about menu

1. What is Menu?
It is a detailed list of food and beverage offerings with their respective prices. It is prepared by a food and
beverage service businesses to keep the customers informed about the availability of various F&B items. Menu
is a list of dishes that are available for sale in a food service outlet or that can be served at a meal.
In French, menu means ‘in minute detail and in English, it is also termed as ’bill of fare’. It is believed that the
term ‘menu’ was first used in 1541 when Duke Henry of Brunwick was seen referring to a sheet of paper during
a Feast.
On being asked what he was referring to, he replied that it was a kind of programme of dishes, and by
consulting it he could reserve his appetite for the dishes he liked the best. This Idea gained popularity and was
used in all the Banquets. It is assumed that menu developed from that event.
Every sector of the food and beverage industry, whether operating for commercial or welfare purpose, large or
small, uses a menu. It not only informs the guests what the available dishes are, but also helps the operator
know what he/she is going to prepare. The menu is the basis upon which all managerial and operational
activities of the food and beverage operations needed.
A good menu Must:-
It should be present clear & should have Unambiguous information.
be truthful in describing the taste and preparations.
be strictly going with the production and service facilities of the business.
Basic Functions of the MENU
The Functionsare furtherdiscussed:-
I. Basis for Operations.
 The menu forms the basis for all activities that are carried out in the restaurant and in the food and
beverage department as whole.
 Activities such as equipment purchase, ingredient purchase, staff recruitment, production process,
organising service areas, pricing, interior design, cooking methods, service procedure and so on.
 In the absence of menu, the management will not know what cooking and service equipment to buy or
what food to prepare and sell on a regular basis.
II. Communication Device.
 The menu communicates to the guests the dishes available for sale, along with their prices and short
descriptions of each item.
 It also informs whether the dishes are spicy or non-spicy, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the tax percentage,
waiting time, and so on.

2. III. Effective Sales tool.
 The menu is primarily a sales tool.
 In Fast food outlets and casual dining restaurants, they are presented attractively in bright colours on display
boards with pictures which motivate people to buy.
 Menu card describes dishes in an appetizing way, making it easy for customers to select dishes, help locate
dishes they are looking for by printing pictures, promote ‘chef’s special’ dishes, happy hours, and so on.
IV. Image Builder.
 The font style, design, colour, quality of the card, variety of dishes on offer, presentation styles, and so on,
speak about the profile of the restaurant.
 One can assess the quality of the staff in production and service areas, kind of equipment used,
infrastructure of the restaurant, customer profile, and so on, by going through the menu.
 Menu can be presented in many ways: by displaying it on boards, laminating the card, presenting it in a
leather folder, printing it on a cloth, and so on, according to the management’s decision.
 Menu undoubtedly portrays the image of the restaurant; Guests should be tempted to go through the menu
card by its appealing nature.
 Dirty or torn menu cards and cards with stickers of corrected price, damage the image of the restaurant.
TYPES OF MENU
Menus offered by various food service establishments come under the following two categories:
1. Table d’ Hote Menu.
2. A la Carte Menu.
Table d’ Hote Menu
It is a fixed menu with limited number of course for a set price.
A limited choice may be given for each course.
Key characteristics of this type of menu are as follows:
Set number of course.
Limited choice within each course or amongst course.
Set price for all courses.
Food prepared beforehand and available at a same time.
This type of menu is offered mainly in Banquets, restaurants where Buffet lunch and dinner are offered.
‘Combo Meals’ offered in a fast food outlets and ‘Thali Meals’ offered in Indian restaurants are examples of this
type of menu.
A set price is charged for the menu irrespective of the amount consumed.

