Catering Menu Design

It is imperative to pay close attention to both pricing and design when thinking about your catering menu and promotional materials. The menu and promotional items are your first mode of contact with potential clients. Client’s number one priority is often the prices on your menu, but designing the print materials well will likely take their minds off their budget.

Menu pricing is important to the ongoing success of every catering operation and service. Established food cost percentages that accurately reflect the needs of the operation yield profits. Catering menu prices are calculated based on the amount of revenue needed to cover the four pricing components: overhead cost, labor cost, and profit. The four pricing methods most adaptable to catering menus are the actual cos method, the food cost percentage method, the factor pricing method, and the contribution to profit method.

A successful menu program must meet management goals and objectives for revenues and profits. Properly applied menu pricing techniques and the application of control systems are necessary for any catering operation to be profitable.

Maintaining successful pricing requires daily and weekly monitoring of food costs to ensure desired food cost percentages and profit margins. Control systems such as food cost reviews, the sales mix and contribution to profit analysis are used to achieve successful menu prices.

A variety of sales and marketing techniques are applied to create the physical design of catering menus and promotional packages. The presentation of menus influences which catering service, restaurant, hotel, or club customers choose. In many instances, catering menus are reviewed by customers in their homes or offices without the assistance of a catering sales representative who might guide their selections. By the time catering management reaches the customer initial decisions have often been made.

The presentation of catering menus in an effective marketing format can lead customers to purchase the most profitable menus and services. The sales presentation folder includes a number of design elements including: package cover, design format, layout, typeface, paper and color, illustration and graphic design and copy.

Unlike restaurant menus, in which the selection of menu items is an impulse purchase, the choice of catering menus is given considerable thought and is often conducted by a committee. Because catering functions involve social occasions and sizable financial investments, at least two people are usually involved in the menu selection process. A catering menu that effectively incorporates marketing techniques into its overall presentation and design will be more persuasive to group decision makers.

Menu Design Format

A wide range of design formats is available on which to present catering menus. The most traditional is the basic single panel page. The single panel may incorporate a number of different menus, or only one menu.

A variation on the single panel format provides an easy reference guide from which to select menus. Some clearly identifies menu sections along with beverage lists, catering policies and menu prices.

Another design provides individual folders for each menu section, each clearly identified by a color photograph of the appropriate plate presentations. The inside panels of each section outline the menu offerings. The price list is printed separately. While this is an expensive presentation, it represents the perceived value that management wants to impart to the customer for the catering menu program. Prices can be easily changed by reprinting the separate pricing sheet, rather than the complete menu presentation.

The presentation of catering menus directly reflects the style of the catering operation. Package covers combine menus with other catering services and information to present customers with a complete overview of the business. Many catering services use the word processing capabilities of computer systems and a laser printer to create menus with a professional image. The design elements of layout, typeface, paper stock, color, and illustration can entertaining and easy-to-read formats will be given more consideration by customers, ultimately increasing sales.

Choosing a Denver corporate catering company can seem overwhelming, but doing menu research will help narrow your choices. I highly recommend checking out one of the best Denver caterers — The Food Guy. You can contact them at 303.727.9200 or visit their office at 7860 West 16th Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80214.