Campbells Culinary Reserve - Carnitas - See Every Bowl as Canvas - skyscraper - both - 08.15 - 10.31.25

Simplot GoodGrains - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Check Out the Major Products Product Guide - skyscraper - OE - 03.22

Sunny Fresh Bacon and Cheese EggStravanganza - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Cooper Shreds Have Now Arrived - banner - 02.24

Simplot GoodGrains - banner - both - 01.20

Simplot Sidewinders - Bendy is Trendy - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Reel in Greater Appeal - skyscraper - both - 10.22

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - banner - both - 04.19

Skyscraper Ad - MM - Cook - Operator

Nestle Vitality - Build a Refreshing Beverage Program - banner - both - 04.20

Ready to Eat Frozen Vegetables - banner - both - 03.23

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - skyscraper - both - 05.18

Dan's Prize Pulled Meats Simplify the Kitchen - banner - both - 04.20

Rich's Plant Based Cooking Creme - skyscraper - both - 02.18

Golden Tiger Vegetable Spring Roll - Elevate Dishes with Vibrant Flavor - OE - banner

Knorr's Cook with More Possibilities - skyscraper - both - 09.24

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Bulk and Single-Serve Packets - skyscraper - both - 09.21

Fabri-Kal - Packaging solutions for environmental and off-premise needs - banner - both - 11.19

Wave of Inspiration - skyscraper - both - 05.22

Simplot Pineapple Perfected - RoastWorks - banner - both - 08.20

Simplot - Delivery Solved - Conquest Fries - skyscraper - both - 08.20

Banner Ad - 2 - MM - Food calculator - Operator - Supersized

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - banner - both - 04.20

Jennie-O No Basic Burger Here - banner - both - 03.20

Wild Alaska Keta Salmon - skyscraper - both - 08.25

Nestle Minors Slow Simmered Stock - Free Sample - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Seafood is Better - skyscraper - both - 05.21

Savor Imports - banner - both - 06.24

Skyscraper Ad - MM -  Beat - Operator

Seafood is Better - banner - both - 05.21

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Cargill - Truvia Sweet Customer Satisfaction Naturally - banner - both - 03.19

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocados - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Tyson - Jimmy Dean - Loaded with Flavor - banner - both - 04.21

Entree Redi Wild Alaska Pollock - skyscraper - both - 08.25

Certified Cage-Free Egg Bites - Portable, Protein-Packed Breakfast - banner - both - 09.23

General Mills - Gluten Free Options - banner - both - 03.18

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - Now Serving Flame-Seared Perfection - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Simplot Harvest Fresh Avocado - banner - both - 01.20

Wild Alaska Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Indiana Packers - Vertical Integration - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Wild Alaska Salmon Burger - skyscraper - both - 04.25

Ambrosia Chocolate - skyscraper - both - 03.23

Campbells Culinary Reserve - Mexican Corn - Global Flavors Out of this World Taste - skyscraper - both - 08.15 - 10.31.25

Rich's Plant Based and Gluten Free Crusts - banner - both - 07.18

Shrimp that Brings the Big Picture - skyscraper - both - 11.22

Cargill - Truvia Serve Americas Best Selling Stevia Sweetener - banner - both - 03.19

Tyson Cortona Pepperoni - skyscraper OE 1.23

Global Fusion Operator Promo - OE - skyscraper - 05.26 - 08.24.25

Tyson - Wright Brand Bacon - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Tyson - Hillshire Farm - Legendary Brand - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Performance Plus Food Safety - skyscraper - both - 09.21

Sugar Foods ecoStick Less Waste - banner - both - 10.16

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper with chef - both - 04.23

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt skyscraper - both - 04.23

Sugar Foods Deliver It Better - skyscraper - both - 04.20

Tyson - Bonici - Crave Chorizo - skyscraper - both - 04.21

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Full Case of Bacon No Grease - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Banner Ad - 4 - PICs - Operator - supersized

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - skyscraper - both - 07.21

Indiana Packers - All-in-One Pork Supplier - banner - both - 07.21

A Family of Fine Cheeses - skyscraper - both - 08.22

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - banner - both - 01.20

Nestle - Hot Cocoa Single-Serve Packets - banner - both - 09.21

Butterball - Your Trusted Partner - skyscraper - both - 07.19

Basic American Shred Competition operator banner ad - 12.17

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Style and Substance - banner - both - 04.18

Performance Dairy Convenience and Consistency - banner - both - 04.24

Sugar Foods - Turn Up the Beets Crispy Beets - banner - both - 05.18

Performance Dairy Craveable Flavor and Time Savings - banner - both - 04.24

Simplot RoastWorks - banner - both - 01.20

Nestle Stouffers Can Your Classics Do This Recipe Ideas - banner - both - 01.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - Great Bacon in Half the Time - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Reel in Greater Appeal - both - banner - 10.22

Mini Cinnamon Swirl French Toast - banner - both - 09.23

Cargill - Truvia Serve America's Best-Selling Stevia Sweetener - skyscraper - both - 03.19

