Designing a
great menu.
Includes our glossary of menu lingo
Guide Book #4
A great menu is much more than just a list of food and
prices.
Your menu is often the first thing your customers see
when they take a table at your restaurant, and may even
be the reason they came through your doors in the first
place.
But 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. Inside this guidebook you will find everything you need
to know about designing a great restaurant menu from
layout to pricing.
You will also find a glossary of mouth watering
adjectives and some excellent tips on how to turn your menu into your most important marketing tool.
Stay
flexible when
you first open.
Don‘t over invest
in the printing of
menus as you
may have to
make changes
Lets Get Started Before you sit down to write your restaurants menu, you should first consider some important
factors.
How will you restaurants menu be different from everyone else’s? How are you going to stand
out, what will be your signature dishes.
Understand the link between the restaurant kitchen and a restaurant menu. The size and
setup of your restaurant kitchen will directly impact the size and style of your menu. A smaller
kitchen will limit the variety of your restaurant menu.
Items on a restaurant menu should be versatile. Cross utilization of menu items keeps food
spoilage down and allows you to use ingredients in more than one dish.
Ensure your dishes are easy to prepare, unless of course you plan to get a Michelin Star. Any
menu items that have over fussy presentations will potentially bog down the kitchen staff during a
lunch or dinner rush.
Know your customers. Probably the most important thing to keep in mind when designing your
menu is your customers. Who do you want to attract. A sports bar will require a very different
menu than a fine dining French restaurant.
Check out your competition. Study their menus to see their pricing. Look for similarities and
differences between your prospective restaurant menu and theirs. Look at their layout, how are
they promoting their signature dishes.
Get Inspiration Collect as many menus as you can get your hands on and go-online. Today many
restaurants have PDFs of their menus that you can download from their sites.
Menu Styles The Leader Bound Book Once regarded as the height of chic in top end restaurants, the leader book seems a
little tired and old fashioned these days .
Today they are probably best suited for a country house or perhaps your wine list.
If you do decide to go with this style try to find a colour that suits the overall design and
branding of your restaurant. If in doubt, black classic style covers will go with most
restaurant designs.
Most suppliers will also imprint or emboss your logo on the front of the cover to help
brand your restaurant.
The Laminated Menu
Usually a one pager or a two-panel menu (one that opens like a magazine), this type of
menu is very popular with restaurants with a large footfall as they help to help turn
tables. They are great for sports bars, fast casual and family friendly restaurants.
The advantages of this style are that are cheap to produce, easy to handle and offer
lots of scope for creativity. They are also probably the only style of menu that can handle
photos.
Disadvantage – The can easily become tatty.
Quick tip, if you have a double sided menu put main courses on both sides as
you have no control over which side the person is reading.
One-Use-Only Paper Menus
One-Use-Only Paper Menus have become very popular in recent years with
restaurants that have a relaxed atmosphere. They also often double as place mats
in canteen style restaurants. A4 or A3 are usually the most popular sizes. Paper
menus allow you give a fresh menu to every customer and have the added
advantage that customers can take home the menu with them.
The Classic Page Turner
Are still the most popular form of menu. These are great for restaurants with a lot of
dishes , but they can slow down decision making. Make sure you split it into clear
sections. 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
hand writing. Don't use different colours, stick with white and don't actually use chalk
but use chalk pens. Chalkboards are also great for promoting specials.
According
to restaurant
consultants
interviewed by
Restaurants USA
magazine, re-
designing your
menu can
improve your
sales on average
from 2 to 10
percent.
Menu Layout Careful layout of your menu is critical. 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.
It is critical that you are aware of the most valuable real estate on your menu. On 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 (page) 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. This is akin
to the grocery store putting the milk in the back. You have to walk by all sorts of
tempting, high-priced items to get to it.
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 on the menu.
Borders and boxes are also a great way to draw attention to special parts of your menu.
Our eyes are drawn to boxes, and diners are statistically more likely to order whatever is
inside them. Restaurants reserve them for profitable items or dishes the chef wants to
promote.
Finally do not fear white space as it allows the eyes to pause and rest.
See the
change of
seasons as an
opportunity to
introduce spring,
summer, autumn
and winter menus
that reflect the
products
available, the
holidays of the
season and
seasonal eating
habits.
Pricing Once you have your restaurant menu drafted, it‘s time to decide on selling prices for
each dish.
Download the Catering Mentor costing tools and GP calculator to help you decide on
your selling prices.
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
more than £5. For example, since £12.50 and £12.95 have the same perceived value,
so go with £12.95 to maximize your profits.
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 within the body of the text using the same font
and size, so that they cannot be read easily together and compared.
