This post is courtesy of our guest blogger Scott Simon:

A well-planned menu is one of the keys to a successful restaurant. It is important to know what you customers want and how to design the menu so that it is appealing. Before you can plan your menu you need to know and understand the market you want to target. You probably will not want to create a high-priced menu with French cuisine if your restaurant is in a college town with a large, young student population and a small population of residents with high disposable income. If your restaurant is an in area with a large population of senior citizens you should use large font that can be easily read in dim lighting.  If you own a family restaurant you can make your menu more appealing to children by including interest artwork and picture of the dishes.

One way of getting to know your target audience is by conducting a surveys or a marketing audit. You can do this with survey forms or a suggestion box in your restaurant. You should also research trade publications and your competition. Look at their menus, what they are offering and the prices they charge. When you know what your customers want and what other restaurants in the area are charging this will help you create an appealing menu that will give you the edge over the competition. Continue reading Planning a Menu for Success →