Chapter 2 Menu Planning as a Control Tool
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Menu Layout Affects Sales
According to market researchers, the placement of items on a menu can signifi cantly
impact sales. People do not read menus—they scan them. Knowing which areas of a
menu tend to draw a typical customer’s eye, and placing key items in those areas, can
generate more sales dollars.
By List
The fi rst and last slots in a list of menu items receive the most attention. Placing
high-profi t or signature items in these locations is a good idea. The middle of a list
receives the least attention. This is where labor-intensive or diffi cult-to-produce items
can be placed. However, sometimes a high-profi t or signature item must appear in the
middle of the list. Attention can be drawn to it by boxing it or by using color or shading.
By Page
The inside menu pages receive the most attention from customers. The most
popular items should be placed here. The back page is rarely viewed. Knowing that,
many restaurants list beverages, children’s menus, or desserts on the back of the menu.
Some operations use the back as a separate menu. For example, restaurants that are
open for all three meals may put the breakfast menu on the back.
Bookmark This
Serving Customers with Food Allergies
More than 15 million Americans have food allergies. Eating or drinking something that
triggers an allergic reaction can make them seriously ill. Some allergic reactions are fatal.
Studies show that about half of food-allergy deaths involve people who consumed something
served in a foodservice operation. Even minute amounts of an ingredient can trigger a serious
reaction in some people.
Foodservice operations have been held liable by courts when customers became ill after
being provided with incomplete or incorrect information about menu items. They have been
held liable when allergens were introduced into food due to cross-contact between different
foods. The cost of fi ghting a lawsuit or losing one can force an operation out of business. In
some parts of the country, operators can be cited if they do not enact precautions.
“Welcoming Guests with Food Allergies” trains foodservice staff to safely prepare and
serve food to guests who have food allergies. It can be downloaded free from the Food
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) website in either English or Spanish. It includes
information about the following:
• foods that cause allergic reactions (90 percent of reactions in the United States are caused
by peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, fi sh, shellfi sh, milk, and wheat)
• what to do if a customer has an allergic reaction
• how to read ingredient labels to identify allergens
• how to create a food-allergy management plan
Other FAAN resources include posters, videos, slide presentations, and special tips for
those who work in school cafeterias and hospitals.