| Restaurant Menus should reflect they style and | | | | Illustrations are essential for some menus including a |
| atmosphere of a restaurant. When developing one | | | | family menu so the children who cannot read yet can |
| care should be taken to provide customers with a | | | | pick by picture. People like to see illustrations and |
| sense of what the restaurant is all about. If the | | | | photos of the food they will be ordering. There are |
| establishment is a family restaurant the menu should | | | | many places that one can get stock pictures or just |
| have family friendly entrees as well as visually appeal | | | | use a digital camera. Good restaurant menus can |
| to those people that have families. If it is a formal | | | | include a description of the menu item. A more formal |
| restaurant the menu should have more chic entrees | | | | menu should be less graphic oriented and more word |
| and the look of the menu should be more precise and | | | | oriented. A detailed description should be included and |
| conservative. | | | | some restaurants go as far as placing words from the |
| There is much more to a menu than just the items to | | | | chef or the pedigree of a dish. |
| order and the prices. Many considerations have to be | | | | The color of the menu should reflect the personality of |
| made when developing a menu. Demographics are | | | | the restaurant. A red and white checkered tablecloth |
| very important. Pricing wholly depends on the average | | | | might be a great background for an Italian restaurant |
| salary a person or family makes within the area of the | | | | menu. A brightly colored menu is good for a family |
| restaurant. You may notice when visiting a chain | | | | restaurant. A classic black and white menu exudes |
| restaurant in several different towns that they have | | | | formality for an expensive classic restaurant. The font |
| the same menu items but the prices may be different. | | | | should follow in the same manner. Use scrolling letters |
| The cost of living in an area dictates how much a | | | | for classic restaurant but stay away from font with |
| restaurant can charge for an item. The same item | | | | too many curlicues for a family restaurant as it is a little |
| may cost a few dollars more at a restaurant in New | | | | hard to read. Parents with hungry kids want to see |
| York City or Boston than it does in a small town in | | | | what is on the menu and order it as fast as they can. |
| Ohio. | | | | Menus that have more than two columns tend to look |
| Demographics make a huge difference in what is to | | | | like they were printed at the local newspaper so stay |
| on the menu at a restaurant as well. If an area has | | | | to no more than the two columns. |
| many elderly people the restaurant may want to cater | | | | Menus come in different shapes today instead of the |
| to them by giving them discounts or the menu may | | | | plain rectangular type that open to a square. A pizza |
| allow for smaller senior meals. The print on this menu | | | | restaurant can have a menu in a circle just like the |
| may need to be a little larger to make sure the elderly | | | | pizza if they choose to. If the menu looks clean and |
| can read it. If the area has families then they want to | | | | tidy people will automatically think the restaurant is the |
| have a children's menu with family friendly food. If the | | | | same way. If the menu looks like fun and contains |
| restaurant is in a business district they may want to | | | | some fun filled quips about the food people will |
| cater to business people bringing clients out for lunch | | | | automatically think that in coming to that restaurant |
| or dinner and the menu would be a little more formal. | | | | they will have fun. Design of a menu has a great deal |
| Some menus give you a huge selection of what you | | | | to do with how the public thinks about the restaurant. |
| can order and some are very limited. They may have | | | | Menu items that are popular should be placed in the |
| just a few entrees and they may change from time to | | | | top left panel of the menu. This is where the eye goes |
| time. The items on a menu are usually in groupings. A | | | | when first opening the menu up. If there are daily |
| simple grouping would be Appetizers, Beverages, | | | | specials, this is the place to put them. If the restaurant |
| Entrees, Side dishes, Desserts. Some menu categories | | | | has a signature dish or two, this is the place of |
| are more varied. Entrees can be classified by the | | | | prominence where all eyes will see them. Prices should |
| ingredients in them like seafood, pasta, sandwiches, etc. | | | | be placed in different areas after a description of an |
| Usually a menu will start with appetizers and progress | | | | item. Placing them in a column makes it so that |
| from soups and salads. It will then detail a listing of | | | | customer does not have to read the descriptions. |
| entrees and their side dishes then go on to desserts | | | | They just look at the prices to see what is the |
| with beverages being last. Other menus will go from | | | | cheapest dinner. |
| breakfast to lunch to dinner. Traditionally the items are | | | | A good menu reflects the personality of the restaurant |
| placed in each section the least expensive to the most | | | | and leads customers to entrees that are popular and |
| expensive. However, that may not be the most ideal | | | | successful. A good menu has just enough description |
| way to place things on a menu. It has been proven | | | | to wet the appetite and not to bore the reader. A |
| that placing items the restaurant wants to sell first will | | | | good menu is easy to read and customers will |
| sell more of those items. Maybe they have a specialty | | | | remember the basics of what was on it several days |
| no one else has been able to make in a similar fashion | | | | after they have seen it. A good menu has a either |
| and it appears on the menu at the top of the entrees | | | | pictures or descriptions that will tell the customer |
| even though it is the most expensive. The restaurateur | | | | exactly what they are getting. Most important a good |
| wanted people to order it so it was placed first on the | | | | menu is priced right as to the area and gives the |
| menu. | | | | customer a great deal for good food. |