Menu Planning

Planning a profitable menu requires an extensive knowledge of food trends. The menu selection and their presentation are some of the finest dinning establishments in the United States.

Developing a qualified, successful and tasty menu, which considers nu­tritional aspects, is an important step in planning a profitable business. A menu has to be more than a “list of food”, it should contain foods that are of high nutritional value. Nutritional aspects are not only im­portant for institutional foodservice operations (e.g. for schools, hospitals, or retirement homes), but also for full and quick service restaurants. A growing number of guests want to be able to choose tasty meals that are healthier and provide the vita­mins, minerals, and fibers they need to be healthy.

The menu of any restaurant has to be the most important Aspect of all. More important than the decor or uniform of the staff. Therefore, it is extremely important to get it right. Have the right menu and the customers will come flooding in. Things to remember when putting your menu together include the overall design of your menu if you have too many pictures will it distract people away from the dishes. When selecting menu items you need to be sure to include a good balance of different items not everyone wants chicken cooked four different ways. . Nowadays there are more people with food allergies and dietary requirements. There are general rules to menu planning that are appropriate for any event. Foods should be served in combination with other foods in a way that they compliment each other by taste and presentation

Be cautious of having a huge choice of side orders only put one the menu side dishes that will complement your menu choices sometimes less is better. Is it good to have a huge menu that can't be delivered consistently by your kitchen team or a slightly smaller selection that will impress your customers repeatedly? One more thing you may wish to think about it is seasonal changes or local specialties. Reprint menus seasonally or you could train your staff to sell these items verbally adding to the interaction between your customers and your staff. One last thing to consider is your wine and drink selection will it fit on your main menu without over crowding it.

Follow popular food trends and aim to have a menu that offers a mix of modern dishes and classic dishes. Think about how many courses you offer and the dishes and other table settings that will be required. Look at offering menus that give the client a variety of options. Having a standard price option and a more expensive option is a good way to try and squeeze a little more profit out of an event.

 Focus on improving your menus over time. Take note of which dishes were popular and which ones were left unfinished so that you become more a finely tuned into what people like. These are just a few menu-planning tips for those who are starting out in the catering business to consider. Having menus that are delicious, well presented and appropriate to the event will ensure that your client is satisfied and give you a better chance of growing into a successful business.