Your menu is one of the first things your guests will interact with, which is why it’s crucial to make sure your menu makes an outstanding first impression.  Your menu should reflect your concept, style and quality of food.  Correctly designed menus set the expectation for the customer experience.

A poorly designed menu will detract from a guests experience, putting pressure on your food and service to make up for it. A thoughtfully designed menu that fits seamlessly with your brand, and puts an emphasis on both words and design will make your guests feel like they’ve chosen the right restaurant. 

Your menu can also make a significant impact on revenue by drawing attention to profitable menu items and leaving a lasting impression with guests.  While a good looking menu is important, focus on designing your menu to highlight your most profitable dishes.

These 9 menu design tips will help you make strategic decisions about how your menu should look. Get inspired, and keep in mind that your design should fit your restaurant’s individual brand and personality.

TARGET MARKET

1. Know Your Audience

Knowing the characteristics of your customers will make it easier to design your menu to appeal to your target market. 

Additionally, research shows that men and women tend to order along gender-based lines, so make sure your menu descriptions account for both preferences. Men tend to order meals that are described as being hearty and filling, while women lean toward lighter options. Crafting descriptions that appeal to both of these groups will help your menu appeal to people across the board.

Defining your target market is the first step in designing your menu.

VISUAL DESIGN

1. The Golden Triangle

Your menu is an extension of your restaurant’s brand. And while just about every customer reads your menu, you typically have their attention for a grand total of 109 seconds.

Organize your menu into categories to make it easier for guests to skim and quickly find what they’re looking for. Call out specialty items with boxes, bold text and colours, which increases the likelihood these items will be seen and ultimately ordered.

Menu engineering specialists say that our eyes typically start in the middle of a page, then move to the top right, then top left.

 Consider placing high-margin dishes at the centre and upper-right corner of your menu.

2. Use White Space

Studies show that use of white space improves reader comprehension by up to 30%. If you want your menu to leave a lasting impression, plan to incorporate negative space into your menu design.

Leave some negative space to improve aesthetics and ensure your guest isn’t overwhelmed.

3. Give Visual Direction

If something’s important, highlight it! Walk your guests through your menu using design elements that put the spotlight right where they should be looking.

Use boxes, lines, and colour to attract attention to your high-margin menu items.

PRICING

How you show pricing on your menu is highly related to assessing your customer target market.  Different rules apply depending on what type of dining establishment you are!

1. Say Goodbye to Dollar Signs ($)

A study at Cornell found that customers who ordered from a menu without dollar signs ($) spent significantly more than those who ordered from a traditionally priced menu. If you want to focus on the quality of your menu items ensure your menu design downplays the cost of each item.

Avoid lining prices up neatly on one side of the menu, this invites your customers to make price based decisions.

Avoid using dots or dashes, which – literally – connect the dish to a dollar amount in a customer’s mind.

Likewise, drop the dollar sign. One study found that customers opt for cheaper choices when dollar signs are used in menu prices.

Consider removing dollar signs, and don’t list prices in a single column.

2. Say Hello to Dollar Signs ($)

If low prices and great value are an important part of your marketing strategy and is what makes your restaurant stand out, use your menu to convey that message.

Highlight economic value by enlarging prices and/or highlighting combos.

MENU CONTENT

1. The Burden of Choice

A study at Bournemouth University found that there’s a sweet spot between too few and too many menu choices. Diners are already overwhelmed with choosing where to eat. Once they’ve settled on your restaurant, don’t make them sift through hundreds of options.

Customers like to see 6 items per category in fast food shops and 7-10 items for fine dining restaurants.

Match the length and options on your menu to your customers’ expectations.

2. Carefully Select Pictures

A word of caution, though: Don’t use mediocre photos on your menu. Better to use no photos than bad photos.

Especially on digital menu boards, consider using high-quality photos of high-margin items to entice diners.

3. No Pictures? Use Imagery With Words

Use concise menu item descriptions to describe the taste of a dish. Sensory words like “savory,” “buttery,” and “crisp” elicit a visceral reaction. Give just enough to convey the restaurant’s personality and wake up your guests’ appetites.

One study found that using descriptive labels increased sales by 27 percent and improved diners’ overall attitude toward the food and restaurant.

Using highly descriptive language when copywriting your menu makes your guests feel something when they read it.

Owning, managing or working in a restaurant is fast paced & challenging, and at times it can get a little overwhelming for one person.  Reaching out for advice, resources, and some extra insight is invaluable and there are a host of restaurant bloggers and websites offering great industry information.

Are you looking for information about marketing your restaurant better?

Are you looking for management tips from other restaurant owners?

