Foundations of Menu Planning

Book excerpt: For courses in Menu Planning (Culinary Arts) Foundations of Menu Planning guides readers through the menu planning process in the same order in which a professional menu planner conducts the process. Menus are marketing mechanisms, cost control tools, and critical communication devices for successful food service operations. Beginning with identifying and defining a target market, the book progresses through understanding various menu styles, creating beverage menus, costing recipes, determining menu prices, and analysing and engineering an existing menu. A unique chapter on unwritten menus, a capstone project for creating an original menu, and a concluding look at the menu-first approach to building a successful foodservice operation reinforce the book's reputation as the most comprehensive resource of its kind on the market. The 2nd Edition incorporates a wide range of new information including: strategies for incorporating nutrition into menus based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 and shifts in menu pricing strategies from the traditional table d'hote to the more contemporary prix fixe with supplemental charges. Also included are trends in menu planning, from small plates and signature cocktails, to online menu design and layout and menu engineering to maximise profitability.