MENU Design

1
MENU Design

• From design to evaluation for
• all types of menus

2
Rationale

• Everything starts with the menu. The menu
  dictates much about how your operation will be
  organized and managed, the extent to which it
  meet its goals, and even how the building itself
  - certainly the interior - should be designed and
  constructed.

3
Priority Concerns Of The Menu Planner
Priority Concerns of menu
Planner
Wants and needs
Guest
Flavour
Concept of Value
Quality of Item
Consistency
Cost
Item Price
Texture/Form/Shape
Availability
Object of Property Visit
Peak Volume Production and Operating Concerns

Socio-Economic Factors
Nutritional Content
Visual Appeal
Sanitation Concerns

Demographic Concerns
Aromatic Appeal
Layout Concerns
Ethnic Factors
Equipment Concerns
Temperature
Religious Factors
4
Basic Rules Of Menu Planning

• Know your guest
• - Food preference
• - Price
• - Age

• Know your operation
• - Theme or cuisine
• - Equipment
• - Personnel
• - Quality standards
• - Budget

5
Menu Design

• The menu primary sales tool at your
  establishment
• Your menu appears online - on a review site,
  social media, your website, or an online ordering
  system.
• It is a standalone ambassador for your brand,
  giving customers the first taste of what your
  restaurant is all about.

6
Must be Accurate

• Truth-in-menu laws exist cannot mislabel a
  product
• fresh must be fresh, not fresh frozen
• USDA Choice actually USDA Good
• Point of origin must be correct as well as items
  offered must be delivered.

7
Menu Order

• Sequence
• Items should be listed in the order they receive
  them is served at a specific set timing.
• Placement
• Use negative space boxes watermarks, etc.

8
Elements Of Menu Copy

• Headings Help Categorize
• - Appetizers Soups/Salads, etc.
• - Hot Desserts, etc.
• Sub-heading
• - Description written under entrée title. Match
  writing style throughout.

9
Menu Balance

• Business balance
• - balance between food cost, menu prices,
  popularity of items, financial and marketing
  considerations
• Aesthetic balance
• - colors, textures, flavors of food
• Nutritional balance

10
Techniques to influence buying decisions

• Keep customer focus on Descriptions

• Black truffle-fines herb Dumpling
• Parisienne carrots and turnips, horseradish
  bavarois and port reduction

• Strawberry Shortcake
• Sautéed foie gras, house made drop biscuits,
  viridian farms strawberries, fennel-strawberry
  marmalade

11
Reduce Price Influence
1
Pan Seared Duck Breast Over Kalamata Olive and
Rosemary Ravioli, with a local Blackberry Demi
Glace -26
Warm Peaches Donuts Fresh Whites Farm Poached
Peaches with Belgian Chocolate filled donut Holes
Toasted Pistachios -10
2

• Place prices after the description centering
  makes it difficult for customers to scan for the
  lowest price.

12
No

• Not putting a dollar sign next to prices makes a
  customer feel like they can spend more. The
  dollar sign signifies the picture of actual cash
  in the wallet being spent, where random numbers
  add up to a total which we can quantify with the
  experience, not the cost.
• Its a quick and simple removal of information
  that leads to more and higher sales. Try it with
  your next menu!

13
Featured Areas

• Eyes are drawn to featured choices placed in
  boxes

14
Supplemental Merchandising Copy

• Includes information such as
• Address/Map
• Telephone number
• Days and hours of operation
• Meals times served
• Additional Info (3 fold inside panel or back,
  1 page back)
• Reservations info/min. and payment policies
  (Gratuity )
• Other services provided
• History of the restaurant or a statement about
  managements commitment to guest service (theme)

15
Menu Fonts

• Format
• Menus size
• General makeup
• Typeface
• Printed letters
• Font size
• Type face

16
Reading Ability

• Use fonts that make it easy for all to read.
• Nothing less than 10 pt font.

17
Menu Layout

• Artwork
• Drawings, photographs, decorative patterns,
  borders can enhance.
• Paper Selection
• Incorporate texture
• Paper choices affect overall theme.
• Color
• 2 Colors strong no more than 3 ea.

18
Menu Marketing
Menus need to match the ambiance of your
establishment to build your brand and promote
satisfying dining experiences.
19
Background Color Use

• The background colors have a major impact on
  overall ambiance customers experience.
• Fiery red or orange spicy entrees trendy food
  selection.
• Cool blues and sea greens lead to a calmer frame
  of mind and smooth flavors with subtle accents.
• Black and white is a classic choice for high-end
  food that speaks for itself.

20
Common Menu-design Mistakes

• Menu is too small
• Type is too small
• Every item treated the same
• Some of the operations food and beverages are
  not listed
• Graphic problems
• Basic information about the property and its
  policies are not included.
• Spelling errors

21
Common Menu Mistakes

• Failing to conduct a competitive and
  profitability analysis at least 2x p/yr.
• Failing to update the menu and prices at least 2x
  p/yr
• Selling like-items that are competitively
  comparable
• Failing to have a specialty drink menu (even if
  you dont serve alcohol there are opportunities)
• Physical menus overly susceptible to wear and
  tear (food, grease, tears, water stains, etc)
• Resource Atlanta Restaurant Real Estate Brokers
• http//www.shumacher.com/restaurant-consultant-rev
  eals-80-most-common-restaurant-mistakes/

22
Evaluating Menus

• Print your menus 2-3 times on regular paper to
  review edits OFF the computer screen.
• Read out loud if reviewing alone.
• Print your final copy on professional paper,
  once you have reviewed and are COMPLETELY
  satisfied.

23
Menu Evaluation Questions Most Often Asked

• Is the menu attractive?
• Do the colors and other design elements match the
  operations theme and decor?
• Are menu items laid out in an attractive and
  logical way?
• Is there too much descriptive copy? Not enough?
  Is the copy easy to understand?
• Is attention called to the items managers most
  want to sell, through placement, color,
  description, type size, etc.?

24
Food Truck Menu
25
Bar Type Menu
26
Graphic Fonts Sell Casual
27
1 Page Menu
28
Bar Menu
29
1 page Desserts Menu
30
Beverages

• Put your drinks first. Your wait staff offers a
  round of water when most people sit down, but let
  me assure you, people dont want the water.
• If the beverages are listed as the first thing on
  the menu above the appetizers, consumers are
  more likely to order one.

31
Food Pics Dont Sell Words do!

• Pictures are always deemed unrealistic in diners
  eyes, written descriptions are taken more to
  heart.
• Crafting a back-story or short description for
  your dishes will work the imagination of your
  diners, while showing them a picture replaces the
  memory with it. When the delivered meal is not
  exactly like the picture, the disappointment is
  inevitable.

32
Kids Menus w/ Combos Options

• Price as a combo - entree, side or dessert, and a
  drink.
• Pricing strategy removes the burden from parents
  to patch together an appropriate portion size
  with a la carte options, and eliminates some
  decision-making stress.
• Parents do expect the freedom to customize their
  child's meal by selecting a beverage, side, or
  dessert.
• Selections should also account for food
  allergies list all ingredients and allow
  substitutions (e.g. corn tortillas instead of
  flour).

33
Designing Kids Menus

• Activities
• Word puzzles ages 6-10.
• Coloring or maze activity for pre-readers (5 and
  under).
• Designs
• gender neutral robots, animals, or adventure
  scenes
• Use a sans-serif font easily legible for young
  readers ("silly" fonts or fonts that mimic kids
  handwriting not the best)
• And of course, coloring menus should be printed
  on crayon-friendly paper.