WebQuest

The Signature Menu Item: Costing, Pricing and Describing to Maximize Profitability and Popularity

Process

Before you begin, take some time to review Chapters 2-7, 10, and Appendix A of your textbook: Kotschevar, L. H., & Withrow, D. (2007). Management by Menu, 4th Edition. New York, NY: Wiley. These chapters will be the basis for your WebQuest and you will learn to put together all of the concepts in your final menu project.

Part 1: The Idea

The first part of your project requires you to spend some time research the purpose and use of signature items on restaurant menus. As you conduct your review of the articles below, ask yourself, "What does the term signature item mean to me? If the menu is supposed to plan, control and market the restaurant, how does this idea of signature items fit in?" Read the following articles by visiting these websites to learn some more:

Do you have some good ideas? Are you starting to think about the dishes on your menu and which ones could be signature items? Your next step will be to write 2 short essays of 1-2 paragraphs each, answering the following:

1. Pick 2 items from your proposed menu within the same category. Compare and contrast the pros and cons of using each one of these as your signature item.

2. Identify 2 new tips you learned from reading any of the 10 articles above. Explain fully: why you choose those two things and how you intend to use them for your proposed concept restaurant.

You should fully address the questions assigned, use vocabulary relevant to the current and previous weeks' topics and justify your ideas and responses by using appropriate examples and references from texts, web sites, and other references or personal experience. Be prepared to discuss your thoughts with your classmates and to offer them feedback on their projects as well. Based on your research, understanding, and feedback, pick one menu item (at minimum) to continue on to Parts 2 and 3.

Part 2: The Recipe and Description

The next step in your project will be to create a standardized recipe, including method of production, and write the menu description. For writing the recipe, you will need to open the attached Standardized Recipe Template in Microsoft Excel. You can follow these instructions as a guide:

The Top Portion of the recipe:

Short name: Provide the name of the recipe.
Source: Please site the source where the recipe can be found
Manager: Your name
Day/Date: The day that you created this recipe
Theme: There may not be a theme or you can use a variety of categories such as Cajun/Creole or Breakfast/Brunch
Full Recipe Name: If this recipe is a component of another recipe, provide the name of the full recipe here (such as an accompaniment to an entree).
Prep Pan/Type: Provide the pans that will be used in the preparation of the item.
Serving Pan: Will this item be served from a steam table a soup heater or is placed in a plastic container and refrigerated?
Serving Dish: is this item served on a 10” white chins plate or in an 8 oz. ceramic bowl? This information will help in the consistency of the service of the item
Portion Size: Include the portion that will be served to each guest.
Cooking Time/Temp: This will be an accumulation of all of the preparation time as well as the cooking time of the item. You should indicate how hot the cooking equipment will need to be. Also note the internal temperature of the food should also be sited here especially if the food is a perishable of potentially hazardous food.
Total Yield: This will be the total number of portions ( 6/8 ounce portions)or the total amount ( 5 Gallons) that will be made by the recipe.

The Bottom Section of the recipe:

Ingredients: The quality of the items that are used as ingredients are specified by the size, shape, grade, condition etc., in specific terms. (Example: The wrong way: Shrimp; The right way: Shrimp, 21/30 count, IQF, Tail on. Raw.) Without these specifications the cook could substitute canned TT shrimp; this would cause the end product to be completely different.
Quantities: The amounts of the ingredients are specified using two standards
Original Quantity: this is the way that the item is packed for purchase (20# case, #10 can, flat, 50# sack , etc.). This is commonly known as the AP (as purchased).
Extended Quantity: the amount that will be used in the recipe. This may be written in volume measures or weight and some will provide both. The weight measure method is more consistent and is another control feature of the standardized recipes.
Preparation methods: The procedures that are used to prepare the foods are specified, these are laid out across from the ingredients that they will be used with. This is different from the way that regular recipes are written. The ingredients and procedures will be in the order of preparation or use rather than the order of quantity. This will take some analysis of the order of events. As you write the recipe remember the procedure of pre-prep, indicate places on the recipe where the prep can be stopped by placing a line under the cell that completes the task. Many recipes will have multiple components that will need to be brought together. These components will be identified as the short recipes that will come together as the Full recipe. There are times when the preparation method will be changed due to the amount that is being prepared changes. (Example: Fried Chicken, small quantity: completely cook in a deep fryer; Large quantity: Fry chicken in deep fryer until golden brown, place chicken pieces on a sheet pan and complete cooking in a 350-degree oven until an internal temperature of 165 degrees.)
Time: Across from each of the procedures provide the amount of time it will take to do this portion of the recipe. This is a very important part of controlling labor costs. The chef can read the recipe and tell how long the cook will need to complete the task of producing the product. The total from this column will be added up and the total placed in the Cooking Time/Temp: space at the top of the recipe. Please note that the amount of time to do each procedure will need to be adjusted as the amount to be produced changes.
Equipment: Indicate the equipment that will be needed to do each of the procedures. This will include the processing equipment as well as the cooking equipment such as pots and pans. This type of recipe can also be written for each individual plate. In this case the ingredients would be the items that will go on the plate and give a description of where on the plate they should be placed and how. This will standardize the look of each dish when it leaves the kitchen, another method of standardization.

