Transcript Marketing and the Menu

Marketing and the
Menu
Types of Menus
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A la carte
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Cyclical
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“of the day” changes daily
Limited
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All meals any time
Du jour
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Repeated – institutional food services
California
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Offers food separately at separate prices
Few selections – quick service restaurants
Table d’hote
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Complete meal grouped together
Five Steps to Menu Planning
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List all possible items
Eliminate items that are
difficult to purchase, prepare or
serve
Tailor items to fit customers,
cuisine and theme
Choose items within the price
range that can be prepared
well
Make final selections for the
printed menu
What makes a menu?
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Size
Cover material
Cover art
Descriptions
Portion size
Price
Arrangement
Negative/white space
Color
Menu material
Fonts
Menu Analysis
Is it a dog or a star?
1.
2.
3.
List all items on the menu
Determine the number of each
item sold in a specific time
period (usually a month). This
number is called the menu
mix.
Determine each item’s menu
mix percentage by dividing its
menu mix by the total number
of items sold in that period.
4.
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8.
List each item’s food cost
List each item’s selling price
Determine each item’s
contribution margin (how much
of the selling price is profit)
Determine the menu
contribution margin (how much
total profit did it generate for
the month)
Calculate the average
contribution margin
achievement rate – this is the
average profit a dish made in a
month
9.
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11.
Determine the contribution
margin category by comparing
the average contribution
margin to the item contribution
margin – above the average it
is high, below it is low
Determine the menu mix
percent category – low below 7
high above 8
Determine Menu Item
Classification
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Dog – low contribution margin, low
menu mix (doesn’t make much profit,
sells very little)
Puzzle – high contribution margin,
low menu mix (makes lots of money,
but doesn’t sell well – can it be
fixed?)
Plowhorse – low contribution margin,
high menu mix (doesn’t make much
profit, but sells lots)
Star – high contribution margin, high
menu mix (makes lots of money and
sells well, too bad they can’t all be
stars!!)