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• Menu

  A list of dishes served or available to be served at a meal
• Menu

  • It is an essential tool used to determine the design, layout, and equipment for the production and service areas and each workstation created within the production area in a food service facility
  • Purchasing, production, sales, cost accounting, and labor management are all based on the menu, which also makes the menu a management tool
• Menu courses


  • Appetizer
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Main dish
  • Dessert
• Main dish


  The centerpiece of a modern meal
• If a meal consists of only one dish, it is considered the main course, even if it is a salad or a bowl of soup
• Courses usually served before the main course

  • Appetizer
  • Soup
  • Salad
• Appetizer, soup, and salad are the three courses usually served before the main course
• Possible meal courses


  • Appetizer - Main dish
  • Soup - Main dish
  • Salad - Main dish
  • Appetizer - Soup - Main dish
  • Soup - Salad - Main dish
  • Appetizer - Salad - Main dish
  • Appetizer - Soup - Salad - Main dish
• Balancing a menu


  • Providing enough variety and contrast for the meal to hold interest from the first course to the last
  • Developing a feeling where food complements each other or provides pleasing contrasts
  • Avoiding repeating flavors and textures as much as possible
• Factors to consider when balancing a menu

  • Flavors
  • Textures
  • Appearance
  • Nutrients
  • Cooking method
• Personnel limitations


  • Spreading the workload among the workers evenly
  • Spreading the workload throughout the day
  • Offering items that the cooks can prepare
• Availability of food items

  • Using food items in season
  • Using locally available ingredients
• Issues to consider in developing the written menu

  • Paper
  • Print
  • Color
  • Balance
  • Variety
  • Composition
  • Descriptive copy
  • Truth-in-menu
  • Menu labeling
  • Listing of items
  • Size of menu
  • Cover design
• Menu terminology and accuracy


  The menu is a sales tool, therefore it requires accurate and truthful descriptions to provide correct and sufficient information to customers
• Types of labeling problems to avoid

  • Point of origin
  • Grade or quality
  • Cooking method
  • Fresh
  • Imported
  • Homemade
  • Organic
  • Size or portion
  • Appearance
  • Spelling
• The menu should be large enough to merchandise the food items without appearing crowded on the page
• The most popular menu size is 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches
• Most menus consist of four pages
• The menu cover should reflect the decor and the theme of the operation
• The menu cover should be durable, water-resistant, and stain-resistant unless it changes daily and is disposable