In a separate document, write 1-2 paragraphs explaining why you chose that particular dish as your signature item. Provide a menu description as if it were written on your menu. Remember to use correct spelling, grammar and cite sources where required. Be prepared to discuss your choice and description with your class and to give them feedback as well.

Part 3: Costing and Pricing the Signature Item

Your next step, now that you have selected a dish and written a recipe for production, as well as the menu description, is to price this item for your menu. Remember your goal is to maximize profit. This is a very important step, and if not done right, can have disastrous effects on the profitability of the menu! To complete this step, you will need to access the Recipe Cost and Yield Worksheet. But first, read a little article about pricing: MustHaveMenus.com - Pricing Article.

   1.   Open the Cost Worksheet in Excel and start filling in the top and first three columns:
   •   Amount is the number called for in the recipe and Units refers to the unit of measurement. For example, if your recipe called for 2 quarts of heavy cream, you would write 2 in the Amount column and Quarts in the Unit.
   •   Type the product specification information in the Item column; for example, Heavy Whipping Cream.

   2.   Next you need to figure out the cost per unit in your recipe. This can be tricky for two reasons: (1) Sometimes the amount called for is not how we purchase items; and (2) Some items do not yield the full amount of what you paid for by the time you are done trimming and them to your specifications. Look up the price list using either the attached Price List from The Book of Yields, or if your item is not on that list, try:
   •    Peapod for Business - Click Shop for Business
   •    USDA: Food Price Report

   3.   If necessary, you might have to use some of your culinary math to convert this price into the units you are working with in your recipe (use this link for help: Cooking Conversion Charts ). Once you know the AP (as purchased) Cost per unit, you will need to calculate the EP (edible portion) Cost per unit. To do this, you will need to research each item's Yield Percentage. You can look this information up on:
   •    Pricing and Conversion Calculator Links
   •    Chef 2 Chef Yield Equivalencies

4. Now here come the fun part: Hospitality Solutions has created an online Excel calculator that you can download to calculate EP Price. They even have an example, in grams, of how it works. Click on: Hospitality Solutions Food Yield Calculator.xls. Plug in the information that you looked up in Step 2 and converted into your units in Step 3. Now you have your EP Cost per unit. Transfer this information into the appropriate line in the Recipe Unit Cost column of the Cost Worksheet.

5. You will notice that the Cost Worksheet is set-up to calculate your Total cost per Item by multiplying the Amount by the Recipe Unit Cost. There is also a calculation of Total Recipe Cost and Cost per Portion (based on the number of portions you enter at the top). Now you are finally ready to set a selling price!

6. In a separate document, write 1-2 paragraphs pricing your item using two different methods from the text, explain how each method differs, and choose one method and explain why you will choose it for your whole menu pricing. Remember to follow MLA guidelines for writing style, spelling, grammar and citation of sources. Be prepared to discuss with your classmates and offer feedback.

Part 4: Putting it All Together

Now, you are ready to start the first draft of your menu. Before you begin this step, visit the following websites and study the various ways in which signature items are highlighted:

• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises - Click on Nacionale 27, Petterino's and Tucci Bennuch
• Starr Restaurants - Click on Barclay Prime, Jones, LGO

In creating your menu, you might want to take advantage of some of the following templates, design ideas, and free clip art:

   •    Microsoft Templates for Word/Publisher
   •    Paper Mill Store Downloadable Templates
   •    Free Desktop Publishing Software Download - PagePlus
   •    Must Have Menus - Free 7 day trial for menu creation
   •    Food Clip Art - Free
   •    More Free Food Clip Art

You should identify all areas of the menu, and provide at least 5 categories of food offerings, with at least 2 offerings per category including descriptions and pricing. The menu descriptions and pricing should be appropriate for the customer base. The menu layout should be neat and organized with a clearly defined location for the signature item(s). Your signature item should also be appropriately described and priced using information from Steps 2 and 3. You should Use fonts and font sizes, colors and graphics appropriate to the concept and customer base in designing your menu draft.

Be prepared to share your menu draft with the rest of the class. You will be asked to give feedback to others. You should take careful notes on comments and suggestions made by your instructor and classmates so you can revise your menu before submitting a finalized version.

Congratulations on putting together a menu you should be proud of!

Attachments

File

File
Description: Recipe Cost Worksheet

File

File
Description: Food Price List

File

File
Description: Standardized Recipe Template

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WebQuest

The Signature Menu Item: Costing, Pricing and Describing to Maximize Profitability and Popularity

Process

Attachments

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