3. Advantages Limitations
Does not require too much of kitchen
area.
Needs limited kitchen and service
equipment.
Mise en place work to be carried out is
less.
Does not require much of Labour as the
numbers of dishes to be prepared are
limited.
Does not require much of food storage
area.
Food wastage is almost nil in welfare
catering where the volume of business is
known, whereas there may be a little
wastage in commercial operations
where the volume forecasting is difficult.
It is comparatively easier to contain the
food cost.
Customers do not have extensive
choice to choose from the dishes.
Customers have to pay fixed amount
whether or not they consume all the
courses or receive dishes of their
liking.
Menu does not address needs of
children, aged and convalescents in
commercial restaurants and caters
only to the general market of varying
age groups and palate.
A la Carte Menu
This type of menu offers a wide choice of dishes under each category and each dish is priced separately.
The bill amount will be according to the customer’s order.
Key Characteristics of this type of menu are as follows:
Extensive choice of dishes within each course/category.
Each dish is priced separately.
Dishes are cooked as per order (after receiving the order)
Each dish has a waiting time.
Customers are billed according to the order placed.
Short description is mentioned under each dish for customers to know what they are ordering.
This type of menu is offered in all types of food service business except banquets, flight catering, and institutional
catering.
Dishes in a la carte service are semi-prepared beforehand and finished off after receiving the order.
Each course/category has a waiting time which depends on:
o Degree of preparation work carried out in advance.
o Time required for final cooking

4. o Usage for convenience products, if any.
o Efficiency of equipment in use.
o Kitchen layout
o Skill level of staff.
Once the waiting time is fixed for a dish considering the points given above, the chef must ensure that the dish
reaches the table within the time mentioned without delay.
Advantages Limitations
Customers have extensive choice of dishes
to choose from.
Customers pay for the dishes they order
for.
It effectively addresses needs of
requirements of guests of varying age
groups and palates.
Guests get freshly cooked dishes.
Needs more kitchen area and kitchen equipment.
Needs high volume of Mise en place work to be
carried out.
Requires more kitchen staff.
Calls for variety of service equipment.
Since food orders are prepared as and when they
are received, work stress on kitchen staff is very
high during peak periods, which might result in
poor quality output.
Work load is not evenly distributed.
It is comparatively difficult to contain food cost
as one cannot predict customers’ preferences
and menu mix.
More food wastage in this style of operation.

5. Table d hote and A la carte menus- A comparison of features.
S.N
o
Features Table d’ hote Menu A la Carte Menu
1. Menu choice. Limited choice of dishes. Extensive choice of dishes.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Price.
Preparation.
Kitchen equipment/
area/staff
Volume forecasting.
Food wastage.
Workload of
kitchen staff.
Efficiency of staff
performance.
Guest’s satisfaction
level.
Requirements of
guests.
Set price for all the dishes.
Dishes are prepared beforehand and kept
ready for service.
Less required.
Easier in welfare, function, flight catering;
slightly difficult in commercial establishments
offering both types of menus.
Almost nil in welfare catering and minimum
in other operations and the wastage is in
cooked form; in some hotels it is sent to
cafeteria.
Evenly distributed, no stress.
Better.
Low.
Does not cater to requirements of all the
guests in commercial operations, such as
children, convalescents, aged, and so on.
Each dish is priced separately and bill
will be according to the order.
Prepared as and when orders are
placed.
More.
Very Difficult.
More wastage as mise en place must be
kept ready for all the dishes given in
menu and though the prepared and
half-cooked ingredients may be stored,
it cannot be kept for long without
deterioration in quality.
Not evenly distributed; under stress
during the peak hours.
Poor during peak hours.
Very high since the guest can choose
what he/she wants to have?
Addresses the needs of guests of all age
groups.

6.  OTHER TYPES OF MENUS
Other than these basic two, there are some more menus which are also seen in some food services areas.
Plat du jour.
o It means the speciality of the day.
o These are some special dishes prepared by the Chefs to break the monotony, and serving something new to
attract the customers.
o These special dishes can be introduced for every meal, every day, or every week according to the catering
policy of the restaurant.
o Pricing of these dishes are generally higher than the quoted price of other dishes in same category in a
a la carte menu, as these the special for the day.
o Special dishes are communicated to guests in many ways- in the form of inserts, tent cards, display on
boards, and so on.
Advantages
a. It acts as an effective sales tool.
b. It adds up to the image of the restaurant.
c. It reflects the skill of the chef and motivates him and his staff to introduce new recipes.
d. It gives an edge over the competitor since this menu introduces very special dishes that are exclusive
to the restaurant.
Limitations
a. If unsold, it results in food wastage since speciality dishes call for ingredients that are either not used
in preparation of regular dishes of the menu or are treated differently
Carte du Jour.
In French, it means the card of the day. It refers to all menus of the day, combining a la carte, table d’ hote, and
plat du jour menus.