| The hallmark of almost every restaurant and | | | | Menus themselves can come in any of a variety |
| facilities involved in the food service hospitality | | | | of different means depending on the situation and |
| industry is its menu. The menu is what almost | | | | the consumers involved. It's not only a question of |
| every customer will see and will determine their | | | | color, card stock, printing fonts and color and size. |
| level of expectation and perhaps satisfaction with | | | | Given the specifics a menu may be verbally |
| the restaurant. First impressions count and so | | | | recited and could even be in Braille for blind |
| does the menu of any restaurant. | | | | consumers. Menus as well can be presented on |
| In a major way too the menu controls the | | | | the walls of the facility either on paper or |
| restaurant - its style, type and quality of food and | | | | blackboard , or large screen TV like presentations |
| meals served and most importantly the | | | | , both either as the primary source of information |
| restaurant's financial budget and budgets. Indeed if | | | | or as a second auxiliary source, reminder or even |
| the restaurant is a brand new operation, the | | | | of reinforcement of the menu given in other |
| menu itself will govern the layout and equipment | | | | ways , means and forms. . Current innovations in |
| needed to produce the given and specified food | | | | menu presentations have included menus sent and |
| and beverage products. To the production | | | | delivered back by fax over phone lines, by email, |
| employees - whether they be in the kitchen or on | | | | online and most recently in restaurants |
| the serving floor areas the menu indicates the | | | | themselves on video LCD computer type monitor |
| work to be done and to what standards., what | | | | screens. |
| kind of staffing levels are needed as well as a | | | | All and all if can be summarized the menu sets |
| sundry of other decisions - be it dish washing | | | | the tone of any restaurant - both in terms of its |
| staffing levels or even background support | | | | actual setup physically, its theme and themes, the |
| materials needed to be ordered and on hand. | | | | actual food served and level of service provided |
| Presentation in any menu layout is key. This is not | | | | and ultimately customer orders and satisfaction |
| only the case in high end or high impact | | | | levels to the food itself as well as service levels |
| restaurants but even in situations such as schools, | | | | and ultimately to the tips left to serving staff and |
| or institutional settings. As an example in a school | | | | restaurant food service employees. |
| setting - a cafeteria menu can serve as a | | | | No food service or service institution providing |
| teaching tool for informing as well as teaching | | | | delivery of meal products can go without a menu |
| students what good and proper nutrition involves. | | | | one way or another. You only get one chance to |
| In an institutional or hospital setting a well laid | | | | make a good first impression. Restaurateurs and |
| menu may well instruct patients and their families | | | | those involved in the food service hospitality |
| what may be involved in any of a number of | | | | industry - take extra special care, effort and |
| special and specialized diets. | | | | emphasis to do your menu up right. |