Are you looking for tips on restaurant technology?

Finding answers to these questions are crucial for every restaurant owner, finding ways to improve business, increase customer satisfaction and drive more profit are critical for success.

I have gathered my top five 5 blogs that are industry specific, full of great resources and industry insight to help you find all the answers to your pressing questions.

• Food Service

This is an Australian food industry website with loads of articles on the latest news in hospitality, celebrity chef recipes, and specific articles relating to managing different areas of the restaurant.

• Hospitality Magazine

An Australian website offering the latest news in Hospitality trends.

• Allianz Small Business Central

Yes it is an insurance website, but there is some seriously helpful information here for small business owners.

• Restaurant Engine

Head on over to their blog page for great articles specific to the restaurant industry.

• Restaurant Den

Check out their blog for some great hospitality tips and advice on all areas of restaurant management.

These are a handful of my favourite industry blogs, I check in with them often to help me better understand the needs of my customers, and stay up to date with restaurant industry news!

Local Produce

• Stonefruit: The local season is in full swing, with excellent prices across peaches, nectarines and plums.
• Avocados:  The local Hass season is drawing to an end meaning supply is lower and prices will be higher.
• Sprayfree: We have locally grown sprayfree plums and gala apples available.
• Mangoes:  KP’s from Gingin are in season, they have a slightly greener skin than KP’s grown in Northern Australia.
• Grapes: Red and green seedless grapes are coming from the Swan Valley and prices are excellent.
• Bananas: Supply is light and prices are very high due to extreme heat in coastal QLD growing areas.
• Apples:  Prices remain high on Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples, new season fruit will come through in 2-3 weeks.  New season Royal Gala, Early Gold & Fuji apples are now available, supply and pricing is very good.  These are also an excellent option for juicing due to price.
• Red Capsicum: We are seeing some quality issues in red capsicum at the moment, A-grade hydro grown are the best option for no wastage.
• Tomatoes:  Supply is short due to Eastern states shortages, this is having a big impact on  prices.  
• Oranges:  Locally grown Valencia oranges are in good supply.
• Beans: Short supply is affecting prices.
• Pomegranates:  Supply has started from the Eastern States again.

Imported Produce

• Lemons: Currently being imported from USA and QLD.  Prices will remain higher until the supply improves from QLD.
• Asparagus:  Currently being imported from Mexico and Peru, quality is excellent. 
• Navel Oranges:  Currently coming from USA and Egypt.  Quality is good and prices are very low.
• Grapefruit:  Currently being imported from Egypt.

Produce Shortages

Granny Smith & Pink Lady apples: are in very short supply, with new season fruit expected in 2-3 weeks.

Sundowner Apples: the season has finished.

Dill: supply is very inconsistent.

Coral lettuce: supply is very inconsistent.

Drinking Coconuts:  Nothing available for at least 4 weeks.

Local Produce

• The local stonefruit season is in full swing, with excellent prices across peaches, nectarines and plums.
• We have a steady supply of locally grown sprayfree plums and lychees.
• Mangos are now coming from Carnarvon, available varieties are R2E2 and Keitt.  We will see Kensington Pride coming from Gingin in less than 2 weeks.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, the Swan Valley season has started and prices are excellent.
• Banana prices are very high due to flooding in Qld creating a shortage.
• Granny Smith and Pink Lady apples are still in short supply until the new picking season starts late February.  Expect prices to continue to rise as demand is high.
• New season Royal Gala & Fuji apples are now available, supply and pricing is very good.  These are also an excellent option for juicing due to price.
• Due to the heat our leaf lines have been affected.  Celery, kale, cauliflower and capsicum have been affected the most.
• Celery is in short supply with prices very high.  We expect this to be resolved within the next 1 – 2 weeks.
• Tomatoes are in tight supply affecting prices.  Locally grown produce is being sent to the Eastern states to help with their shortages.

Imported Produce

• Lemons are coming from USA and QLD.  Prices will remain higher until the supply improves from QLD.
• The local season of asparagus has ended.  Produce is now being imported, quality is excellent. 
• Pomegranates are being imported from the USA, we have small and large fruit available. 

Produce Shortages

• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Granny Smith & Pink Lady apples are in very short supply, with very limited supply on juicing apples.  There will be no change to this situation until new season apples start to come through in March.  Expect prices to continue to rise, and supply to be inconsistent.
• Sundowner Apples have finished.
• Sugar Snap & Snow peas are in short supply, prices are high.
• Dill is currently unavailable.

As a chef or restaurant owner managing food waste is a top priority, and despite our best efforts it is sometimes unavoidable.

