Management of Food Service Systems I PDF

Managements of Food Service Systems I (4) MENU PLANNUNG The menu is one of the most important plans a health care food service director develops because the menu serves as a “primary control” for the operation. A menu is a list of food items offered to a customer fro...

Managements of Food Service Systems I (4) MENU PLANNUNG The menu is one of the most important plans a health care food service director develops because the menu serves as a “primary control” for the operation. A menu is a list of food items offered to a customer from which to make a choice and affects almost every aspect of the food service operation. The menu determines what foods are to be purchased, produced, and served; affects the number and type of personnel hired; and has implications for kitchen design and equipment selection. The menu provides the basis for further departmental planning (for example, service expansion) and serves as a major determinant of purchase scheduling and ultimately the financial status of the operation.  Internally, it provides crucial information to food service employees by specifying what items are provided. This enables employees to select which food and supplies to purchase, menu items to prepare, and The menu service arrangements to provide. serves “internal” Externally, it functions to communicate the operation’s and offerings to potential customers. “external” Because the menu facilitates purposes communication between the food service operation and its customers, it also serves as an important marketing tool.  Because of its impact on the success of a health care food service operation, the menu must be developed with great care. The following factors should be considered:- 1) Food preferences of customers. Planning 2) Nutrition requirements of group(s) being served. 3) Budget allocations within the department. Considerations 4) Availability and skills of food service workers. 5) Amount of time required to prepare and serve the food. 6) Current marketplace conditions and availability of specific food supplies. 7) Type of production and service system in use. 8) Amount of space and type of storage, preparation, and service equipment available.  Food preferences are defined by customer wants and are based on personal, cultural, and regional factors. A health care food service (1) operation’s marketing information system Food should provide information about specific food preferences of the operation’s target markets. Preferences Informal and formal methods can be used to collect data about how patients, employees, staff, visitors, and guests will react to various foods and food combinations.  Although it is important to focus on customers’ wants, the specific nutritional needs or requirements of individual customers and groups of customers also should be considered. The nutritional needs of the general customer segment, which is composed of employees, (2) staff, visitors, and guests. Nutrition Requirements  The menu is the major factor in establishing and controlling food costs. With some effort and imagination, a skilled menu planner can design a menu that offers variety, interest, and appeal and still remains within most budgets while being planned around up-to-date, tested recipes. (3) Budget Allocations  The availability and skills of production personnel must be considered in menu planning, but they need not limit menu variety and quality. Menu items that require considerable skill and time to prepare can be purchased from commercial manufacturers that supply all or most of the labor involved in preparation. Therefore, menu items (4) that cannot be produced on the premises with available Availability personnel and equipment can still be part of the menu in most operations when the cost of prepared foods fits into and Skills of the budget. Food Service Workers  Amount of time required to prepare and serve the food Overloading production schedules by poor menu planning can lead to tired, frustrated employees. (5) Menus that balance the production workload from day to day and leave time for other essential tasks Preparation help foster positive employee attitudes. and Scheduling Requirements  Current marketplace conditions and availability of specific food supplies Several factors affect the supply and price of foods in the marketplace. Three of these are weather conditions, supply cycles, and (6) geographical location. Marketplace Conditions  Type of production and service system in use For production systems in which foods are prepared, held hot or cold, and served on the same day, menus may be limited by the amount of time (7) available for food preparation between meals. The menu planner should try to spread the Production workload as evenly as possible among employees and Service over the workday and still avoid holding Systems conditions that may damage food quality.  Amount of space and type of storage, preparation, and service equipment available Successful menu planning cannot take place without factoring in the amount and type of (8) available storage space for holding foods before, during, and after preparation. Space Purchasing policies need to consider storage and facilities so that deliveries are scheduled in a way that ensures adequate food supplies. Equipment