Menu Planning and Product Development - Term Paper Example

< Tourism: Menu Planning and Product Development> by Abstract The paper pertains to menu planning in the hospitality industry. Some of the aspects discussed include the principles of recipe development, factors influencing menu planning decisions and service methods. Introduction This essay offers information regarding various aspects of menu planning and product development in any commercial food establishment such as hotels, restaurants, inns, B&B and lodges.  1.1 Discuss the principles of recipe development. Before discussing the principles of recipe development, it is necessary to understand the concept of the recipe. A recipe can be broadly defined as the tested & standardized procedure used for preparation of any particular food. It includes the proportion of the specific ingredients that are used, the order and time period of mixing them and the type of cooking used for preparation of that precise food. It also includes the temperature and time period required during the preparation of tasty and uniformly cooked food. Any alteration at any stage of preparation of that particular food can result in undesirable changes in final product. A recipe can also be defined as the set of precise instructions, which demonstrates the preparation or making any particular culinary dish. There are many principles of recipe development. Principles and stages of recipe development There are many principles and stages involved in development of new recipes. They are as follows - 1. The first principle in new recipe development is the evaluation of set objectives as well as priorities of the recipe developers. This step involves setting down the taste and look of the resulted product.  2. The second principle constitutes the development of clear and concise steps in precise sequence in the creation of the new recipe that can be followed by anyone very easily.  3. The principle includes writing down of every single task that is required for creation of the new recipes.  4. The next principle involves the allocation of time in an appropriate manner as well as organization as well as reorganization of the tasks that are involved in development ofthe new recipes.  5. The next step is to Judge the physical environment factors while preparation of new recipe and write down the requirements. 6. This refers to communication factors between various people involved in recipe development. 7. This refers to motivation and accomplishments of involved people in recipe development. 8. Evaluation of the recipe as well as recording the process for future reference 1.2. Assess factors that influence menu planning decision. There are many factors that effect and influence the menu planning decisions in any commercial food establishments as per their locations around the world. However, there are 5 basic factors that influence the menu planning decision. They are as follows - 1. This factor includes restaurant type, guest and cost as well as financial resources of the owners. There are 6 variables on this factor that includes the cost of food and raw ingredients, cost of labour, age group and the nationality of the guests, spending power of guests, type of restaurant and available financial resources of the owners ( Malik, S. ( 2012)) 2. The second factor that affects menu planning is availability of the required equipment, location of the establishment, cooking skill of the chef, easy access regarding raw ingredients including vegetables and fruits. This factor also includes the type and scale of competition in the area. 3. The third factor that affects the menu planning includes the variety available in menu and type of menu that is being planned by the owners. It also includes the consideration of space that is attainable in the kitchen and the space that is ready for use for establishment of restaurant.  4. The 4th factor of menu planning is government laws regarding food preparation, storage as well as storage. The other aspect that is included is the nutritive value of the menu. As more and more customers are becoming aware of the importance in this aspect, this factor is assuming more importance in menu planning (Malik, 2012). 5. The 5th factor of menu planning includes the health restrictions and religion of the guests who visit the commercial food establishment. This is the least influential factor that affects the menu planning of any commercial food establishment. There are many factors that play an important role in menu planning of any commercial establishment. When it is time for planning menu, the owner should take above factors into account for a successful planning.  1.3. Discuss factors that influence service methods There are four factors that influence the services methods of any commercial food establishment. It is a fact that when potential customers require any service, they look for information on various mediums of communication such as the Internet, reference from a friend and others. They can also get information from any TV channel and unsolicited comments from the strangers (Chand, 2013). The four factors that influence the service methods include the implicit service promises, explicit services promises, experience and WOM or word of mouth communication.  