Management of Food Service Systems I (5) PDF

Managements of Food Service Systems I (5) Menu Specifications Menus Type The food service director must establish basic menu specifications before planning any menus. First, the number of target markets or customer groups for which menus will be developed along with any sp...

Managements of Food Service Systems I (5) Menu Specifications Menus Type The food service director must establish basic menu specifications before planning any menus. First, the number of target markets or customer groups for which menus will be developed along with any special services offered by the department, must be identified. Then, the number of menus that must be developed to meet the needs of different customer groups must be specified. Next, a meal plan and menu pattern appropriate for each customer group must be determined. Finally, such issues as the degree of selection and repetition to offer customers should be specified.  The most significant distinction is the categorization of potential customers as either patients or non-patients. Consumer wants and needs with regard to food differ between the two groups, thus influencing the planned menus.  The patient customer group can be further segmented based Target on medical condition, age, and gender, whereas the non- patient group. Markets whereas  The non-patient group typically is composed of employees, staff, visitors, and guests. Once the target markets have been selected, the director must determine how many menus to develop, determining the appropriate meal plans for each customer group.  The number of meals offered during each 24-hour period varies according to the meal plan. Choosing the patient meal plan appropriate for the facility is an administrative decision that requires input from other patient care departments and the medical staff.  The three-meal plan follows the traditional breakfast–lunch– Meal dinner or breakfast–dinner–supper pattern. However, because of changes in food habits and problems Plan associated with labor scheduling and availability. four- and five- meal plans are being adopted by some healthcare institutions.  The four-meal plan.  The five-meal plan. Obviously, this plan must have the full support of nursing and medical services because the entire facility will be affected by it.  Translating the daily food needs of customers into attractive and appealing meals requires good organization. For inpatients or residents, the normal diet—also known as the regular, general, or house diet—is the starting point for planning because it is Menu the basis for all diet modifications. The traditional menu pattern may offer more food Pattern than is necessary because most healthy adults do not consume this many courses at their meals. This pattern should be analyzed to see if the number of courses can be reduced and still meet customers’ nutritional requirements  The traditional menu pattern for a three-meal plan includes With four- and five-meal plans, individual meal components vary from the example and spread total food intake over all meals. The number of items offered at each meal on each day should be about the same to ensure that the recommended numbers of servings from the food guide pyramid are served and to maintain an even level of food intake from day to day. Printed Menus The menu is an important marketing tool for all customers The method used to present a menu to a customer has a significant effect on the food service operation and on sales in the nonpatient area. The menu design and format should appeal to customers to stimulate sales and influence them to select food they want to eat. The food service director and production staff with, as appropriate, a consultant choose the menu cover, color, print size, and message that will go on the outside of the menu. Menus Type Once the meal plan and menu pattern for each customer group have been developed, additional menu specifications must be established. These focus primarily on the degree of menu selection and repetition offered to customers. Menus are basically of three types Types single use static cycle   The single-use menu is designed for one use and not used again. These menus are used for special events and fine dining where the chef changes the menu daily. Three  The static menu remains the same from day to day, such as a restaurant-style menu. This menu is often Types found in fast-food outlets and specialty eating places such as a barbecue house or delicatessen.  The cycle menu is different every day and is used for a specific time frame such as eight days or three weeks and then repeated.  This type of menu based on repetition, which is planned for a specific meal on a specific day, Single-use possibly not to be used again in the identical form. The most likely use of this type of menu menu, in a health care operation would be for catered events or as a monotony breaker in the employee cafeteria.  Some health care food service operations offer a static menu (or set menu) to their customer groups. This menu resembles a restaurant menu in its variety and number of selection sander mains the same from day to day, with the possible exception of one or more Static daily specials. A static menu can simplify purchasing, production, service, and management of the food menu service operation. However, the characteristics of each customer group, such as patient length of stay, should be analyzed closely to determine if this type of menu is appropriate for any of the operation’s customer groups.   Menu planning in many institutions is streamlined by using a cycle menu, in which a set of carefully planned and tested menus is rotated for a specified number of days or weeks. During a given cycle, no menu is repeated. Depending on the average length of stay, the cycle in an acute care hospital may be five, seven, eight, or fourteen days. Longer cycles are followed in long-term care facilities and for employee Cycle cafeterias.  Cycle menus should also be adjusted with the changing menu seasons, marketplace conditions, and particularly with a change in customer base.  The cycles should be flexible enough to feature holiday foods or to adjust too their social activities, particularly in extended- care facilities.  Repeating food items on the same day of every week should be avoided.  Menus may also offer Choices Choices Wide variety of No choice, Limited choices choices  Menus may also be classified by the method of Pricing pricing Table d’hôte menu A la carte menu Du jour menu Fixed menu  Menus can be classified according to Selection Selection Nonselective Selective Combination Other Types of Service Menus Room Service There is a growing tendency to provide on-demand meals and room service. Room service in a health care institution is similar to hotel room service. Menus are available in the patients’ rooms, and patient and visitor may call the food service department or go online to order a meal.  Room service appears to be successful in meeting the new demands and new needs of patients. Because food service must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this service results in providing patients what they want and when they want it. Room Service Before implementing a room service menu, the food service director will need to evaluate the effect of such a service on at least the following by asking Will the cost of implementing the service for labor, menu style, and supplies increase? Will it reduce the cost per meal? Will it increase hours of service? Will the capital budget cover capital expenses for equipment or renovation? Will staff accept the change? What additional training is needed? Will physicians and nurses support the change? Will patient satisfaction increase from the current level? Will this change meet the needs or demands of patients? Will there be a reduction in error or duplicate trays? Will the service increase revenue?  Menu that is Spoken Menu presented by someone orally   The diet office can be deleted.  The diet office duties can be reassigned to patient representatives.  The organization is flattened.  Patients receive immediate answers to questions about items on the menu.  Menu cost is nearly eliminated. The advantages  Tray line service has less difficulty in deciphering the menu. for a department  Fewer mistakes are made when preparing and serving patient trays. of spoken menu:-  Food service has more interaction with patients.  Patient education can begin on the first visit as the patient representative explains the menu items and, as appropriate, their modification for therapeutic diets.  Production requirements are reduced.  Food cost is decreased.  Quality is improved due to production start time.  Patients are more satisfied.  The staff is unable to forecast the number of servings because production for most items does The following are not begin until three to five hours before service. disadvantages of  A well-developed training program must be in the spoken menu:- place and ongoing.  Patient representatives must be motivated and knowledgeable concerning the products on the menu; if they are not, patient satisfaction may become a problem. Preselected Menus   Because patients’ stays are getting shorter, the need for a multi-week selective menu cycle has become less important. Food service departments can now offer patients’ favorites and prepare them better.  One of the major reasons for the change is financial. Preselected  A preselected menu is given to a patient on admission to Menus the hospital or is in the patient’s room.  A food service representative visits a patient after admission to elicit food dislikes and allergies and record the information in a computer.  Using the computer, an individualized menu can be printed for each patient from the master menu preplanned by the menu committee. Lunch is ordered at breakfast time.  The use of the preselected menu has the following advantages:-  Eliminates menu printing, distribution, and collection Preselected  Reduces food cost by 10 to 20 percent over a selective menu— because of fewer leftovers Menus  Reduces staff needed for production and tray line service (labor cost)  Places focus on quality by doing a few things well  Screens for patients’ special needs  Ensures that a patient receives a balanced diet Bedside Menus The bedside menu-entry system is one where patients input requests into a handheld computer that the food service representative uses to input data or by use of the bedside phone. The bedside menu eliminates the need for paper menus, which means savings to the department.