How to develop a restaurant menu

How to develop a restaurant concept plan

A restaurant’s concept is the lifeline of its brand and longevity in the market. It makes your venue
stand apart from the competition, and it’s ultimately your restaurant’s unique selling proposition.

A concept plan is something every aspiring restaurateur should look to complete. Due to the high
level of risk for independent restaurant related start-ups, it’s wise to take advantage of every planning
step possible.

Here are a few things to consider when developing a concept plan.

An idea is not a concept

The ‘idea’ one has needs to be articulated and deeply researched through the completion of a feasibility study.

Once that idea has been researched and the market, location, technical, business, and financial viability of the

idea has passed a series of reviews, a concept plan can then be started.

Keep these characteristics in mind

When first developing a winning concept, there are five key characteristics an aspiring restaurateur
needs to keep in mind. The concept must be designed to be scalable, profitable, memorable,
consistent, and sustainable. If you can apply these five characteristics to each stage of the decision
making process, you will be positioning yourself for success!

It’s more than cuisine

Most conceptual ideas start at the food or cuisine level. New restaurateurs need to remember that
restaurants don’t just sell food and beverages; they sell experiences through the enhancement of
guest emotions. When planning a concept, it’s imperative to have a focus on the style of menu and
niche of cuisine, but it needs to be taken a step further to ensure it’s a menu that the market not only
wants and needs, but a menu that elevates the guests’ variety of senses.
Incorporate your choice of messaging

The development of a brand is much more than color choices and logos. One of the best ways to

begin laying out your brand’s messaging is to complete a vision, value, mission, and culture

statement. Walt Disney once said: “when your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes

easier!” This is also incredibly true when it comes to restaurants.

Once you know your values and other statements, and have refined them to be simple, memorable
paragraphs, then you, your future staff and your community will truly understand your concept. It will
also allow you as an owner-operator to make clear, educated decisions, in terms of further design
attributes, business financing decisions, and the hiring of a team, that meet your values and
messaging – something that will assist in controlling future labor costs.

Develop a budget

Building, buying, or renovating a restaurant is often not a cheap endeavor. The largest cost factor is

going to be the construction and renovation period.

At the concept development phase, it’s crucial to gather as much information as possible in terms of
your desired design features and vision. Are you in a financial position to develop the restaurant to
your desired vision? If not, find ways to scale back in terms of size and decor while still matching the
concept you want to deliver. If scaling back, can the restaurant still meet projected financial goals set-
out in the feasibility study? Can the kitchen still produce the proposed menu?
Learn how to present your concept

If you need further funding or are preparing to meet with designers, architects, or consultants,
creating a presentation to pitch your concept (after a business plan is written) should also be
considered. Keep in mind, as much as you’re selling the restaurant concept and explaining the gap it
will fill within the market, you are also selling yourself. This is the opportunity to tell your story — a
great way to start your presentation. Show your passion for food, beverage, hospitality, and general
business.

One final item to remember is that investors are looking for opportunities that present themselves in
regards to scalability, profitability, consistency, and sustainability as well. Make sure these
characteristics are visible in all aspects of your concept presentation.

A winning concept goes far beyond culinary trends, and assists with the development of your menu,
design, and overall branding strategy. Once your concept plan is complete, it’s time to write a
strategic business plan, the third plan in the overall planning process.

Develop your menu concept

First and foremost, you should ask yourself what you want your restaurant to be known for. The best ‘what’ in
your area? From here, you can begin to develop a flavor profile with supporting elements such as colors and
textures that will deliver that promise.
The goal is to keep it simple and memorable. Try to keep your menu under 32 items for optimal productivity,
and to minimize confusion and anxiety among your guests. Remember, guests prefer to make a decision
within 120 seconds.
Take this time to list out your desired menu and if it’s too large, begin to narrow it down.

2. Develop a list of core ingredients

Developing a menu and/or new and specific dishes and drinks can take a lot of trial and error. It’s important to
understand your concept and target market while working with flavors that will make customers go ‘wow’!
Put together a list of the core ingredients that will deliver that wow factor within your desired menu. You’ll
also want to consider how you can repurpose raw ingredients as much as possible to reduce food costs and
waste. When considering ingredients, try using as much product from around you as possible – for example,
produce that is in season, food artisans from your area, or meats from a local farm/butcher. Take this time to
list out all the main ingredients you will require.

3. Investigate your supply chain

Now that you know your concept and its core ingredients, where can you find them?
You want to reduce your risk (and often costs) by eliminating as many third parties as possible within the
supply chain. When planning your menu(s), list out a limited number of targeted suppliers, including data on
their company history, any past product recalls, their storage facilities, delivery logistics, and ethical working
environment. Build a list of two to three local butchers, seafood suppliers, craft breweries, local wineries, and
produce suppliers (etc.) needed for your concept.

4. Cost out your menu items

Using a recipe management program or simply inputting available data into a spreadsheet will allow you
to begin analyzing your menu concept, its portions, and each associated item with its core list of ingredients.
Based on the concept, noted ingredients, and each supplier’s cost, can the menu items be priced accordingly
for your target customers and local economy? Is there enough room for profit based on your location’s needs?
Is there enough balance in the pricing? What is the goal for average revenue per customer?
This is where having a business plan in place will assist in understanding appropriate key performance
indicators (KPIs) required to be a successful restaurant.
5. Visualize your plating and glassware

Now that you have the concept and initial costs figured out, you can move along to the next step. Many
aspiring restaurateurs forget about this one. It’s time to consider how your guests will eat and drink your
menu offerings.
How will it look on the plate or in the glass? How will the colors contrast with one another? Is the dish or drink
Instagram-worthy? Which elements should go on a fork or spoon together? If it’s available for take-out, how
will the menu item perform after being in a container for 10+ minutes on the drive home?
It’s ideal to plate it three different ways, test it, take photos, and also test its longevity if it is going to be
available for take-out. Again, trial and error makes perfect.

6. Run a test kitchen

This is arguably the most exciting aspect – testing the flavors! Do the menu items meet and exceed your
expectations? Give each item a few different tweaks and decide which is best. Get others involved in the
process and don’t be afraid to use a soft opening to gather further feedback. You may want to take photos
and put them on social media to see which ones gather the most engagement from a visual standpoint.
At the end of the day, the key to a profitable and memorable menu is to keep it small and focused with items
that you want to be known for – while differentiating your concept from local competition and offering a
balance in pricing. This is the recipe for success!