A menu is a promise to guests and a work plan for the kitchen. A good one balances both.
Key idea
Balance the menu: a range of cooking methods, colors, textures, richness and prices, and spread the work across the stations. Describe dishes honestly and clearly; name what a guest needs to know (allergens, raw items). Price from cost: a common method divides the cost of one portion by the target food-cost percent (menu price = portion cost ÷ food-cost %). Menu analysis sorts dishes by how popular and how profitable they are, to decide what to keep, change or drop.
| Menu analysis group | Popular? | Profitable? | What chefs do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | Yes | Yes | Keep and feature |
| Plowhorses | Yes | No | Re-cost, adjust portion or price |
| Puzzles | No | Yes | Describe or place better |
| Dogs | No | No | Replace |
Why it works
If five dishes come off the fryer and one off the grill, the fry cook drowns on a busy night while the grill cook waits. Balancing stations is as important as balancing flavors.
Worked example: Menu price
A dish costs \$4.20 per portion. You want a 30% food cost. What price?
- $4.20 \div 0.30 = 14.00$.
Answer: \$14.00.
Common mistake
Writing long, flowery descriptions that hide what the dish is.
Practice at home
- Write a five-dish dinner menu. Check it: are there at least three cooking methods? Are the stations balanced? Is every allergen clear?