Menu Development, Planning, and Design: Customer and Business Needs

This report provides an overview of menu development, planning, and design, focusing on different menu types such as A la carte and static menus. It explores the principles guiding menu creation, including resource availability, food habits, and customer types. The report analyzes how menu design meets both customer and business requirements, emphasizing the impact of menu design on customer satisfaction and business success. It also examines the influence of target market, customer preferences, and staff training on menu design. The report concludes by discussing current trends in the food industry, offering recommendations for menu innovation, and outlining key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure menu success, such as the cost-to-profit ratio, revenue per client, and client retention rate. The report also includes a list of references from books and journals.

Unit 21 - Menu Development,
Planning and design

Overview of different types of menu
Menu is designed according to the needs of customers. It varies on basis of dishes, cuisine, etc.
Basically, there are different types of menus that is designed. It is as follows :-
 A la carte- It is a type of menu that is designed for breakfast, room service, lunch, etc.
here, there is complete list of dished along with its price.
 Also, there are different categories as well in which dishes are included, so it provides
variety of options to customers. The menu is expensive as compared to Table d’ hote.
 Table d’ hote - It is most popular and simpler form of menu that is very easy to control and
operate. Thus, selling price of this menu is fixed.
 In this menu, the options are available for multi course meals with only few choices and
these charged at a fixed total price.

CONT..
 Static menu – this type of menu is designed by fast food restaurants and is fixed. For
example- food chain such as Burger king, KFC, etc. uses this menu.
 The design is simple and standard as it does not include ingredients mentioned below dish
name. However, food items offered in menu is provided for long time. Basically, this menu
is used most commonly as compared to others.

PRINCIPLES
There are certain principles that is followed in planning and designing of menu. They are
explained below :-
 Resource availability – it states that there should be enough resources available for
deigning of menu. This helps in effective and strategic design of menu according to season.
So, if restaurant follow static menu deign then sufficient resources must be available for it.
 Food habits – It is necessary for restaurant to identify the food habits of customer so that
accordingly food items are included in it. Moreover, it provides an insight on trends in
customer needs and what is their taste and preference. However, food habits include diet,
interest, etc. of customers and their consumption level.
 Customer type – Apart from food habits, the customer type should also be identified. In
this it includes age, gender, etc. of customer. This enables in segregating customers on
basis of their types and then planning and designing menu.

How it meets customer and business requirements
 In order to fulfil customer needs it is necessary to design and plan menu. However, proper
designing enables in attracting them and generating sales and profits. By analysing types of
menu it is said that A la cart menu include those items that are expensive as compared to other.
moreover, it provides wide option to customers to chose from.
 Thus, they are able to select those items that fulfil their needs. Furthermore, business is able to
provide varied options as well. they make changes in menu with change in season, trend, etc.
 In similar way, static menu contains food items that remain constant for long time.
The dishes included are burger, sandwich, juice and other fast food items. This menu is
suitable for restaurant that offer fast food.
 Through this way, customer needs are fulfilled. Moreover, for those fast food business menu
target customer that needs matches with food items. Thus, it fulfil business requirement as
well.

Impact on customer and business on design of menu
There is a great impact of design of menu on customer needs. It is because menu design depends
on needs of customers. So, if not fulfilled then it impacts on customer need.
Customer needs
 Target market – the change in target market directly impact on menu design and planning.
Thus, it is essential to determine target market to include selective food items in it.
 Customer taste and preference – This is another factor that impact on menu design and
planning. Here, taste and preference consist of culture, gender, age, etc. which help in
determining their taste and preference. Alongside, food habits are identified as well that
impact on menu design.

CONT..
Business needs
 Availability of food – The restaurant has to ensure that food is available as per customer and
market needs. If there occur any change in it then this impact on business needs. For instance-
 Staff training – the staff must be properly trained so that they provide effective services to
customer and explain items mentioned in menu. Thus, menu has to be designed in efficient
way as per staff training.
 Weather conditions- it is also an element which can impact on menu design and planning.
The restaurant must offers dishes as per weather condition of particular region. For instance-
in seasonal and non seasonal weather, the food items are different. Therefore, change in
weather condition impact on business needs.

Conclusion for meeting customer trends
At present times there are many trends that has emerged in food industry which is impacting
on customer needs. It is also affecting on restaurant and market trends. So, in designing and
planning of menu trends are considered. Thus, there are certain recommendation that can be
followed. They are:-
 For organic and vegan food, a separate menu can be designed and prepared. It will be
useful in allowing customer to differentiate between it.
 Also, the café should mention nutrition level along with dishes name. it will enable
customer to choose it according to their diet. moreover, they will know how much calcium,
calorie, vitamin, etc. is included in dishes.

CONT..
 Furthermore, restaurant should include ingredients used in preparing dish which allow
customer to get insight about it.
 The menu design can be made attractive by inserting images and pictures of dishes and
food items. It enables in attracting customers and increasing sales.
 In order to aware the customer about the services of restaurant and to enhance the revenue
the firm social media tactics must be considered. This will be a unique way as this allows
business to create their own page to aware customers about special events, discount offers
etc.

Plan and KPI’s to measure success
It is essential for restaurant to measure the success of menu design so that insight is gained
whether customers are liking it or not. For this there are certain KPI’s that is used in which
provide relevant data and info. The KPI’s are as :
 Cost to profit ratio- this KPI enable in measuring profit with cost. here, total profit is
subtracted from cost and then divided by 100. Thus, it provides total cost to profit ratio.
 Revenue per client – it is a KPI in which measurement is done on basis of revenue
generated from per client.
 Client retention rate – in this KPI the success is measured through client retention rate. it
is done by measuring previous data with present one.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
 Baiomy, A.E., Jones, E. and Goode, M.M., 2019. The influence of menu design, menu item
descriptions and menu variety on customer satisfaction. A case study of Egypt. Tourism and
Hospitality Research, 19(2), pp.213-224.
 Filimonau, V. and Krivcova, M., 2017. Restaurant menu design and more responsible consumer
food choice: An exploratory study of managerial perceptions. Journal of cleaner
production, 143, pp.516-527.
 Kim, S.H., Park, J.H., Cheon, Y.S. and Kim, B.R., HANCOM Inc, 2019. Display screen or
portion thereof with graphical user interface containing menu bar. U.S. Patent Application
29/608,144.
 Leib, T., Reynolds, D., Taylor, J. and Baker, W., 2018. Web-based menu design: A conjoint value
analysis. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 19(4), pp.361-373.
 Murano, P. and Sander, M., 2016. User interface menu design performance and user preferences:
a review and ways forward. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and
Applications, 7(4), pp.355-361.

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