Menu Planning & Kitchen Management Flashcards

Which factor should be considered FIRST when developing a new menu concept?

Answer: The target market and guest expectations

Menus must be built around who the guests are and what they want before any other decision.

Contribution margin for a menu item is calculated as:

Answer: Selling price minus food cost

Contribution margin is the gross profit each item contributes: price minus its food cost.

A kitchen consistently runs out of a popular special mid-service. The best management response is to:

Answer: Adjust production forecasts and par levels using POS sales data

POS data lets managers forecast demand accurately and set realistic pars for popular items.

Which menu layout technique draws the guest's eye to high-profit items?

Answer: Placing them in the upper-right 'sweet spot' with boxes or callouts

Eye-tracking research shows guests focus on highlighted items in prime menu real estate.

The primary purpose of a standardized recipe in kitchen management is to:

Answer: Ensure consistent quality, portioning, and cost control

Standardized recipes guarantee the same product, portion size, and cost every time regardless of who cooks.

When costing a banquet menu for 200 guests, the chef should base purchasing on:

Answer: Portion sizes from standardized recipes plus a small overage factor

Scaling standardized recipes with a modest overage controls cost while covering unexpected needs.

Which inventory method values stock by assuming the oldest items are used first?

Answer: FIFO (first in, first out)

FIFO assumes and enforces that the oldest inventory is consumed first, matching proper food rotation.