What are the most common menu design mistakes in F&B operations?

The more dishes, the more ingredients, the more techniques, the more hand movements, the more choices, the more deviations, the more additions the bigger the waste the bigger the food storage the more bins and … the more compromise on quality, speed, profit … Remember people expect specialists and experts to be running professional F&B units and not worse than home. Always listen to and be guided by someone who is an expert, someone who has wisdom and knowledge in this area.

Most restaurant menus are too long. When you have a menu that has too many items, your servers cannot know about and have personal experience with each item. Your kitchen will have more issues prepping and maintaining the ability to control waste. Managers or owners will either spend too much time managing the inventory or end up cutting corners just to get their jobs done. For most establishments, a menu of 20-30 items is more than enough. The way to offer more variety throughout the year is to change your menu on a semi-regular basis. Seasonal menu changes allow you to maintain a shorter menu and still have the items you need on your menu when you need them.

Here is my list: 1. Small print menu in a dark setting 2. Too many options - makes it feel like the chef is a jack of all trades, master of none 3. No sense of creativity 4. Poorly laid out wine list with no real thought to price/quality ratio 5. Lack of a cheese course or low carb dessert option I was in a Michelin star restaurant for a business dinner where the wine list had meager options in the mid range; not by the glass, not by the bottle. Their claim to fame is “the best wine list in Europe”, which actually meant that they stored collections of old Bordeaux and Super Tuscans. The drinkable selection had no thought or care behind it and I would never go back there again. That arrogance was also reflected in the service.

Issues in the real world are usually forgetting the engine room’s capacity, capabilities, skill sets, equipment condition and standards, the dish hand movements involved, organisation of ergonomics, understanding logic, reality, time and motion, logistics - staff training , role play, fridge set ups, staff tastings, practice time time time again, all and every consequence impacts, the usual Epos issues, menu deviations, Foh tests on knowledge again again again, management interests. Not springing it on everyone last minute ! Planning and organisation requires time and intelligence. Beware 9 in suits and 2 actually doing it

People often want decisions made for them, or at least made easier. If there are too many dishes on a menu, guests will have a hard time choosing and will be less likely to return. Cut less successful items out of the menu and prune selections so that only the most popular and profitable listings remain. On the flip side, having too few items will also decrease guest frequency. If there is only one item on a menu that a guest likes, they will pick a restaurant with more options.

When you sit in a restaurant and see the majority people using their phones as lights or grabbing their cheaters you know the print is too small. A menu that looks good in a well lit office often fails in a dimly lit room. If people are using their phones to light their menu they won't spend as much time looking at it and maximizing their purchases.

A common menu design error is a poor layout and readability, frustrating customers and affecting their perception. A cluttered, disorganized layout can obscure vital information and appear unprofessional. Poor readability, especially in dim or noisy settings, discourages menu exploration. Tips for improvement include clear, consistent fonts, colors, and headings, logical grouping, avoiding excessive text or images, and using white space and contrast for balance and focus.

Menus can be a great piece of storytelling for your concept and cuisine, but don't forget that a menu has a psychological expectation from customers. It should follow roughly the same format and structure. Don't fall into the temptation of categorising by type of spice or ingredient. Keep it simple and accessible.

Studies have shown that your eye first looks to the upper right corner of a menu when you first open it. By moving your hard-to-move items there, you will see an improvement in sales for those items.

Poor layout in menu design can make it challenging for customers to quickly find and understand menu items. It may lead to confusion, frustration, and potentially impact sales as customers may struggle to navigate the choices. Readability is crucial; small fonts, unclear organization, or distracting visuals can make it difficult for customers to absorb information, affecting their overall dining experience. A well-organized and readable menu enhances customer satisfaction and helps drive sales.

Lack of menu engineering is a major pitfall in designing an effective menu. Menu engineering analyzes each menu item based on its popularity and profitability to optimise your offerings. When customers glance at a menu, their eyes gravitate towards the top third center. Capitalize on this by featuring high-margin items there. A balanced layout with smart menu flow encourages diners to consider all options. Perform periodic menu analysis to add new stars and cull underperforming dogs. Track sales velocities and margins to inform engineering decisions. A well-engineered menu promotes signature dishes and high-profit items, resulting in higher average guest checks. Don't leave this crucial process to chance.

A simple mistake is to let your Chefs create menus without even the slightest of feedback from their Food and Beverage Manager or equivalent. It is not a slap on the face to the Chef, but creating a menu will be a team effort if it is to be successful. I could not prepare the food and it is unlikely whether or not a Chef could create a menu that a full range of the hotel customers would want to eat. Preparing a menu should be a team effort, if it can not be then your Chef has an attitude problem.

One of the most important aspects of menu engineering is that it can't just be a once-off. Menus need to be revisited often to identify those stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs. Ask your team for menu ideas and involve your regular diners, you may be surprised by their feedback!

Neglecting menu engineering isn't just a minor oversight; it's a common pitfall that leads to a cascade of menu design mistakes in F&B operations. When menus lack strategic engineering, they often become a haphazard collection of dishes without consideration for profitability. The desired business outcome isn't just a visually appealing menu; it's a missed opportunity for maximizing revenue through intentional placement and pricing strategies. By addressing the absence of menu engineering, restaurateurs can avoid these pitfalls, crafting menus that not only entice diners but also contribute significantly to the financial health of the establishment.

From a financial perspective, the absence of menu engineering is a missed opportunity. Menu engineering optimizes profitability by analyzing item performance. Maximizing the visibility of high-profit "stars" and cross-selling "plowhorses" can boost revenue. Improving the sales of high-margin "puzzles" enhances overall profitability. Eliminating unprofitable "dogs" conserves resources. Effective menu engineering can significantly impact a restaurant's financial success by smartly pricing, placing, and promoting items for profitability and efficiency. Understanding the financial dynamics of each item enables informed decisions that positively impact the bottom line.