1. Implicit services promises The implicit services expectation can also be defined as the service-related cues and include prices range and other tangibles that are associated in the service for the establishment. As a rule, the higher prices of the food served, the customer expects more tangible services at the food establishment. Take an example the quality of the service at any 5 star hotel is naturally at the higher level than the 2 star hotels. 2. Explicit service promises and expectations The explicit services promises and expectations can be broadly defined as the personal as well as non-personal statements given by service providers as well as their representatives with any oral or written promises during marketing and negotiations. Take an example when any hotel conducts negotiations with any company regarding hosting any event, the hotel makes some promises regarding prices, services, etc., to the potential customer during negotiations. These promises are known as explicit services promises (Chand, 2013). 3. Past experience of the customer This is a very important factor that influences the service methods and shapes the desire as well as prediction of the customer. Take an example, the customers present service expectation is based upon his desires as well as expectations that are based upon his previous experience with that particular hotel.  The present experience may also be compared with other hotels where he has stayed previously.  4. WOM or word of mouth communication The efficiency as well as the importance to this factor is well-documented in various studies. There are many customers who prefer to get references from other people’s impressions and experience in the service and food quality of any particular food establishment. With the advent of the Internet, this factor has gained a lot of importance regarding influence in services methods (Chand, 2013). 2.1 The stages of menu product development planning There are many stages of menu product development planning for any commercial food establishment. Generally, it can be defined as the listing of food items that are available for sale. The customer will not be able to order any food item without knowing the availability of food items (Hospitality Guild, 2009). 1. The first stage is reviewing the objective of business and assesses the fiscal requirements. Furthermore, the owner needs to project the sales target for meeting the monetary goals. In addition to that, the owner also needs to check the capacity of restaurant from every angle. 2. The next step is to study the current trends in cuisine and decide the type of cuisine that is going to be served at the restaurant.  3. The next step is to do cost-analysis and profit margin of every food item in-depth and decide the price range of the food items. While considering price-range, the management also needs to survey the price range of the nearby restaurants and other food establishments. He or she also needs to assess the potential business within the area on the regular basis (Hospitality Guild, 2009). 4. As the restaurants become more popular, the management can introduce new food items as well as daily specials to increase the numbers of customers.  5. To keep up with the latest price range in the market, the management should continue to do a regular cost analysis of the food items that are available on the food menu.  6. The management can check the popularity the food times at regular intervals and modify the menu as per the result.  7. The next stage of menu development is the layout design of the menu. This stage involves the graphic designs, fonts, uploading of images, etc. This quality of the menu is very important for attracting the new customers (Hospitality Guild, 2009). 2.2 Evaluate influences on the development process There are many types of influences over the development process of the food menu of any commercial food establishment. These influences can be financial, type of design, taste of the owners and type and variety of cuisine availed in that particular food establishment. 1. Financial influence This factor plays an important part through the development process. With unlimited budget, the management can introduce an expensive and glossy food menu that offers an unlimited range in food and beverage list.  2. Type of Design There are many types of design, from which one is chosen by management. Take an example, some restaurants offer separate menus for food as well as the beverage, but some of them prefer to use the same menu for both items.  3. Taste of the owners Some menus are sophisticated work of art that graces the refined places like 5star hotels and resorts while others are simple and designed to give just information.  4. Type of Cuisines The range of available cuisines also influences the type of menu design. Conclusion Menu Planning and Product Development in hospitality industry occupy an important part in marketing and increasing the revenue of this industry. References Chand, Smriti (2013). “Factors that Influence the Desired and Adequate Service Expectations”, [ONLINE], Available from http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/company/service-management/factors-that-influence-the-desired-and-adequate-service-expectations/34023/[ Accessed at 5 May 2015]. Hospitality Guild (2009). Effective menu development”[ONLINE], Available from http://hospitalityguild.com/GuidePro/Management/Menu.htm [ Accessed at 5 May 2015] Malik, S. ( 2012). Factors Affecting Menu Planning In Hotels, A Study Of North India, Innovative Journal Of Business and Management , 2277-4947, 97- 101. Read More