Consider your target customers, cost, the type of food served, the type of equipment, operational skills required, geography and culture, and eating trends when you plan a menu. Menus should be varied, balanced, and descriptions of menu items should be accurate.

Menu categories include appetizers, soups, salads, cold entrees, hot entrees, sandwiches, accompaniments, desserts, cheeses and fruits, and beverages. Menu item categories are usually listed in the order that they are consumed.

Menu prices must cover the operating costs of the establishment. Pricing methods include the factor method, the markup-on-cost method, the contribution margin method, the average check method, the competitors’ pricing method, and the psychological pricing method.