Customers may order a dish based on the menu description, only to receive something quite different, leading to disappointment and potentially allergic reactions if the ingredients aren't accurately listed. Such experiences can result in customer dissatisfaction, negative reviews, and a loss of trust. Misleading information may also lead to pricing disputes and can damage a restaurant's credibility. Furthermore, inaccurate menus can lead to operational inefficiencies as staff grapple with incorrect order information. In the long run, this can affect customer loyalty. Therefore, maintaining transparency of menu information is not only essential for customer satisfaction but also for the success and integrity of the restaurant business.

- Labelling items in price order - Not highlighting high margin dishes - Not adding up sell opportunities and add ons - Having too many of 1 category - Misplacement of hero dishes

Overcomplicated Layout Crowded pages,poor categorization confuse customers.Poor Readability, Small fonts, low contrast, and overly stylized fonts. Lack of Descriptions Missing ingredients or unclear descriptions. Inadequate Highlighting.Failing to highlight popular dishes and dietary options.Inconsistent Branding Mismatched themes and inconsistent visuals.Pricing Errors Inconsistent or hidden prices. Lack of Visual Appeal No images or poor-quality photos. Overloaded Menu Ignoring Seasons/Local Not updating for seasonal ingredients. Poor Menu Engineering Ignoring profit margins and upselling. Neglecting Digital Integration No online presence or mobile-friendly design.Lack of Cultural Sensitivity insensitive names and misrepresentation.

From a customer trust perspective, inaccuracies and misleading information on a menu can erode trust and damage a restaurant's reputation. Misleading elements, such as incorrect prices, exaggerated claims, or vague terms, can lead to disappointment and dissatisfaction. This can result in customer complaints, disputes, or legal action, particularly concerning health, allergen, or sustainability matters. Ensuring accurate, clear, and specific information, as well as meticulous proofreading and fact-checking, is crucial in maintaining customer trust and a positive reputation. Accurate and honest communication fosters trust, which is fundamental in the food and beverage industry.

A really dangerous one for brand image is mislabelling of dietary offerings. For example, a vegetarian dish labelled "plant-based" (which isn't the same!) or a dish labelled "Vegan" that has an egg-based dough. Be really careful with all labelling. If you're unsure, consult a dietary professional.

AI is increasingly useful to analyse masses of customer feedback from reviews and feedback forms. Otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming and key trends hard to identify.

J'ai eu la chance d'avoir 2 carrières autour de ce sujet, infographiste pour differnts types de restaurant du populaire à l'étoilé. Par la suite j'ai travaillé dans la restauration comme serveur et jusqu'à directeur. Cette expérience m'a permis de constater que le menu engineering doit être utilisé en prenant en compte plusieurs paramètres: - La clientèle cible. Le prix à la fin de l'intitulé est adapté plus à un restaurant gastronomique ou étoilé qu'un restaurant populaire avec un TM de moins de 30€. La transparence de prix est primordiale dans les restaurants de quartier par exemple.

Never worry about receiving negative customer feedback. Instead, celebrate as you are learning or getting an understanding of what to improve at your property. Implement Glitching Systems in your place and categorise where you are lacking; take your customer's feedback and record it. Be honest with yourself and listen to customers.

Tech can sometimes distract us from direct feedback. Don't wait for your online reviews to find out there's a problem with a dish, rather than asking every customer. Make sure you've designed simple mechanisms for your order of service process. Checking orders before confirming them. Checking everything is ok (and if there's anything else you can get) within a few minutes of food arriving is useful. Most customers don't want to or feel like they can 'complain' and certainly with online review systems, some customers feel that their feedback to you will be after they've left! Train staff to observe body language as well as listen to words spoken & flag the table to a supervisor who can also gently check, avoiding negative reviews later

Feedbacks from both customers and staffs must be seriously taken into consideration. Analyse the feedback, tweak it if needed but do get feedbacks and this is important for improvements for the future.

Simple pricing errors like using 'flat prices' eg $9 or $12, instead of adding the extra .50c or .80c to make $9.50 or $12.80. 1000 items sold in a week with the additional cents will pay for someone's wages!

Just keep it simple. Know your market and know what your team is capable of- base the menu on that. Calculate your menu costs carefully so you can offer a few great value for money offers that bring people in and set the tone. Keep it small and work with daily or weekly specials - this will allow you to test things out before putting them on the menu and ensures customers aren’t bored . Last but not least create signature dishes and feature them on the menu as well. Ensure you have a story to tell as well

One of the biggest mistakes that I see is that operators focus on the success of newly added items rather than the impact on profitability as a whole. Any time that you add a new item, there will be changes to the sales mix. Those changes could be detrimental from a profit perspective. It is important to always evaluate the profitability of your menu following changes to ensure that you are not doing more work for less profit. This also needs to be balanced by guest feedback and execution in the kitchen.

Don't design your menu for your own 'eyes' unless you are actually your target customer, which you probably aren't! Be really clear about: - who your customers are - why they visit you (what's the occasion?) - what type of food they want - what budget they have - where you're located (destination or High St) and, - how do you review your menu performance? - how do you innovate & update menus/dishes? - how do you deliver your overall offer consistently? Don't seek perfection. Seek consistently good. Aim to offer an experience that has your customers smiling, thinking about when they're coming back and with whom before they've even left your place.

Something that is often overlooked is menu planning in regards to execution. How many steps are in each dish before and after initial prep? How many pans will it take to pick up each dish for service? How many stations does one dish have to touch to be executed? What could be done in prep ahead of time to make pick faster and more efficient without effecting quality? Too many steps for too many dishes can bring any kitchen down on a busy shift.