Menu Planning Methods for the Catering Industry

For the catering industry, the menu is one of the most important aspects of the business. Menu planning is a factor that can determine the success or failure of a catering company. Therefore, it is necessary to be meticulous when planning the menu.

While catering companies are planning menus, they try to meet the quality, taste and economic requirements in the best way. While creating the menu, menu planning methods are used.

Menu planning methods

Menu planning for catering companies is generally done using three different methods: standard menu , selection menu , and categorized menu.

Catering companies use one of these three planning methods. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Standard Menu

The standard menu is used by the majority of catering companies in the planning process. Most caterers offer their customers a standard menu. When it comes to the standard menu, all customers are served at a standard price and manner.

The advantages of the standard menu can be listed as follows:

• The standard menu provides convenience to the catering company during the planning and operation phases. It is much easier to create a standard menu than to cook different dishes in the same kitchen.
• Offering a standard menu reduces the company's planning and operating costs. This paves the way for companies receiving catering services to receive quality service at more affordable prices.
• Since different menus are not offered to different customers, the delivery and presentation operations of the standard menu will be easier than the alternatives. Economic and fast service is much more possible.

The disadvantages of the standard menu can be listed as follows:

• The standard menu may not be suitable for customers who prefer different menus and quality. Customers individually do not have much influence over the menu. Special requests of customers cannot be fulfilled most of the time.
• Standard menu planning is not customer oriented. Since there will be no response to different customer profiles, only similar customer groups can be served.
• Providing services to similar customer profiles causes reference problems in the medium and long term, and weakens the customer potential in different profiles.

Selective Menu (Multiple Choice Menu)

With the optional menu, catering companies can offer different menus to their customers. Different main meals, side dishes, fourth courses and salads can be served for different customers from the same kitchen.

When it comes to the elective menu, catering companies offer a monthly elective menu to their customers. Companies that receive catering services choose one of 2 or more alternatives from this menu.

Optional menu also has some advantages and disadvantages like value menu planning methods.

The advantages of the optional menu can be listed as follows:

• The possibility of choosing a menu increases the satisfaction of customers with the catering service. Customer satisfaction increases.
• Customers with different demands can be served together. At the same time, the demands of customers with different expectations are met.
• Ensuring that different menus are produced at the same time from the same kitchen will increase the operational experience of the catering company.
• The potential to acquire customers with different expectations from different industries increases.

The disadvantages of the optional menu can be listed as follows:

• Having different menus in a kitchen at the same time will increase operational costs for catering companies.
• As the qualification of the personnel increases, more wages will have to be paid, and personnel expenses will increase.
• Optional menu will increase material and stock costs. Since different menus are made, waste and loss are higher.

Categorized Menu

One of the menu planning and design methods for the catering industry is the categorized menu. It is less preferred than the other two alternatives.

In categorized menu planning, the catering company divides the different weight versions of the meals they produce into two, three, four or five types and offers them to their customers at different prices.

Although there are menus with the same name in the categorized menu, they are different in terms of weight.

The advantages of the categorized menu are:

• Different price demands of customers are met.
• Compared to the elective menu, kitchen costs and operational costs are lower.
• Calorie calculations based on raw materials of the produced meals become easier.

The disadvantages of the categorized menu are:

• As the number of customers increases, the number of categories will also increase, which will have an impact on the operation process and cost.
• It will be difficult to sort and ship the food produced; margin of error and costs will increase.

Source: HORECA Trend and Catering Turkey