Planning an Italian Food Menu

The menu could possibly be the most important element of the Italian restaurant. After all, it’s what’s on the menu that keeps customers coming back again and again. Menu planning should be carefully considered; this includes not only the food you will serve, but also the layout and wording.

The first thing on your agenda when planning an Italian food menu is what kind of food you are going to serve. Are you serving only Italian pizza and sandwiches, or will your menu include a greater variety of dining options?

Next in your menu planning program should be to find several similar restaurants and study their menus. Pay attention to the variety of dishes they offer, and how their menu is organized.

Unless you already have your heart set on exactly what you’re going to serve at your restaurant, you might want to consider trying out some of the more successful Italian restaurants in the area and incorporating some of their best dishes into your own menu. Some of the best Italian restaurants offer authentic food from Italy, as well as some American versions.

Another point to keep in mind is that some of the best eating establishments have their own signature dish. You may want to create a flavor that is unique to your restaurant. This is a sure way to keep customers coming back.

Divide your menu into sections that include appetizers, drinks, lunch, dinner, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Now you are ready to fill your menu with the wonderful and tasty dishes you have planned.

Planning your menu includes much more than just deciding what foods to serve. Proper menu design is also important. Again, study your competitors’ menus. How do you have your menu organized? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the menu?

By taking careful note of these aspects of the menu, you’ll have a good idea of ​​how best to design your own menu. Generally, appetizers and salads, along with soups, appear first on the menu, followed by sandwiches, lunch selections, and finally dinner entrees.

Another extremely important factor that should not be overlooked when planning your menu is the color scheme and theme of your menu. Your menu colors and graphics should reflect the overall theme of your establishment.

Don’t forget that you will need quality graphics to represent the wonderful dishes you will be serving. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. People are visual and want to see what their food will look like. Last but not least is the description of the menu selection. Use very descriptive and fluent language when describing the selections featured on your menu.

Once you’ve decided on your menu items, you’ll be one step closer to your dream of opening a successful Italian restaurant.