal. The restaurant chosen for the analysis is Rodeo Goat in
Dallas.
Market Segment
Rodeo Goat is a popular restaurant in Dallas that enjoys good rating for food and
services. It is a casual joint that offers several variations on burgers & a lengthy craft-beer lineup.
The restaurant remains open from 11 am till 11 pm during weekdays including Sunday and until
midnight on Friday and Saturday. Located on the outskirts of the Design District, the restaurant
does not look promising from the outside (Google Map, 2019). The grey colored building carries
the name of the restaurant in big block white letters on one corner.
When you step inside, you enter a large open-plan space that spells a casual dining
establishment. The interiors are well lit, and there is a well-stocked bar on one side. Two green
topped long tables fill the entire space and are lined by high chair stools for seating. The ceilings
are not too high and carry minimum décor. However, there are TVs mounted to catch your
favorite sport as you enjoy your meals. The main room leads to other smaller room with an
added seated arrangement with tables and couches. The deep green upholstery and the checkered
tablecloth look casual and ordinary. Behind, there is an outdoor space that is complete with a
picnic table and heat lamps. One can enjoy great views of Lake Ray Hubbard from the covered

PSYCHOLOGY 3
patio area. There is a smoky scent of sizzling burgers that lingers on within the restaurant
because of the open-air kitchen grill.
Rodeo Goat is a walkable place and offers good food during lunch and dinner. It is
mostly crowded, and one finds all age groups here, both young and old. The major pull of the
restaurant lies in its great beer section and mushy burgers that are full of flavors and available in
many options. People from all walks of life come here to enjoy a casual meal. The restaurant
may not look very attractive from the outside, but it promises great burgers and fast services. It is
well maintained and clean, and the staff is polite and courteous. The server even helps out their
guests in making good choices. The evenings are more crowded, and occasionally one might
find long lines at the restaurant. The place can be a little noisy because of the concrete floor and
the building style. However, one can certainly enjoy their meals with the least interference.
The Menu
There is no denying that Rodeo Goat is a popular restaurant that enjoys a regular influx of
customers, thanks to its food and casual ambiance. However, when one looks at the menu, it is
easy to see that there is a scope of improvement (Rodeo Goat, 2019). The menu is a simple one
and done in red and black print on a white background. The name of the restaurant is written
clearly at the top, and below it, the popular wording of the joint” We grind so fine” are written
on a red ribbon or sash, just below the Battle of the burger, The Normandy vs. Dad Bod is
depicted, and the details are written in blue. The rest of the menu place is covered with food
items and details of burgers, appetizers, sides, greens, and desserts. The lower end of the menu
carries the address, contact and web details of the restaurant. The major space of the menu is
covered with the burger offers from Rodeo Goat.

PSYCHOLOGY 4
The layout of the menu is bit dense and crowded for information. It does not look very
appealing on first look. It is hard to make out the signature items or what items the restaurant is
trying to promote. Burgers is written in red block letters and a star in black next to the title of
Burgers in indicates that the burgers are the specialty of the restaurant. All the burgers are listed
on one side, and there are twenty different types of burgers listed. While the names of the burger
are done in block letters in black, the details are listed in smaller fonts size in deep grey and are
followed by the price. Appetizers are listed in a black outlined box on the top right side of the
menu. Below, the sides, greens and desserts are listed in red colored font and the details are
given in black. The menu is trying to promote beef and chicken burgers. There are just two
vegetarian options for the burgers which are marked by a small grey box and in white font. The
restaurant could introduce more options for vegetarians.
Kitchen cross-utilizing ingredients can be seen on the menu as some items are seen to be
used across menu parts. For instance, beef, beefsteak tomato, hydroponic sprouts, and some more
items can be seen on the menu. While cross-utilization holds the key to inventory and cost
control, it raises the challenge for innovative planning and preparation for the recipes. This
approach is a growing challenge for restaurants (Winsight, 2019). There is nothing very
impressive about Rodeo Goat menu, and there could be further improvement made. There is too
much information packed on the menu, and they are specific but not too descriptive.
Menus serve a purpose and inform the customer about a dish and whether it is an
appetizer, entrée, or side dish. The primary ingredients of the dish should be listed first followed
by the less significant. When one looks at Rodeo Goat menu, there are far too many numbers of
items on the menu, and they could have been arranged in a better way. While the menu is legible,

