Prostart2 Chapter2 Menu Management

Contribution margin method

(total nonfood cost+target profit)/ number of guests=contribution margin

Cyclical Menu

Chefs/managers change items after a certain period of time. Ex. restaurant might use four different menus for the four different seasons.

Food and cost percentage method

Item food cost / Food cost percentage = Menu price

Menu boards

Menus written with chalk on a blackboard, or even on a wall in the dining room, that is visible to all the patrons.

Physical layout

Often determines the kind of menu that chefs will be most capable of producing.

Menu

One of the most important interactions with guests. Where sales are won or lost. Best sales tool.

Limited time offer (LTO) menu

Only offered for a short period of time.

Plow horses

Popular but not profitable

Menu Pricing

Provides information to guests and determines profitability. This is a critical process to any operation.

Menu engineering

Systematically breaks down a menu's components to analyze which items are making money and which items are selling

Medium

The way a menu is presented. Paper, laminated, chalkboard.

Table d'hôte menu

This menu is similar to the Prix fixe menu in that it bundles various elements of the menu into one package. Ex. menu might present in advance four meals and each would include a number of courses.

California Menu

This menu lists all meals available at any time of day.

Fixed Menu

This menu offers the same items every day

À la carte menu

This menu prices each item separately

Du jour menu

This menu simply lists the menu items that are available on a particular day.

Prix fixe menu

This type of menu offers gusts multiple courses for a single set price.

Limited menu

Typically only a few items offered on a limited menu. Easy to keep track of prices.

Profit

amount of money remaining for an operation after expenses are paid for

Sales mix analysis

analysis of the popularity and profitability of a group of menu items

Sales volume percentage

each menu item's sale can be expressed as the percentage of total sales

Stars

items that are popular and profitable.

Spoken Menu

presented verbally to guests

Margin

the difference between the value that an activity generates and the cost of the activity

Target margin

the margin the business aim to meet

Sales volume

the number of times the item is sold in a time period

Q factor

total cost of all the extras. Ex. ketchup, jelly packets, salt and pepper

Dogs

unpopular and unprofitable

Puzzles

unpopular but very profitable