Introduction
The menu is fundamental within a food service, since the equipment, furniture, utensils, purchase and storage of products that the organization has depends on it, in other words it is from the menu that the aforementioned points are established or determined.
The menu elaboration process is somewhat complex, therefore a trained work team is required to carry out these functions; The members of the team in charge of preparing the menu must always have a market analysis that allows them to know the panorama of the field on which the work is going to be carried out, from this the objectives, policies, nutritional balance can be established, variety and determine the equipment required for said work, it is also known what are the factors that influence the types of menu, such is the case of sociocultural and nutritional factors, which are included in a general factor known as clientele factor.
For menu preparation to be successful, a series of steps described in a protocol of activities must be followed, which is divided into: menu planning, execution, control and evaluation.
It is important to mention that the menus have different classifications and regardless of the general menu established in a food service there are others known as extra menu, which are offered on certain occasions as required.
Menu elaboration
The word menu is a term that comes from the French menu language, it has multiple definitions and in the food area it refers to the set of dishes or preparations that are part of a meal offered to the diner. Normally in restaurants the menu is established in a letter, which is quite varied and a price is assigned.1,2
The menu, also known as the primary product of the food service marketing subsystem, is considered the starting and ending point of the system as it has an effect on the activities of the other subsystems, such as: purchases, warehousing, production, distribution and, course health care, etc., in short, none of the aforementioned subsystems can exist if the menu does not exist.
The elaboration or determination of the menu depends on the following factors:
- PersonnelBudgetEquipmentLocative plant
In addition to the previous points, it is important that the following questions are asked, as this expands the panorama on the type of menu or work that is desired to be achieved: What preparations would be better sold? What are the foods that are available, and How profitable are they? What type of clients are going to be treated? and What are the prices to which they should be adjusted?
Due to the fact that the elaboration of the menu is quite a complex job, it is appropriate for a team trained for this function to participate in it, having as characteristics:
- Knowledge of the area of nutrition Knowledge of the food of places and regions (population preferences) Ability to please the taste of users Delicacy in the sense of flavors Artistic skills Ability to handle equipment and application of preparation techniques Control or cost management Ability to use equipment and personal Taste for the area of food preparation or gastronomy Absence of food prejudices, open mind to change
Once the menu program has been prepared, it is important that it be constantly checked to see if there may be factors such as costs or season that require a change.
Menu preparation protocol
Planning
- Have an establishment for the food service Market research Establishment of objectives (creation of the image of the service, establish the bases for carrying out activities and the public to whom the service is directed) Establishment of policies (production capacity, budgets, weather and seasons, patterns, schedules, etc.) Nutritional balance Variety (texture, consistency, color, flavor, shape, humidity and method of preparation) Determination of furniture, equipment and utensils.
Execution
- Printing and distribution of menus (elaboration of letters and advertising). Elaboration of menu.
Control
- Program and portion standardization (based on policies and rules established in the organization and based on equivalent systems) Menu popularity Costs Graphics of foods sold or served
Evaluation
- Collection of information about the perception of the service by the diner Cost monitoring Station monitoring
Factors influencing the menu planning process
Clients factors: include sociocultural and nutritional aspects or factors:
- Sociocultural: in this factor, age, sex, culture, religion, economic status and geographic area of residence are considered because from this it is determined that attitudes intervene in the eating habits of a person or group of them, it is important that all services With the exception of the hospital, be clear that the purpose of your work is to please the diner and not yourself Nutritional: nutritional requirements or needs should be considered in all food services, especially if it belongs to a hospital, children's homes, schools and industries, since food has a great influence on the people who are in these areas.
Menu classification
By mealtime they are served
- BreakfastMealDinner
By diversity
- Static: the same preparation is sold every day Varied: they change preparation every day.
By possibility of selection
- Selective: when you can choose between different preparations that make up the menu Limited selection: you can only choose from a certain number of dishes Non-selective: limited to one type of dish per meal.
By organization
- It is observed in school restaurants or hospitals where they ensure that the eating patterns meet the nutritional requirements, and therefore these must be organized by groups at each meal.
By period of time
- True cyclical: it adjusts to the response of the diner, that is, it establishes how long a certain menu can be consumed without getting bored, example: patients with acute illnesses (2-3 days). Cyclical or assaults: the menus are varied, they are avoid repeating the menu during the week. Split cyclical: there is variety but there are preferred foods. Random cyclical: there is no specific order for their offering as the menus are taken at random.
Types of extra menus
They are all those dishes or preparations that are established for special occasions that, that is, they are not offered daily but that exist in the service whenever a client requests it, for example:
- Therapeutic or modified diets. Special celebrations (parties, meetings, etc.). Contingencies. Snacks. Coffee shops. Commercial.
conclusion
The menu is a determining factor within a food service since the determination of material resources and budgets depends on it. Its preparation involves a laborious and important process, which is why it requires a work team with sufficient knowledge to determine the best menu options, the participants of this process must have a market analysis because in this way they will be able to know which are points to which should be attached to the menu.
It is important that this process is carried out by means of a protocol of activities, since the work not only involves preparing a series of dishes that make up the menu of different meals but also pleasing the diner, providing the nutritional requirements, adjust to your economy and profit proportions if it is a restaurant or advantages if it is a hospital food service or another type of institution.
References
- Dolly TB Food Service Management. Second edition. Antioquia Colombia; Editorial Universidad de Antioquia: 2007. Menu.. Mexico City. Definition of… © 2008.. Available at:
