How to Make a Restaurant Menu – A Step-by-Step Guide

A restaurant’s menu is more than just a list of dishes—it is the brand’s identity, a sales tool, and the first impression that shapes a guest’s entire dining experience. A well-designed menu not only enhances guest satisfaction but also boosts profitability and operational efficiency.

In this expert guide, learn how to create a restaurant menu, step-by-step planning, and professional design tips used by top hospitality brands.

How to Make Restaurant Menu & Menu Development Planning & Design: Expert Guide

1. Understand Your Restaurant Concept

Before creating any menu, define the foundation:

• Theme & Cuisine – Casual dining, fine dining, café, multicuisine, specialty restaurant, bar, bakery, etc.

• Target Audience – Families, travelers, office crowd, youth, premium guests.

• Brand Positioning – Affordable, premium, fusion, local, international.

• Ambience & Service Style – Dine-in, buffet, quick service, delivery-oriented.

Your concept guides food selection, pricing, styling, and presentation.

2. Conduct Proper Market Research

Analyze:

• Competitor menus in your area

• Popular dishes and guest preferences

• Seasonal demand and local buying behavior

• Ingredient availability and cost trends

• New food trends like vegan items, healthy bowls, organic choices

Research ensures your menu stays relevant and profitable.

3. Plan the Menu Structure

A menu must be clear, well-organized, and easy to navigate.

Typical sections include:

✔ Starters / Appetizers

✔ Soups & Salads

✔ Main Course (Veg & Non-Veg)

✔ Indian / Continental / Oriental / Regional Items

✔ Breads, Rice, Noodles, Pasta

✔ Snacks & Fast Food

✔ Desserts

✔ Beverages (Hot & Cold)

✔ Kids Menu / Healthy Menu / Chef Specials

Keep menu size balanced—neither too large nor too small.

4. Menu Engineering: Select Items Strategically

Use the Menu Engineering Matrix:

1. Stars – High profit + High demand

2. Plow Horses – Low profit + High demand

3. Puzzles – High profit + Low demand

4. Dogs – Low profit + Low demand

Focus on:

• Increasing visibility of stars

• Improving pricing or recipe of plow horses

• Re-marketing or repositioning puzzles

• Removing dogs

This improves profitability and reduces wastage.

5. Standardize Recipes & Food Costing

Every menu item must have:

• Standard Recipe with ingredients and methods

• Portion Size

• Yield Calculation

• Food Cost %

• Selling Price (SP)

• Suggested Presentation Style

Standardization ensures consistency and cost control.

6. Price Your Menu Smartly

Pricing strategies include:

• Cost-based pricing – Food cost + overhead + profit

• Competitor-based pricing

• Value-based pricing – Based on guest perception

• Psychological pricing – 199 instead of 200, etc.

Always target food cost percentage between 28–32% for most restaurants.

7. Design an Attractive, Guest-Friendly Menu

Visual design plays a huge role in guest decision-making.

Design Best Practices:

• Use high-quality images (only where needed)

• Maintain clean layout and legible font

• Use branding colors consistently

• Avoid clutter and too many graphics

• Highlight signature dishes and chef recommendations

• Keep menu size manageable (2–4 pages)

Human Psychology Tips:

• Guests look at the top right corner first

• Boxes and icons increase sales of selected items

• Simple but elegant menus perform better

8. Ensure Menu Operational Feasibility

Your kitchen team must be able to prepare every dish efficiently.

Check for:

• Availability of equipment

• Skilled manpower

• Ingredient sourcing

• Prep time vs. service time

• Storage requirements

Operational planning avoids delays and ensures quality.

9. Test & Finalize the Menu

Before launching:

• Conduct staff tasting

• Take feedback from regular guests

• Make adjustments in recipes, portion size, and pricing

• Finalize layout, printing material, lamination, or digital format

Ensure the final menu is polished and coherent.

10. Train Staff on the New Menu

Your service team must:

• Know every dish

• Suggest pairings

• Understand allergens

• Promote high-profit items

• Handle guest questions confidently

A trained team increases upselling and guest satisfaction.

11. Regularly Review & Update the Menu

Update your menu every 6 or 12 months:

• Remove low-performing items

• Introduce seasonal dishes

• Refresh design

• Adjust pricing based on cost changes

A dynamic menu keeps the restaurant competitive.

Creating a perfect restaurant menu requires a blend of creativity, strategic planning, costing accuracy, and effective design. A well-crafted menu not only enhances the dining experience but also significantly improves profitability and brand value.