CFSP Menu Planning 5 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which regulatory body requires that chain restaurants with 20 or more locations post calorie counts on menus in the US?
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- FDA under the Affordable Care Act menu labeling rule (Correct answer)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- National Restaurant Association
Correct answer: FDA under the Affordable Care Act menu labeling rule
The FDA's menu labeling rule (part of the ACA) requires chains with 20+ locations to display calorie information on menus and menu boards.
Question 2: A 'Plowhorse' item on the menu engineering matrix is best described as:
- High popularity, low contribution margin (Correct answer)
- Low popularity, high contribution margin
- High popularity, high contribution margin
- Low popularity, low contribution margin
Correct answer: High popularity, low contribution margin
Plowhorses sell frequently but generate thin marginsâoften candidates for price increases or cost reduction efforts.
Question 3: Which approach to dessert menu planning tends to increase dessert attachment rates most effectively?
- Presenting a written dessert list only at the end of the meal
- Upselling desserts verbally during the meal and displaying visual dessert menus or carts (Correct answer)
- Removing dessert prices to avoid sticker shock
- Limiting the dessert menu to one item
Correct answer: Upselling desserts verbally during the meal and displaying visual dessert menus or carts
Early verbal suggestion and visual presentation (e.g., dessert carts, tablets) prime guests to save room and increase dessert purchase rates.
Question 4: A foodservice operator is evaluating whether to add a new entrée. Which data point is least relevant to that menu decision?
- Projected food cost of the new item
- Guest demographic preferences and dietary trends
- Contribution margin compared to existing entrées
- The operator's personal favorite cuisine (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The operator's personal favorite cuisine
Menu decisions should be driven by financial analysis, guest data, and operational feasibilityânot personal taste preferences.
Question 5: What is the main advantage of limiting the number of menu items (menu streamlining)?
- It allows the operation to charge higher prices automatically
- It reduces ingredient inventory, prep complexity, and waste while focusing on quality (Correct answer)
- It eliminates the need for a standardized recipe system
- It guarantees a higher customer satisfaction score
Correct answer: It reduces ingredient inventory, prep complexity, and waste while focusing on quality
Fewer SKUs mean fewer ingredients to stock, simpler prep, lower spoilage, and the ability to execute each item at a higher quality level.
Question 6: In healthcare foodservice, a 'selective menu' means:
- Only staff can choose what to eat
- Patients are given choices among several options for each meal component (Correct answer)
- The menu rotates based on available inventory
- Items are selected exclusively by the dietitian
Correct answer: Patients are given choices among several options for each meal component
A selective menu empowers patients to choose from multiple options per course, improving satisfaction and compliance with therapeutic diets.
Question 7: Which factor is the primary driver of menu price increases over time in a foodservice operation?
- Increases in guest count
- Rising food and labor costs (commodity inflation and wage increases) (Correct answer)
- Changes in dining room decor
- Expansion of the number of menu items
Correct answer: Rising food and labor costs (commodity inflation and wage increases)
Food commodity prices and labor costs are the dominant cost drivers, and menu prices must rise periodically to maintain target profit margins.
CFSP Menu Planning 5
Which regulatory body requires that chain restaurants with 20 or more locations post calorie counts on menus in the US?