PSYCHOLOGY 5
it sure needs more efforts from the customer to read. There is limited use of graphics. Menu
descriptions seem like a lifeless list of ingredients.
The worst description can be cited from the battle of the burgers, where the description is
written in a blue and handwritten font. The lettering size is uneven, and the sentences are not in a
straight line. Even the color of the blue ink is different. The description for The Normandy could
have a graphic of the burger followed with a listing of the ingredients and the toppings. Another
example can be taken from the lower right corner of the menu where there is a black box with
white font that reads” If you are not happy, don’t just sit there and suffer- ask a server or
manager to fix it.” (Rodeo Goat, 2019). As some of the letters are struck through, it is difficult to
read. Moreover, one needs to make efforts to read the two lines written below where the font size
is even smaller.
Although the menu language seems appropriate for the market segment and goes well
with the restaurant theme, it could be made more appealing visually. The design, graphics,
colors, font and about could be improved for higher legibility. The menu can be fine-tuned and
could be more descriptive. For example, there is no description for the items under the sides like
Hand Punched Fries, Rodeo side salad, Texas Caviar, and Homemade Goat chips. The prices are
written but do not stand out. The vegetarian options could be marked in green color. If the menu
is covered is with shelves or baskets, it does not give the best layout and location.
The restaurant sector holds a major responsibility as it impacts consumer food choices.
Restaurant menu can be designed to be more informative for the customers and inform them
about the environmental and societal consequences of their food choices (Filimonau & Krivcova,
2017). The contemporary customer is becoming more conscious about his environmental and
societal responsibility. The catering industry should be aware of those consumer choice trends

PSYCHOLOGY 6
and becomes more responsible. The restaurant sector can start with displaying food source,
nutritional and calorific values on the menu (Filimonau, Lemmer, Marshall, & Bejjani, 2017).
Restaurant owners and managers should discuss the role of menu design and how it can fit within
the consumer choices. FDA’s final guidelines require restaurants to post calorie information on
menus. Research shows that those who follow the calorie information purchase fewer calories as
compared to those who do not (Gruner, DeWeese, Lorts, Yedidia, & Ohri-Vachaspati,2018).
Educational campaigns can help to raise awareness among increasing menu label use among
consumers and motivate them to make healthier choices when eating in restaurants. Rodeo Goat
menu could improve further by adding calorific values along with the items. There are still no
protocols to clean menus although cleaning of menus is commonly done in many restaurants. It
has been demonstrated that damp menus carry microorganisms that can reach the fingertips
(Jinkyung Choi, Almanza, Nelson, Neal, & Sirsat, 2014). Thus, the importance of clean menu
surfaces must be recognized, and there should be recommendations for improving menu
cleanliness. The menus should be cleaned after each shift or every four hours. Skipping menu
cleaning can raise the risks of cross-contamination among staff and customers. The menus placed
on the table carry higher levels of contamination.
Rodeo Goat menu can do with less clutter to make the menu more attractive and legible.
It can get rid of some of the unnecessary information and focus on the main food items and their
description. For example, it would be a good idea to place a small image of each burger right
next to the dish and with a well-written description. The restaurant should use a menu to
differentiate itself from other competitors and entice its customers with a tempting language. It
is a good idea to add how the main ingredient tastes as most of the customers are not well
familiar with all the ingredients. When a menu is good and attractive, the customer enjoys going

