Food Service Menus: Pricing and Managing the Food Service Menu for Maximun Profit (The Food Service Professional Guide to Series 13)

This book is a wake up call for any restaurateur who believes that creating a menu is as simple as lumping a few dishes together on a sheet of paper. I put thought into my menu, scoped out the competition, and even developed signature dishes. Food Service Menus took me several steps further. It provided samples of market and competitor surveys so I could determine if what I was offering was something that customers would actually want. The book really came in handy with links to menu building software and nutritional calculations. It seems like a lot of work to put into a menu. When you consider that that the majority of your profit rests on your menu, the hard work is well worth it.

If you will peruse my other two reviews of guides published by Food Service Professional you will note I am not bashful - when they short change me I tell you straight out!This guide, though, is superior to any other guide I have read - thorough, detailed, and helpful without wasting reams of paper to appear more complete. This is a must-read for anybody wanting to set their menu prices at optimum profitability.I especially appreciated the various formulas, explanations and examples they provided so I could get my head around the topic (as the Brits are fond of saying) and not feel that some rule of thumb (such as, three times the ingredient cost) is the only way to price. Rules of thumb can get you in trouble and are only a guide based on 'all other things being equal.' That explains why I liked their information throughout chapter 5. This one chapter would probably be worth a full semester in college!To be sure, the principles elucidated in chapter five can be applied to any business economics class and such students would gain immeasurable benefit.Be watching for LJ's Breaking Free$ to learn more ways to make money by starting your own business or small farm - Bill Anderson (LJ).