A menu set up is how your dishes are organised, priced and presented, on paper and online. Get it right and customers order faster, staff make fewer mistakes, and your best dishes sell. This post covers the basics and how to keep the menu current.
What a good menu set up does
It answers three questions quickly: what do you serve, what does it cost, and what should I order? If a customer has to ask a server to explain the layout, the menu is working against you.
Menu set up basics
- Keep it simple. Clean design, readable fonts, fewer options. A cluttered menu slows ordering down.
- Highlight your best dishes. Best sellers and signature plates should be easy to find, not buried in a long list.
- Cater for dietary needs. Mark vegetarian, vegan and common allergen options so guests can choose without asking.
- Group by course or by daypart. Starters, mains, sides, drinks. If breakfast, lunch and dinner differ, keep them separate.
Keep the menu current
FoodMaster is a WordPress plugin for menu set up and ordering. You can categorise dishes, highlight specials, and set different menus by time or day, so breakfast, lunch and dinner each have their own list. It also takes online orders from the same menu.
Check it before you print
Read the menu as a first-time guest. Prices correct, allergens marked, no dish described in words a customer would not use. Then watch a service: if staff spend more time explaining the layout than the food, simplify it.