Even after employing basic food management steps like taking daily inventory and managing the menu to reduce the diversity of ingredients needed, it is inevitable that wastage will occur at some point.

Are there any viable options to deal with this wastage?

The good news is that Australia’s food waste problem is being confronted head on by an ever growing number of food rescue charities – organisations who collect excess food from businesses and redistribute it to charities that support Australians who are doing it tough.

This small sector is seeing massive growth, which looks to tackle and reduce the 1 million tonnes of food waste that is sent to landfill by Australian businesses each year.

There are numerous food rescue charities operational in Perth, check out this short guide.

Many of these charities also rely and depend upon the support of their volunteers. If you’re looking to get involved and play a practical role in the fight against food waste, check out their websites.

OzHarvest
OzHarvest collects quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivers it directly to more than 1300 charities supporting people in need across the country.  OzHarvest operates nationally, rescuing over 180 tonnes of food each week from over 3,500 food donors including supermarkets, hotels, airports, wholesalers, farmers, corporate events, catering companies, shopping centres, delis, cafes, restaurants, film and TV shoots and boardrooms.  One phonecall to OzHarvest is all it takes to donate excess fresh produce.

Foodbank WA
Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia, fighting hunger in Western Australia since 1994 – redistributing enough food for 6.1 million meals to food to over 470 welfare agencies. Dealing in shelf stable, chilled and frozen food – primarily in palletised form – they largely receive food to their warehouses, where it’s collected by over 2,500 charities around the country.

Uniting Care West
The Food Rescue Cargo Cart project is a Perth based initiative, where food such as sandwiches, wraps and rolls is collected from city cafes daily and re-distributed to people experiencing homelessness across our city.

Local Produce

• The local stonefruit season is in full swing, with excellent prices across peaches, nectarines and plums.
• Mango supply is now coming from Carnarvon, the variety is Kensington Pride.  Prices have dropped significantly.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, the Swan Valley season has started and prices are excellent.
• Strawberries are now coming from South Australia, prices are higher than usual.
• Banana prices are very high due to flooding in Qld, until transport resumes the prices will be affected.
• Apples are still in short supply until the new picking season starts late February.  Expect prices to continue to rise as demand is high.
• Due to the heat our leaf lines have been affected.  Iceberg Lettuce, Celery, kale, cauliflower and capsicum have been affected the most.
• Celery is in short supply with prices very high.  We expect this to be resolved within the next 2 – 3 weeks.

Imported Produce

• Lemons are coming from USA and Egypt until the local growing season starts again, prices will be higher while we are relying on imports.  Juicing produce is extremely short supply.  There will be no change until Queensland picking season starts.
• The local season of asparagus has ended.  Produce is now being imported, quality is excellent, and prices are higher due to freight costs. 

Produce Shortages

• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Apples are in very short supply, with very limited supply on juicing apples.  There will be no change to this situation until new season apples start to come through in March.  Expect prices to continue to rise until then.
• Sugar Snap peas are in short supply.

Providing Solutions to your Daily Challenges

• Advise on most economical produce to help reduce food cost.
• Reduced produce damage with careful packing.
• Prompt response to feedback.
• Simple and user friendly ordering system.

Local Produce

• The local stonefruit season is in full swing, with excellent prices across peaches, nectarines and plums.
• Mango supply is now coming from Carnarvon, the variety is Kensington Pride.  Prices have dropped significantly.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, the Swan Valley season has started and prices are excellent.
• Strawberries are now coming from the South West region and South Australia, the local Perth season has finished.  Quality remains average as they are affected by heat, and prices are higher than usual.
• Banana prices are high due to a hot spell in QLD which has affected the flowering of plants.  Expect this to continue for a few weeks.
• New season pears have just started, expect prices to drop as supply increases.
• Apples are still in short supply until the new picking season starts late February.  Expect prices to continue to rise as demand is high.
• Mushrooms are slightly more expensive as supply is a little light.
• Celery, kale, cauliflower and capsicum are in higher demand as local produce is going over East to help with current shortages.  Prices will be higher than normal until the East supply returns to normal.

Imported Produce

• Lemons are coming from USA and Egypt until the local growing season starts again, prices will be higher while we are relying on imports.  Juicing produce is extremely short supply.  There will be no change until Queensland picking season starts.
• The local season of asparagus has ended.  Produce is now being imported, quality is excellent, and prices are higher due to freight costs. 

Produce Shortages

• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Apples are in very short supply, with very limited supply on juicing apples.  There will be no change to this situation until new season apples start to come through in March.  Expect prices to continue to rise until then.
• Sugar Snap peas are in short supply.

