7 top tips to create the perfect menu

Congratulations – you’re officially a FoodJin chef! It’s now time to create the perfect menu. A menu is the first thing a customer sees, so it’s really important to treat it like a marketing and sales tool. Your food menu is more than a list of items and prices – it’s a reflection of your concept, style, and quality. 

We have gathered some tips to help you create a mouth-watering menu that will keep customers coming back for more. Let’s get started!

Create a theme:

Start by deciding what kind of cuisine you would like to offer. Whether your food is inspired by culture or locally sourced ingredients, discover your ‘why’ and use it to create a theme that shows what makes your cuisine special. 

Select your go-to dishes:

Start by writing a list of your signature dishes that have been tried, tested and loved by your family and friends. You could highlight these food items as ‘best-sellers’, ‘chef’s choice’ or ‘weekly specials’ to attract attention. But, be ready to adapt! To keep your customers engaged, it’s recommended to revamp your menu every few months with new recipes and creations.

Take food allergies and intolerances seriously:

Let the diner be in control of their choices by applying colourful allergen symbols on your menu. If ingredients and symbols are not highlighted correctly, you can not only harm a customer’s health, but also damage your reputation which could potentially result in legal actions against you. 

Take appetizing food photos:

A customer is more likely to order if he/she knows what the food looks like.  Try to shoot a photo in front of a natural, neutral background with a good camera lens. Choose brightly colored food items and if possible, use a photo-editing software to enhance your images. 

Pricing the menu:

It’s important to keep profits high while offering affordable prices to the customers. Calculate how much you plan to spend on ingredients and don’t forget to include cooking tools and food containers as part of the budget.

Describe the dishes:

The words you choose to describe a dish is very important. Market research has shown that based on the adjectives used, it can either entice a customer or put them off. Don’t use complex words and describe the flavors, textures and preparation methods in simple, clear language. 

If you need any help in creating the perfect menu, drop us a line here and the FoodJin support team will be happy to help. We can’t wait to start cooking with you!