Guide in Developing Your Restaurant Menu

The menu is one of the most important things to consider in starting a restaurant. Clients will visit your restaurant if they are interested in what you offer, and will keep coming back if they are satisfied. They will also give their recommendations or leave positive reviews that will encourage more customers to check your restaurant. Below is a detailed guide on how to develop your menu.

Think about what types of foods you wish to offer

Ask yourself what foods you want your restaurant to be known for. Do you want to focus on offering local delicacies, or a foreign cuisine like Japanese or French? Or maybe you want a restaurant that offers snacks and drinks, or pastries and coffee. You need to be clear on the items that you want to offer your clients, as this is the first step in developing your menu. You cannot move to the next steps without a specific list of food items to offer in mind.

Consider your target market

While everyone is welcome to your restaurant, having a specific target market in mind will help you customize your menu to their likings. For example, if your target clients are families, you may offer group meals and items that children will like. If you are after working adults, add items that are quick to serve that they can also easily take on the go. Besides that, you can also design and decorate your restaurant to make it more appealing to them.

Determine the ingredients you will need

Write the ingredients that you will need to make all the items on your menu. Instead of buying from retail supermarkets, find ingredient suppliers that offer their products in bulk. You will get them at a discounted price so you can pass on the savings to your clients. Aside from the cost, ensure that the suppliers have quality products, as you also don’t want to sacrifice in that area. The quality of your ingredients has a huge effect on the foods that you will serve.

Work on your pricing

You need to set a price for the items on your menu. Based on the ingredients and their cost, decide how much you will offer them and their portion. There are also tools or applications that you can use that will help with your costing. They will let you enter the items and the price, then give you an estimate of the cost that you could fairly offer.

Plan your plating

People eat first with their eyes, which is why it’s vital that your plating is presentable. They will find it more appetizing if it looks appealing. Visualize how you would like each item on the menu to be plated.

Do a test in the kitchen

All the planning goes down to this, where you will execute the preparation, cooking, and plating of the foods in your menu. Make some adjustments until you are satisfied with the taste and plating.

Once you are happy with the result, part of the menu development is designing and printing the actual menu list you will give to clients or post on your marketing materials. Ensure that it is eye-catching and readable. It should also contain the information that clients would look for, like the price, description, and photo, to help them decide what to order.