Menu Marketing and Design

Including menu and wine list design and pricing for casual, quick service, cafes and fine dining restaurants. Plus menu design principles for printed menus, blackboards, electronic screens and on websites.

#303 - No Hype: How to Buy Word of Mouth Recommendations
Customers want recommendations from people they trust. Genuine, no loopholes and easy to experience. This is solid-gold 'word of mouth' advertising, and there are guaranteed ways to create it. But first, you need to understand how it starts. . . . keep reading

#298 - How to Make Discounts Work For You, Not Against
Most discounts are treated with cynicism, and need to be VERY good to make an impact (which means you probably give away your profits). Make sure the offer is actually understood by potential customers, and that it really moves them to action. . . . keep reading

#296 - Menu Profit Improvement - Back to Basics
Does your Menu and Beverage List have real 'profit strength'? Profit Strength is the right combination of popularity and profitability for each and every item, so there are no profitless 'losers', and all the high-profit items sell well. . . . keep reading

#294 - 6 Price-rise Tactics: Smart Steps to Rebuild Revenue
If your sales have been battered by discounting, now's the time for some careful rebuilding of menu and service prices. But if you just chase (and attract) people who want the cheapest, this article is not for you! . . . keep reading

#287 - 3 Fast Ways to Increase Menu Profits
Here's how to increase customer spending and profits as quickly as you can reprint the menu. It makes sense: New Year = a new look to the menu and a better bottom line! . . . keep reading

$1 In Chicken Is Worth More Than $1 In Cash

To many venue managers, food is a necessary evil to satisfy the gaming or bar customers. Often managed by underqualified staff and those who don't think of the inventory as a currency, valuable stock is not being treated as it should. . . . keep reading

Smart Strategy with Childrens' Menus: Resources for Restaurants & Foodservice

Sharing the latest from restaurants, hotels, chefs and the media on how to combine popular, nutritious food for kids and families with successful business operations. . . . keep reading

#270 - Avoid Bad PR with a Smarter Kids Menu Strategy
The Drums are Beating: it's the sounds of parents and legislators who will no-longer ignore childhood obesity. This issue is not going away. . . . keep reading

#259 - Quick Check on Sales Performance: Improving Conversion
You can't change the weather, but once you catch the eye of potential visitors, there's a lot that CAN be done to convert them into paying customer. Here's how to check your effectiveness. . . . keep reading

350+ Menu Terms and Descriptions

The right choice of adjectives and descriptions adds appeal to any menu. It needs more than just an ingredient list - good menu words can make customers feel hungy and ready to spend more. . . . keep reading

#242 - How to Boost Mid-Week Evening Trade
The key to increasing mid-week trade is to create a special reason to visit. Not just because the food and drinks are cheap, but because the value is fantastic or we get 'special treatment' that's not available on busy Friday and Saturday. . . . keep reading

VIDEO: Menu Pricing and Layout for Better Sales

A smart menu is a marketing document, so design principles should be applied to the location of items, descriptions and how prices are written. The rules apply for a cafe, restaurant or casual dining. . . . keep reading

Action Plan to Improve Dessert Sales

Desserts and sweet treats are a great way to increase sales. There's money to be made when you mix sugar, air and water with flavour: here's how to boost the popularity of this menu essential. . . . keep reading

How to use 'Chocolate Cafe' success concepts

The combination of luxury and 'wickedness' means anything chocolate on a menu is a winner. Specialty chocolate shops show us marketing lessons that are easy to apply in any cafe or restaurant. . . . keep reading

Fixing Menu Weakness: Quick Improvements

The menu is your #1 sales document and needs the right content, design and pricing structure. Share this action checklist with your kitchen and floor staff. . . . keep reading

How to Sell More Seafood

Quality seafood sets you apart from other venues that often lack the skills to prepare and serve it properly. It is commonly understood to be a high-value item, so it's expected that the price will match. . . . keep reading

#239 - Avoid These 2 Common Pricing Mistakes
Recession talk can make us act in dangerous ways, especially around price and value. Make sure these two errors don't undercut the profit strength of your entire menu or beverage list. . . . keep reading

10 Steps to a More Profitable Wine List

The wine list is an essential part of your profit strategy. A little more smart thinking and less reverence for industry myths will maximise your profits and bring stock levels under control. . . . keep reading

VIDEO: Menu Profit Analyser - Menu Engineering in Action

Does your menu have real 'profit strength' - the right combination of popularity and profitability? Here's how to analyse your results using the principles of 'menu engineering'. . . . keep reading

How to Raise Prices, Even in Tough Times

The thought of price increases causes anxiety for many operators. But smart pricing is a great opportunity to sharpen your marketing skills, cover rising costs and boost your profits. . . . keep reading

More Headlines