Sugar Foods - Add Savory Beet Notes Crispy Beets banner - both - 05.18

Rich's Plant Based Cooking Creme - banner - both - 02.18

Kraft - Bold Flavor, New Home. - skycraper - both - 08.22

General Mills - Pillsbury Takeout and Delivery Tips - skyscraper - both - 04.20

La Ranchera Birria Base - both - 09.24

Nestle White Cheddar Mac - Mac Pizza - skyscraper - both - 04.19

Wild Alaska Salmon Burgers - banner - both - 04.25

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Dress Your Table for Success - skyscraper - both - 04.18

Ambrosia Chocolate - banner - both - 03.23

Simply Potatoes Low Sodium Mashed Potatoes - skyscraper - both - 09.23

Jennie-O Premium Turkey Breast Turkey that Turns Up the Quality - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Hellmann's and Best Foods Front-of-House Mayonnaise Promotion - 08.07 - 09.15.25

Rich's Plant-Based - Good Things Grow - banner - both - 11.20

Sugar Foods ecoSticks Beautiful Inside and Out - banner - both - 04.18

Simplot Conquest Crispy Potato Strips - skyscraper - both - 01.20

Hormel - Fontanini - Handcrafted Meats - Unparalleled Flavor - banner - both - 02.20

Hormel - Bacon 1 - You've Never Seen Bacon Like This - banner - both - 02.20

Performance Dairy Clarified Butter - banner - both - 04.24

Banner Ad - 1 - MM - Recipes - Operator - supersized

Essity - Clean Dry Hands - banner - OE - 03.17

Performance Dairy Extra Melt - banner - both - 04.24

Hormel - Fire-Braised Chicken - We Cook It - Operators Take Credit - skyscraper - both - 02.20

