Book Review - "Menu Pricing and Strategy" by Jack Miller

After sharing my book selection "Menu Pricing and Strategy" by Jack Miller, I thought I had made a mistake. Upon completion of the book, I found it to be very interesting and full of useful information for anyone invovled with writing a menu or maintaining profitability.

Before one even gets started on menu creation it is important to create a merchandising chart. An example of this would be to list chicken, and all the possible ways it could be prepared with the equipment, staff, and ingredients planned to be stocked. This allows the operator to catalog the different preperation methods to be used for menu design, future promotions and possible catering events.

Prior to reading this book, I had several sample menus that I had created. I firmly believed that I had hit it out of the ball park. I mean I have a bachelors degree in marketing. I am comfortable with the graphic arts to make it look pretty. I understand how to "sizzle" or describe a menu item to make is sound outstanding. However all of that was not even close.

Did you know that a well designed menu can and will direct your customer to the items that you want to sell? Did you know that in a tri-fold menu that a customers eyes travel over the center of the menu three times? It has been scientifically proven that the eyes then rest on the center of the menu. That is where to place the items that we want to sell. The items with the most profit.

Something else to consider is the way the menu items are listed. For example, never list the menu items in order of prices. Customers will also skip to the lower price items. Through tracking the ordering of customers, it has been identified that customers usually select the first, second or last items on the list. Again it would be wise to place the profitable items in these locations.

Other opportunites to highlight a menu item or a special would be to utilize a chalkboard. This has proven to be successful in offering specials, usually on a limited basis. It is also a way to test out possible new menu additions.

The book pointed out many flaws in my plan, for instance menu pricing and costing.
I had not considered all the variables, and believe me that I found many that I had not even thought of. These all need to be listed, and figured into the pricing. The most important tool that I walked away from the book is that the best way to control cost and maintain profitablity is standardized recipes.

A standardized recipe has been produced, checked and rechecked to ensure that it can be reproduced exactly the same way everytime it is made. This requires all involed to be passionate about following the recipe. Not only does this help maintain a consistant food cost, it also maintains consistant quality. Successful restaurants have repeat business because the customers know whether it is Sunday noon, or Wednesday lunch, that their favorite dish will always taste the same.

The menu is our opportunity to communicate with the customer through accurate and honest descriptions. The book is full of strategies and ideas for the owner to plan an implement a successful menu. Rememeber the old saying "never judge a book by its cover"? "Menu Pricing and Strategy" by Jack Miller is truly one of those books. The title as well as the cover are total unapealing, however the pages are full of content that will prove to be invaluable to the restaurant entrepenuer or manager.