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A Great Menu

It is so much more than a list of food and prices. Your menu is often the first thing your customers see

when they take a table at your restaurant.

It may even be the reason they came through your doors. You would be surprised how many restaurants spend little or no time on menu design

and miss out on easy ways to help drive sales of their most profitable dishes.

This guidebook has what you need to know about great menu design From layout to pricing we have it covered. There is also a glossary of mouth watering adjectives

and some excellent tips on how to turn your menu into your most important marketing tool.

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HOW WILL YOUR MENU BE DIFFERENT? How are you going to stand out? What are your singnature dishes? WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN THE MENU & YOUR KITCHEN? A smaller kitchen will limit the variety of your restaurant menu. ARE YOUR MENU ITEMS VERSATILE? Keep food spoilage down and use ingredients in more than one dish. ARE YOUR DISHES EASY TO PREPARE? Unless you plan to get a Michelin Star, any menu items that have over-fussy presentations will bog down your kitchen staff. DO YOU KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS? A very important thing to remember when designing your menu is your customers. Who do you want to attract? HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE COMPETITION?

Study their menus to see their pricing. Look for similarities and differences between your prospective restaurant menu and theirs. GET INSPIRED! Collect as many menus as you can get your hands on.

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BEFORE YOU START

Stay flexible when you first open. Don’t over invest in the printing of menus.

You may have to make changes

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THE CHALKBOARD

The chalkboard is great for gastro pubs and neighbourhood restaurants as they create a sense of homespun cooking. Make sure you have an employee with clear handwriting. Don’t use different colours, stick with white and don’t actually use chalk, use chalk pens. Chalkboards are also great for promoting specials.

THE LEATHER BOUND BOOKOnce regarded as the height of chic in top end restaurants, today, the leather book seems a little tired and old fashioned .Nowadays they are best suited for a country house or perhaps your wine list. THE LAMINATED MENU Usually a one or a two panel menu (opens like a magazine). This type of menu is very popular with restaurants with a large foot-fall as they help to turn tables. They are great for sports bars, fastfood, casual and family friendly restaurants. The advantages of this style is that they are cheap to produce, easy to handle and offer lots of scope for creativity. One disadvantage is that they can easily become tatty. ONE-USE-ONLY PAPER MENUS These have become very popular in recent years with restaurants that have a relaxed atmosphere. They also often double as placemats in canteen style restaurants. Paper menus allow you give a fresh menu to every customer. THE CLASSIC PAGE TURNER These are still the most popular form of menu. They are great for restaurants with a lot of dishes , but they can slow down decision making. Make sure you divide it into clear sections.

MENU STYLES

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According to restaurant consultants interviewed by Restaurants USA magazine, re-designing your menu can improve your sales on average

from 2% to 10%

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Careful layout of your menu is very important. We know that most customers are going to order an entrée when they open the menu, so your goal is to ensure the customer sees the more profitable items first. MOST VALUABLE REAL ESTATEOn a solo page layout, it’s a proven fact that the more profitable items should be placed on top and bottom thirds of the page. On two-panel (page) menus people most often look at the top right-hand side first. On three-panel menus, people most often look at the centre panel first, and then move counter clockwise. These areas should be reserved for more profitable dishes since it is the best place to catch, and retain, the reader‘s gaze.

Remember cheap, popular staples like a burger should be harder to locate. The order in which dishes appear is also important. People most often remember and buy the first two items or the last menu item in each menu category. Place your menu items with the highest gross profit in these spots.

Finally, do not fear white space as it allows the eyes to pause and rest.

MENU LAYOUT

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See the change of seasons as an oppertunity to introduce spring, summer, autumn and winter menus.

Reflect the seasonal products available and holiday eating habits

Once you have your restaurant menu drafted, it‘s time to decide on setting the prices for each dish.In order to maximise your proofit it is important to understand the psychology of pricing. ABOVE £5? - ADD 95p

Since price increments of less than £1 don‘t change the perceived value of a dish, add £0.95 to any item that’s available when it costs more than £5. For example, since £12.50 and £12.95 have the same perceived value, go with £12.95 to maximize your profits. SCANNING

Avoid listing prices down the right-hand margin. This can result in customer scanning down the list of prices and choosing the least expensive items. It is much better to add the prices at the end of each description inline with the body of the text and using the same font.Removing the £ sign can further help the customer focus on the product, not the price.

PRICING

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If your customers have trouble pronouncing the names of your menu items, number them.

Its much easier to correctly pronounce “No. 9” than “Nicoise Salad”

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Your menu description should make a guest‘s mouth water. The adjectives used to describe a dish can be as important as the names of the ingredients themselves.

What would you rather eat “garlic chicken” or “flame-grilled chicken with garlic marinade”

Avoid making descriptions too long, a sentence or two is fine. The names of your dishes should intrigue the customer. If they have more questions, their server should be able to give them further information about a dish or recommend a house favourite. Incorporating local references and traceability can also help your restaurant menu stand out. Galway Bay Oysters sound very inviting. I was recently in a great little restaurant in Scotland that use blackboards to display their daily fish specials and included the name of the fishermen who had pulled in the catch!

Check out the glossary of food buzz words at the end hundreds of scrumptious, yummy, heavenly, melt-in-the-mouth, indulgent and irresistible adjectives.