Providing Solutions to your Daily Challenges

Are you looking for ways to reduce your fresh produce cost?

Contact Chelsea on 0414496031 if you have any questions regarding ordering, pricing, or produce requirements.  

Local Produce

• Local supply of peaches and nectarines is increasing and will peak in January.  Prices will continue to drop as supply increases.  We will be seeing a large variety of plums start very shortly.
• Mango supply is now coming from Carnarvon, the variety is Kensington Pride.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, the Swan Valley season has started and prices have eased.
• Strawberries are now coming from the South West region and South Australia, the local season has finished.  Quality remains average as they are affected by heat.
• Locally grown watermelon is now starting, prices will ease as the supply starts to come through.  Rockmelon is back in good supply with prices dropping.
• We are seeing some local sugar snap and snowpeas coming through, prices will remain high until supply increases.
• Locally grown figs have just started coming through, although the prices remains very high.
• Banana prices are rising due to a hot spell in QLD which has affected the flowering of plants.  Expect prices to be higher for the rest of January.
• Pineapples are in light supply, prices have risen.

Imported Produce

• Kiwi Fruit is currently coming from Italy and the US now that the New Zealand season has finished.
• Lemons are now coming from USA and Egypt until the local growing season starts again, prices will be higher while we are relying on imports.  Supply is light resulting in higher prices, juicing produce is extremely short supply.
• The local season of asparagus has ended.  Produce is now coming from Victoria and we will start to see more imported produce.  Prices are rising due to freight cost. 

Produce Shortages

• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Apples are in very short supply.  Juicing apples are literally unavailable.  There will be no change to this situation until new season apples start to come through in March.  Expect prices to continue to rise until then.
• Sugar Snap peas are in short supply.

Glenvale Produce is providing solutions to your daily challenges

• Advise on most economical produce to help reduce food cost.
• Reduced produce damage with careful packing.
• Prompt response to feedback.
• Simple and user friendly ordering system.

Click Here to request more information

Local Produce

• Local supply of peaches and nectarines is increasing and will peak in January.  Prices will continue to drop as supply increases.
• Apricot supply is increasing.  
• Mango supply is a still light so pricing is not easing yet.  We will see Kensington Pride mangoes coming through from Carnarvon very soon, so pricing will ease.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, prices will start to drop when the Swan Valley season starts in early Jan.
• Avocados are in good supply and the price is stable.
• Strawberries are now coming from the South West region and South Australia, the local season has finished.
• Watermelon supply is still light, quality on cheaper lines is average.  Rockmelon and Honeydew Melon are back in good supply.
• We are seeing some local sugar snap and snowpeas coming through, prices will remain high until supply increases.
• Locally grown figs have just started coming through.

Produce Shortages

• Field and Portobello Mushrooms remain light, however the supply on Button and Cup Mushrooms is back to normal.
• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Apples are in very short supply.  Juicing quality is very hard to get and prices are rising across all varieties.  There will be no change to this situation until new season apples start to come through in March.

Imported Produce

• Kiwi Fruit is currently coming from Italy and the US now that the New Zealand season has finished.
• Lemons are now coming from USA and Egypt until the local growing season starts again, prices will be higher while we are relying on imports.  Supply is light resulting in higher prices.
• The local season of asparagus has ended, with supply now coming from Victoria.  We will be moving over to imported produce within the next 4 weeks.

                     Local Produce

• Local supply of peaches and nectarines is increasing and will peak in January.  Prices will continue to drop as supply increases.
• Apricot supply is increasing. 
• Local cherries are coming through, however the quality is average.  South Australian fruit is the best quality option at this stage. 
• Mango supply is a little light so pricing is not easing yet.  The varieties available are Calypso and Parvian and are coming from Broome WA.
• Red and green seedless grapes are readily available, prices will start to drop when the Swan Valley season starts in early Jan.
• Avocados are in good supply and the price is stable.
• Strawberries will increase in price as we head towards Christmas, as demand is higher.
• Watermelon is now coming from Carnarvon as the Ord River season has finished.  Prices are a little higher than usual.
• There is a slight tightening of supply on Roma and Round Tomatoes, celery, zucchini and brocolli.  Prices will be higher until this improves.

                      Imported Produce

                   Produce Shortages

• Field and Portobello Mushrooms remain light, however the supply on Button and Cup Mushrooms is back to normal.
• Rockmelon and Honeydew Melon are in very light supply and the quality is average.
• Lemons are in short supply and the quality is average.
• Apples are in very short supply.  Juicing quality is very hard to get and prices are rising across all varieties.
• Due to Christmas demand strawberries are a little short and the prices reflect this.