Removing the £ sign can further help the customer focus on the product, not the price.
Update your menu periodically and remove items that aren‘t selling. Download the
Catering Mentor Menu Engineering Tool. This powerful and fully automated tool, helps
you assess the profitability of your menu items based on their food cost, selling price
and popularity
If your
customers
have trouble
pronouncing the
names of your
dishes, number
them! It's much
easier to order a
#9 than it is to try
to puzzle out how
to pronounce an
unfamiliar name
Menu Descriptions
Your menu description should make a guest‘s mouth water. The adjectives lavished on a
dish can be as important as the names of the ingredients. What would you rather eat,
grilled chicken or flame-broiled chicken with garlic rub?
However avoid making descriptions too long. A sentence or two is fine. You want to
intrigue the customer. If they have more questions, their server should be able to give
further information about a dish or recommend a house favourite.
Incorporating local references and traceability can also help your restaurant menu stand
out. For example, Galway Bay oysters sounds 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 Catering Mentor glossary of foodie buzz words for inspiration when writing
your menu. Here you will find hundreds of Scrumptious, Yummy, Heavenly, Melt in the
mouth, Indulgent and Irresistible adjectives.
Final checklist
Do: Offer a balance of unique dishes and old favourites
Give personal recommendations
Place side orders and add on in a prominent position
Promote New Items and Specials. Highlight them with a box or a ―New!‖ graphic.
Choose a great typeface. Check out www.dafonts.com
Make the desserts sound like a must have treats
Use table tents to promote deserts
Have a balance of 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 that the price‖
Have a signature dishes
Include symbols and icons for healthy options and allergy free dishes etc.
Offer wine and beer matches
Always ensure that your menus are clean
Don't: Over work dishes by using expensive and pretentious items
Litter your menu with superfluous adjectives
Add to many pictures or busy backgrounds, that make the menu hard to read.
Use clipart
Use £ signs
Have too many dishes. The optimum number of dishes in a category is between five and
seven. If you have too many dishes it decreases the value of each item
Have spelling mistakes
Make your menu 10 pages long
Enlist the
talent of a
local artist to
design a cover.
Perhaps you
could show case
a different local
artist every time
you reprint your
menu.
Glossary of menu descriptors
Take 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. Here you will find
hundreds of Scrumptious, Yummy, Heavenly, Melt in the mouth, Indulgent and Irresistible adjectives.
.
But remember only great ingredients make for great descriptions, so never exaggerate what's in a dish
Vegetables
Hand Cut
Crunchy
Locally sourced
Organic
Orgasmic
Spring
Summer
Autumnal
Winter
Baby
Wood Roasted
Brambly Apples
Hand cut
Jacket potato
Baby
Warm salad of
Caramelised
Golden brown
Presented on
On a bed of
Medley
Steamed
Crunchy slaw
Field mushroom
Generous Portion of
Complemented by
Home-style
Served with
Chunky
Local
Fresh
Seasonal
Roasted
Oven Baked
Medley of
Rustic
Crispy
Over crispy
Sweet
Candied
Stuffed with
Array of
Sautéed
Cholesterol free
Chunks of
Colourful
Julienne
Mushy
Served with your choice
of
Steamed
Pastas and Rice
Aromatic
Fluffy
Al dente
Simply noodles
Be specific with your
pasta: fettuccine, linguine
Side Orders
For even more flavour,
add one of these to
your favourite entrée:
An assortment of
Bite Size
Paired with
Perfect for dipping
Accompaniments
Served with your choice
of
Dressings/Sauces/Top
pings
Decadent
With an extra drizzle of
Rich
Mouth watering
Chunky
A balsamic glaze
Fiery
Sweet
Light
Drizzled
Finished with
Saffron-infused gravy
Devilishly hot
Roasted garlic
mayonnaise
Tangy
Crowned with
Aromatic
House
Splash of
Rubbed with
Brushed with
Flavoured with a hint of
A jug of
Aioli
Buttery
Sage Jus
Lightly seasoned
Blend of secret spices
Topped with
Served with our signature
BBQ sauce
Cooked to order
Sticky
Brushed with
Smothered in
Soup and Sandwiches
Open toasted
A thick and creamy
Wholegrain
Floured Bun
Croutons for extra crunch
Scoop of Jersey cream
Country style
Hearty
Meaty
Served with fresh crusty
bread
Low Calorie
Lightly Toasted
Winter
Open faced
Cooked to a unique
recipe
Meat
Pan Fried
Grilled to your liking
Skewered British Beef
Top side of Succulent
Tender Dry-cured
Skewered Seared Juicy
Perfectly grilled
Steaming Hot
Cured
Choice Cut
Char-grilled
100% prime beef,
Fall-off-the-bone ribs
Flame grilled
Game
Hand-trimmed
Expertly seasoned
flavoured with
Over a red hot grill to
seal in its bold flavour
For an indulgent steak
experience
Thick cut filet
Well-marbled
Seasoned to perfection
Our aged prime rib
Hand-carved to order
Free Range
Slow-roasted to capture
the full flavours
Seared on a red hot grill
The steak lover's steak
Hand-selected
Juicy
Slither
Smoky barbecue
Aged
Black angus beef
28 day aged Braised
Sizzling
Aged just right
Cooked to your liking
Encrusted with
Fish
Hand-Breaded
Lightly Breaded
Delicately grilled
Catch of the day
Sautéed in butter
Broiled
Oven-roasted
Farmed
Sea
Smoked
Crispy Batter
Freshly Caught
Hand battered
Caught by
Daily catch
Tempura
Battered
Griddled
Steamed
Fresh water
Sustainable
Simply Grilled
Flash fried
Pizza
Hand-stretched
Thick and fluffy
Wood Fire
Our thinnest, lightest,
crispiest pizza EVER!!!