PSYCHOLOGY 7
through and are likely to order more as there are lesser confusion and efforts to select an item.
The dish’s name and its image should clearly identify the dish and make it easier for the guests.
If the customer does not understand an ingredient, they will not order that item. Hence, the
descriptions should be more interesting and informative.
Pricing
When one looks at the price point on the menu, it seems appropriate for the target market.
The average price ranges between 9 and 10 dollars. The price point is appropriate for the target
market and the pricing objective is to remain competitive. With a focus on minced beef burgers,
and the larger portions, the price point is justified. There is plenty of options for burgers and
beef. The burgers are big sized and excellent, and the fries match the burgers in volume.
Psychological pricing method is used, as the prices are listed in a smaller font, and the prices are
divided into left and right, and there is no comma used (Kolenda Group LLC, 2019). For
example, the menu lists 7.5, 9.5, 11.5 and even a one-cent difference on the right digit will not
make much difference. It is evident that the menu uses pricing to attract guests towards its greens
and desserts.
Conclusion
Rodeo Goat enjoys a loyal following because of its top-notch burgers and an extensive
craft beer selection. Customers love the laid-back vibe of the restaurant and enjoy the intense
flavors of the freshly ground beef placed in a fresh bun. When it comes to the menu of the
restaurant, there is a scope for improvement. The restaurant could change the layout and use
more graphics and details to outline the menu. Right now, it looks more crowded and packed.
The font style, size, and colors could be enhanced. There are so many good restaurants that do
not lack in their menu choices but lag behind when it comes to the menu design. The restaurant

PSYCHOLOGY 8
owner and manager should understand that it is the guests look at the menu before stepping
inside. A well planned and designed menu can revamp the restaurant and motivate the customer
to read and understand different food items. The food and restaurant business is a competitive
one, and every restaurant owner and chef should work on every aspect to make their place stand
out.

PSYCHOLOGY 9
References
Google Map. (2019). Rodeo Goat, Google Map Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x864e994e038ea6dd
%3A0x3ea5b4778860d1f0!2m21!8m3!7m2!3e2!4e34!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!
1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e6!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e5!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F
%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp
%2FAF1QipPej9vzAe_5x6LLilxCq1KSWfVHkxFbhIbiEZFb%3Dw252-h160-k-no!
5sRodeo%20Goat%20restaurant%20in%20Dallas%20-%20Google
%20Search&imagekey=!1e10!
2sAF1QipNucopec8dgN0han3NqgUhhbPLqzGfpOr2OM2np&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwipv
fnx2sDhAhVQEawKHToHCqMQoiowCnoECA8QBg&activetab=vibe
Gruner, J., DeWeese, R. S., Lorts, C., Yedidia, M. J., & Ohri-Vachaspati, P. (2018). Predicted
Impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s Menu-Labeling Regulations on
Restaurants in 4 New Jersey Cities. American Journal of Public Health, 108(2), 234–240.
Filimonau, V., & Krivcova, M. (2017). Restaurant menu design and more responsible consumer
food choice: An exploratory study of managerial perceptions. Journal of Cleaner
Production, 143, 516–527.
Filimonau, V., Lemmer, C., Marshall, D., & Bejjani, G. (2017). Restaurant menu re-design as a
facilitator of more responsible consumer choice: An exploratory and preliminary study.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 33, 73–81.

PSYCHOLOGY 10
Jinkyung Choi, Almanza, B., Nelson, D., Neal, J., & Sirsat, S. (2014). A Strategic Cleaning
Assessment Program: Menu Cleanliness at Restaurants. Journal of Environmental
Health, 76(10), 18–24.
Kolenda Group LLC. (2019). Pricing Psychology, nickkolenda Retrieved from
https://www.nickkolenda.com/psychological-pricing-strategies/
Rodeo Goat. (2019). rodeo goat menu, rodeo goat Retrieved from
https://www.rodeogoat.com/plano/
Winsight, LLC. (2019). Getting more out of your menu, restaurant business online Retrieved
from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/food/getting-more-out-your-menu