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