Recipes from the heart of
Italy
Made to share
Hand rolled
Classic Neapolitan
Shaved Parmesan
Stone baked
Thin crust
Italian seasoning
Mediterranean
Dessert
Molten chocolate
Cool
Creamy
Tender
Whipped cream
Something sweet
Treat yourself
Naughty but nice
An indulgent twist on the
classic
A crunchy concoction
Moist layers of
Have your cake... and
eat it!
Can't decide? Sample
three of our most popular
desserts
New York-style
cheesecake
Irresistible Desserts
Sumptuous
Slab of
Sandwiched between
Meet in a frenzy of
Lavishly made with
Guilt Free
Simply irresistible
Luscious
Retro classic
Served with clotted
cream.
Melt-in-the-mouth
Creamy
Divine
Dollop of
Celestial
Crumbly
Delectable
Generous portion
Lashings of ice cream
blissful
An all time favourite
Ample
Copious
Shouts ―eat me!‖
Pureed
Velvety pudding
Enveloped in
Reduced
Winter spiced
Warning—May be
addictive
taste sensation
A perfect combination of
two favourites
Why not ask for two
spoons
Baked Goods
Straight out of the oven
Baked off freshly in store
daily
Artisan
Gluten free
Heavenly
Indulgent
Luscious
Plump
The ultimate treat
Served steaming
Baked fresh daily
Kids
Just for kids
Junior portion
Mini Me Potion
Made for dunking
Gooey
Chewy
Munchy
Scrumptious
Yummy
Zesty
½ portions of ‗ mom &
dads ‗ main courses
Zippy
Delicious
Messy
Itsy Bitsy
Chick 'o'Licious
Deep Sea Dippers
Jelly Delight
Adult free zone
Nutritional
Misc.
Not for the faint hearted
A warm feast of
Authentic
Our Famous
Traditional
Made the old fashioned
way
Prepare to be impressed!
Our signature
Dive in
Legendary
Dare to share
A real British favourite
A feast of
Need we see more
Loaded
Enjoy the taste of Spain
Hungry??
Hunger Buster
Designed for kids
Has quickly become a
house favourite
Endless supply of
cooking is fit for the gods
A bold twist on a classic
Made for sharing
Why not go large
Gastronomically
delightful
Grab a real taste of
Spain
Smoothies
Nourishing blends
With big fruit flavour
Cool and refreshing
Tangy
Blended
Healthy
Techni-colour
Ultra Cool
The icy-cold original
Beer
Fuller-bodied
Pilsner-style
Dark
Robust
Complex
Distinctive Bite
Strong and crisp
American Style
Popular Import
Clean Finish
Chilled
Served in Frosty Mugs
Cold-filtered
Coffee Tea
Blended
Frothy
Classic
Artfully roasted
Ethically sourced
no-frills black coffee
100% Arabica beans
Freshly ground daily
Brewed fresh all day
Topped with sprinkles
Spiced Latte
Brew of the day
Luxurious hot chocolate
Wine
Dry
Easy Drinking
Crisp
Fresh and fruity
Great with
Full bodied
Crisp and refreshingly
dry
A versatile all-rounder to
complement most food.
Bursting with fruit
Ideal with milder food
Seriously fruity
Crafted especially
Packs a punch
Complex
Fruitful marriage of two
top grapes
Subtle and spicy
Award winning
Bursting with flavour
Superbly light
Sensuously smooth
Succulent
Stunningly complex
Mellow
Fresh, zesty citrus fruit
flavours
Dark and luscious with
cherry flavours