MENU DESCRIPTIONS

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Enlist the talent of a local artist to design your menu cover. Perhaps you could showcase a different artist each time you reprint the menu.

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WHAT TO DO

• Offer a balance of unique dishes and old favourites

• Give personal recommendations

• Position side orders and add ons in a prominent position

• Promote new items and specials

• Choose a great typeface (check out dafont.com)

• Make the desserts sound like a must have treats

• Use table tents to promote the deserts menu

• Have high and low food costs for a reasonable profit margin.

• Highlight sharing dishes These are often bought by couples on dates who are more concerned with the experience than the price

• Include symbols and icons for healthy options and allergy free dishes

• Offer wine and beer to go with food dishes

• Always ensure that your menus are clean

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MENU TIPS

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Over-work dishes by using expensive and pretentious items

• Litter your menu with superfluous adjectives

• Add too many pictures or busy backgrounds

• Use clipart or similar images

• Use £, $ or € signs

• Have too many dishes The optimum number of dishes in a category is between five and seven. Too many dishes decrease the value of each item

• Have any spelling mistakes in the menu

• Make your menu too long

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MENU TIPS

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GlossaryTake advantage of your menu‘s power by including menu lingo that sells.

Below you will find 100‘s of foodie buzz words to help you write an inspired menu

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Array ofAutumnalBabyCandiedCaramelisedCholesterol freeChunks ofChunkyColourfulComplemented byCrispyCrunchyField mushroomFreshGenerous Portion ofGolden brownHand CutHome-styleJulienneLocalLocally sourced

MedleyMushyOn a bed ofOrganicOrgasmicOven BakedPresented onRoastedRusticSautéedSeasonalSpringSteamedStuffed withSummerSweetWarm salad ofWinter

Al denteAromaticFluffy

Specify your pasta:FarfalloniFiorentineLinguinePenneSpaghettiFedeliniFettuccineVermicelloni

AccompanimentsAn assortment ofBite SizePaired withPerfect for dippingServed with Your choice of

A balsamic glazeAioliAromatic

Blend of secret spicesBrushed withButteryChunkyCooked to orderCrowned withDecadentDevilishly hotDrizzledFieryFinished withFlavoured with a hintHouseLightLightly seasonedMouth wateringRichRoasted garlic TangyRubbed withSaffron-infusedSage JusSignature BBQ sauce

Smothered inSplash ofStickySweetTopped withWith an extra drizzle

A rich and creamyCountry styleFloured BunFor extra crunchFresh crusty breadHeartyLightly ToastedLow CalorieMeatyOpen facedOur unique recipeOven toastedScoop of Jersey creamWholegrainWinter

28 day aged100% prime beef,AgedAged just rightBlack angus beefBraisedChar-grilledChoice CutCooked to your likingCuredEncrusted withExpertly seasonedFall-off-the-bone ribsFlame grilledflavoured withFor an indulgent steak experienceFree RangeGameGrilled to your liking Skewered British Beef

Vegetables

Pasta & Rice

Side Orders

Dressings / Sauces

Soup & Sandwiches

Meat

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Glossary

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Top side of Succulent Tender Dry-cured Skewered Seared Juicy Perfectly grilledHand-carved to orderHand-selectedHand-trimmedJuicyOur aged prime ribOver a red hot grill to seal in its bold flavourPan FriedSeared on a red hot grillSeasoned to perfectionSizzlingSlitherSlow-roasted to capture the full flavoursSmoky barbecueSteak lover’s steakSteaming HotThick cut filet

BatteredBroiledCatch of the dayCaught byCrispy BatterDaily catchFarmedFlash friedFreshly CaughtFresh waterGriddledHand batteredHand-BreadedLightly Breaded Delicately grilledOven-roastedSautéed in butterSeaSimply GrilledSmokedSteamedSustainableTempura

Classic NeapolitanHand rolledHand-stretchedItalian seasoning MediterraneanMade to shareOur thinnest & lightest From the heart of ItalyShaved ParmesanStone bakedThick and fluffyThin crustWood Fire

A crunchy concoctionAn all time favouriteAn indulgent twist A perfect combination CopiousCreamyCrumblyDelectableDivineDollop of

Enveloped inGenerous portionGuilt FreeHave your cake & eat it!Irresistible DessertsLashings of ice creamLavishly made withLusciousMelt-in-the-mouthMoist layers ofMolten chocolateNaughty but niceNew York-stylePureedRetro classicShouts “eat me!”Simply irresistibleSomething sweetSumptuousTaste sensationTenderTreat yourselfWarning - addictive

ArtisanBaked fresh daily

Gluten freeHeavenlyIndulgentPlumpStraight from the oven

Adult free zoneChewyDeep Sea DippersMessyGooeyItsy BitsyJelly delightJust for kidsMade for dunkingMini me portionMunchyNutritionalScrumptiousYummyZesty

American StyleChilledClean Finish

Cold-filteredDarkDistinctive BiteFuller-bodiedPilsner-stylePopular ImportServed in Frosty MugsStrong and crisp

A versatile all-rounder Bursting with flavourComplexDark and lusciousEasy DrinkingFresh and fruityFresh, zesty flavoursFull bodiedMellowPacks a punchSensuously smoothSeriously fruityStunningly complexSubtle and spicySucculentSuperbly light

Meat ctd PizzaFish

Dessert

Kids

BeerBaked Goods

Wine

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