As you know, your restaurant’s menu is your business’ calling card. Ensuring that your menu is sharp, clear, and able to engage the diner will ensure more business per table. Although the thought of creating a restaurant menu from scratch can seem like a daunting task, with some careful planning and research, it’s possible to create a restaurant menu that will impress all your customers.
Here are 10 steps to help you get started:
- Research: Is there another restaurant in your area that has a menu you wish your restaurant has? Most likely you have been at other restaurants where their menu impressed you. Use those things as inspiration for your own menu. Spend time researching menu trends and popular items at local restaurants that impress you.
- Consider Dietary Restrictions: With a focus on allergies in food and the many different types of diet people choose to follow, consider dietary restrictions and allergies when crafting your menu. If possible, offer a few vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other options to accommodate customers with dietary restrictions. Doing this will ensure that your restaurant menu caters to a larger group of people
- Keep it Simple: Nothing is worse than having a menu that is full of so many choices that it’s fatiguing. A good rule of thumb is – don’t overcomplicate your menu. When creating a restaurant menu from scratch, try to stick to a few core items that you can execute well. Having too many items can lead to quality control issues and confusion.
- Balance Prices: People will always be conscious about what they spend when going out. That is why it is best to try to offer a variety of price points on your menu. A mix of different price points will give customers more options and encourage them to return.
- Write Descriptive Entrees: Entree descriptions play a huge role in enticing customers to try something new. People love to know as much information as possible about what they are eating. When creating your restaurant menu, try to be creative, informative, and descriptive when naming your dishes.
- Menu Formatting: Menu formatting and layout can be the difference between a small and big check customer. Make sure that you think about how you want the menu to be laid out. Do the appetizers come first? or drinks? Do I show pictures and/or prices? Do I have a separate section for vegan options? Also, don’t forget to include information such as pricing and dietary restrictions so customers know what to expect. By taking these things into account you can create a visually appealing restaurant menu
- Test Recipes: Before you add a dish to your menu, make sure to test out all the recipes. This will help ensure that the dish is both delicious and consistent.
- Staff Training: Nothing is worse than a waiter/waitress not knowing the dishes on the menu. Make sure to train your staff on how to properly talk about and describe each dish you add to the menu. This will help ensure that the Customer knows exactly what they ordering.
- Menu Feedback: Sometimes we think a certain way is the best way, but sometimes it’s not. That is why it is important to ask customers for their feedback on the menu. You can use this feedback to make adjustments and ensure that your menu is meeting the needs of your customers.
- Update Regularly: Nothing screams, you don’t care like an outdated restaurant menu. Don’t forget to update your menu regularly. This will keep your menu fresh and give customers something new to look forward to.
Creating a restaurant menu from scratch can be a lengthy process, but with a bit of planning and research, you can create a menu that will impress your customers and keep them coming back for more!
Now that you know how to create your menu, it’s time to print those restaurant menus!