Menuing Cover to Cover
By Kate Mazzarella-Minshall
Think Outside the Menu
Dining
out has become a global obsession and it can add an enjoyable facet to any
lifestyle. In a world filled with excitingly diverse restaurants, diners have
unlimited choices in which to spend their time and money. Instead of an
ordinary meal, they can find a unique dining and sensory pleasing experience.
What separates you from the competition is your menu.
While
the menu is only one part of the entire operation, it is a vital part. One of
the most effective ways to grow your business is with your menu. Therefore, you
need a professionally designed and creative menu; one that makes a statement
about the spirit, personality and culture of your restaurant. Don’t cut corners
when producing the menu; nothing is worse than a great menu in a bad cover or
vice versa. You have to spend money to
make money and that old saying definitely applies to your bill of fare. Think
of the menu as your most precious investment, and like any investment, it
should be nurtured and protected so it will yield a high return. Even though
the initial costs may be pricey, a well designed menu speaks volumes about your
venue.
Image
is everything. Your menu defines your image and it must make a good impression.
First and foremost, it should be clean, in good condition, grammatically
correct and free from typographical errors. If you don’t care about the
condition of your menu, then your guests might not care about eating in your
establishment. When you consider how much a restaurant depends on the menu,
this should go without saying.
Know
your costs and how to manage your menu. You not only have to consider the costs
of your menu items, but you must factor in labor and overhead while at the same
time maintaining a competitive edge. To generate profits consistently for your
restaurant you must plan ahead. Create a “smart” menu; one that will allow for
an easy makeover in order to accommodate fluctuating food prices and seasonal
food products without having to recreate it or replace it.
Variety
may be the spice of life, and your menu should have a nice mix, but too many
choices can be overwhelming, unnecessary and costly. Know your target audience.
The menu items must stay within the theme of the restaurant. Many menus fail
because they try to target everyone and as we all know, especially in the
foodservice industry, you cannot please everyone. The objective of any menu is
to get people to buy what you have to offer. A uniquely designed and well
written menu will increase sales and brand awareness. Not knowing who your
target audience is will prevent you from reaching these objectives.
Powerful
adjectives that capture the essence of the dishes and explain the flavor, technique
and ingredients will make the food more tempting and not only have an impact on
what your guests order, but will significantly contribute to your bottom line.
Descriptions should correlate to the price. The more expensive an item, the
more descriptive it should be. Keep it clear and concise but don’t overdo it.
Diners may be more sophisticated these days. However, descriptions should not
be confusing; don’t assume that everyone looking at the menu is a “foodie”. You
want to peak their curiosity and whet their appetites, not overwhelm them. That
being said; avoid the obvious. Using “fresh” will not add appeal unless you
mean that literally, as in “fresh fish flown in daily” otherwise it should be a
safe assumption that all the food you serve is fresh. Words like “grilled to
perfection”, “tasty” and “yummy” are subjective, meaningless and personal.
What’s perfect, tasty and yummy will vary widely and depend solely on the
diner’s palate and experience. Words have power. Creative descriptions can make
food sound tasty and yummy without using the actual language. For example, a
“Cheeseburger and Fries @ $9.00” is a classic favorite. But that description,
or the lack thereof, does not start the saliva juices flowing, and paying nine
dollars for what appears to be an ordinary meal seems expensive. By changing it
to “A Quarter Pound Sirloin Burger, grilled-to-order, served on a toasted sour
dough bun, and slathered with melted cheese and sautéed onions; accompanied by
a mound-full of Spicy Cajun Fries @ 8.99 “ not only makes the mouth water but
is now worth the price. Placing the price at the end of the description, in the
same color and letter type, sans the dollar sign, will keep the focus off the
price; and listing the item at 8.99 rather than 9.00 is easier on the eyes.
Splitting hairs? Perhaps, but the psychology works.
There
is a definite art to creating a conceptually engaging and winning menu. It’s
much like writing a book, but remember; you’re running
a restaurant, not a library. Diners with menus are a captive audience. But when
they walk into your establishment they’re hungry and most will spend only 2-3
minutes speed reading through it. This delectable list of gastronomic delights
is a reflection of the talent and creativity of your chef and his culinary
team. Its purpose is to communicate what your restaurant has to offer; to guide
your guests and make suggestions on what to order. The menu must be functional,
easy to read and easy to handle. A menu that opens like a magazine is the most
popular. It has a familiar feel and is the easiest to maneuver. Position the
highly profitable items in the upper right hand corner where it will catch the
reader’s eye. Less profitable items should be harder to find. Research
indicates that the majority of diners make their selections from the top and
the bottom of a category, remembering the first two items at the top and the
last item on the bottom. Therefore, items that boost sales and create the
greatest gross profit should be sited in these areas where they will be
immediately noticed and retained. Introducing menu items the way food is
usually ordered is also an effective layout: appetizers first, followed by
salad and soup, the entree and dessert last.
According
to the old adage, “Pictures are worth a thousand words”, and if you want to
entice your diners with mouth-watering pictures of your food, the food served
must meet the guest’s expectations. Boxes and borders, shading and
highlighting, the use of different font sizes, colors and logos are all
attention-grabbers. These types of graphics add visual flair, will make your
menu more interesting and distinctive and help to market your signature dishes
and the high-profit/low cost items. The more attention you bring to an item,
the more it will sizzle with appeal. Educating servers as to which dishes are
the most profitable is also an important part of “menuing”.
It will increase check averages and the bottom line.
Your
menu is your moneymaker. If it is well crafted, graphically aesthetic, trendy
and competitively priced, it will be a powerful marketing tool and directly
impact revenue. If not, it will work against you. Don’t promise what you can‘t
deliver to the table.
Kate Mazzarella-Minshall, Director of Sales and Catering,
Harley-Davidson Cafe 3725 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89113
(702)
740-4555, Ext. 26; (702) 262-6252, Direct Fax
www.harley-davidsoncafe.com