Catch of the Season - skyscraper - both - 07.22

Your restaurant&rsquo;s menu has the ability to make or break you. Common mistakes like including too many choices, not using pictures, and using a cluttered menu design can be a major turn-off to guests and negatively affect the success of your restaurant. Alternatively, making just a few simple menu tweaks can help your business to thrive.
At <a href="https://menutech.com/en/blog/design-inspiration/menutech.com" target="_blank">Menutech</a>, we have helped over 10,000 restaurants craft perfect restaurant menus. Along the way, we have learned a number of important tips with the ability to make a huge difference in your restaurant. By implementing these impactful tips, you can increase profitability and keep your customers coming back.
Here are the top tips for crafting the perfect restaurant menu:
1. Make sure the menu is easy to read.
I was once at a restaurant that was quite dark inside as part of its chic aesthetic. This could have been a huge mistake, as it would have made an ordinary menu nearly impossible to read without a flashlight. However, the restaurant menus were displayed on lit screens so guests could easily read them. It was brilliant!
While you probably don&rsquo;t need to go this far, it&rsquo;s important to avoid hard-to-read fonts, an overload of culinary jargon, and overly long descriptions. Guests, on average, spend under <a href="https://www.rrgconsulting.com/the-psychology-of-menu-design-reinvent-your-silent-salesperson-to-increase-check-averages-and-guest-loyalty.html#:~:text=Several%20years%20ago%2C%20Gallup%20reported,109%20seconds%20reading%20a%20menu." target="_blank">two minutes</a> reading a menu. Keep your menu design simple and easy to read to make the most of those two minutes.
2. Don&rsquo;t overwhelm the customers with choices.
While it can be tempting to add as many dishes as you think you can feasibly make, avoid this temptation. It would likely just result in tons of wasted food, mediocre dishes, and overwhelmed customers.
It&rsquo;s always better to offer 15 dishes you can execute flawlessly than to offer 50 dishes you can execute averagely, so keep it simple. The sweet spot is sticking to 6-8 dishes per section.
This gives the customers a solid amount of choices, without confusing them or stressing them out with too many.
3. Choose a cohesive design that makes sense.
Your menu design should be reflective of your restaurant&rsquo;s style and identity. For example, the menu design at a casual beachfront bar should be completely different from the menu design at an upscale steakhouse in the city.
At Menutech, we offer more than 30 customizable <a href="https://menutech.com/en/features/design" target="_blank">menu styles</a> for you to choose from. This allows you to ensure that you select the menu design that is right for your restaurant.
4. Keep the menu to a single page.
As a rule, a restaurant menu should always be kept to one page. Customers typically don&rsquo;t like having to flip over the menu and most will make their ordering decision based on whatever they saw on the first page. Many customers assume the menu is only on one page and won&rsquo;t even flip it over at all!
If your menu is as concise as it should be, only one side of one page should be necessary. However, if sticking to a single page means having to use a font size so tiny that people are squinting to read the words, then it&rsquo;s time to shorten the menu.
5. Stick to a consistent and reasonable pricing strategy.
Make sure that the prices of your food are reflective of the amount it costs you to make each dish. The goal here is to increase profitability <a href="https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/129/restaurant-menu-pricing.html" target="_blank">(typically 25% to 35%)</a> while maintaining affordable prices that customers are willing to pay.
You also want to avoid having to over-price any particular dish because it uses an ingredient that is only used for that specific dish. Try to keep your ingredients versatile so they make economic sense for your restaurant.
6. Use psychology to your advantage.
Many studies have been done on menu design and the ways that customers read restaurant menus. With the help of a few simple psychology tricks, you can increase the profitability of your restaurant by slightly altering the menu.
Research has shown that when customers look at a menu, their eyes first go to the middle and top corners. Place your more popular dishes in these areas, since it is highly likely that they will be the first dishes your customers see on the menu.
Another helpful trick is the deliberate use of color. Believe it or not, color is a powerful form of communication. Have you ever wondered why the color red is used so often on menus? Experts believe that:
<ul>
<li>Red makes people hungry.</li>
<li>Yellow is an attention-grabbing color.</li>
<li>Blue is a calming color.</li>
<li>Green is said to be symbolic of nature; which is why many health food restaurants use this color on their menus.</li>
</ul>
When choosing the colors for your menu, think about the way you want your customers to feel when they&rsquo;re in your restaurant.
7. Don&rsquo;t underestimate the power of strong descriptions.
First things first, you should always include a brief description of the dish underneath the name. However, simply including a description is not enough. You don&rsquo;t just want the dish to sound good, you want the customer to be salivating in anticipation of eating it.
Rather than just listing out the key ingredients, use the description to paint a picture for the customers. Swap out &ldquo;spaghetti with tomato sauce, meatballs, and cheese&rdquo; for something like &ldquo;spaghetti coated in our house-made tomato sauce with freshly-ground beef meatballs, finished with grated pecorino cheese.&rdquo;
The goal is to use as few words as you can, while still writing an over-the-top description that pops off the page. Not the best writer? Consider hiring a copywriter to take care of the item descriptions for you, and let Menutech's <a href="https://menutech.com/en/features/design" target="_blank">automated design</a> and <a href="https://menutech.com/en/features/translations" target="_blank">translation</a> solution do the rest.
8. Use photos, but not in excess.
Including one or two photos in the menu can be a great way to highlight how fantastic your food looks, but overloading the menu with photos can come off as tacky. While photos aren&rsquo;t a necessity, they can be beneficial to your profitability&mdash;when done right.
Avoid using stock photos for your menu. You want the photos to be representative of how the dishes look in real life, but in the best possible light, angle, and photo quality. I recommend using a professional photographer to snap any photos you plan on including on the menu.
9. Highlight your high-margin items.
Many restaurants utilize a key to insert a small icon (like a star, for example) next to the best-selling dishes on their menu. By highlighting the high-margin items in each section, you can help to ease the decision-making process of the customers. However, keep it minimal&mdash;highlight no more than two items per section.
If a particular item on your menu does extraordinarily well, make it known!
Allow the restaurant menu to work for you by using it to inform customers which dishes are the most popular. Not only does this reduce the time they spend deciding what to eat, but it also helps to guarantee that they will love their meal.
10. Remove the focus from the price.
When customers are reading your menu, you want their focus to be on how delicious your food sounds, not how expensive it is. Make the font size of the prices smaller than the font size of the names of the dishes. This helps to make the price more of an afterthought, rather than the central focus.
Another great way to remove the focus from the price is by taking out the dollar sign and leaving just the number, ideally in a slightly lighter font color than the rest of the text. You can quickly do this on Menutech's <a href="https://menutech.com/en/features/design" target="_blank">customisable menu templates</a>. By shifting the focus of the customer, you can help them make a selection based on what sounds the tastiest, rather than simply choosing the cheapest dish.
11. Be transparent about the food contained in your menu items.
There&rsquo;s nothing worse than ordering a dish that sounds fantastic, only to have it come and realize that you can&rsquo;t eat it because of an allergen in the dish that wasn&rsquo;t listed in the restaurant menu description.
When a guest has to send back their dish, not only does it put a damper on their experience in your restaurant; but it contributes to food waste and a loss of profits for your business as well.
By incorporating clear dietary and <a href="https://menutech.com/en/features/allergens" target="_blank">allergen declarations</a> on your menu, you can ensure that each of your guests feels welcomed in your place of business.
By following these simple tips on how to perfect your restaurant menu, you can significantly increase your restaurant&rsquo;s profitability and keep your customers coming back for years to come.
Source: Laure Joumier, <a href="https://menutech.com/en/blog/design-inspiration/top-11-tips-crafting-perfect-restaurant-menu" target="_blank">MenuTech</a>

Here are the top tips for crafting the perfect restaurant menu.

Top Tips For Crafting the Perfect Restaurant Menu

As foodservice professionals strive to deliver exceptional experiences, speed scratch ingredients can be a game-changer. Choosing the right speed scratch ingredients can save staff dozens of hours per week without sacrificing quality. In fact, they can introduce flavors an operation may not have been able to implement otherwise.
Here are some of the top reasons to try speed scratch &mdash; and what they can look like in practice.
Reduce waste
Prepared ingredients are often designed to be long-lasting, which increases flexibility and decreases food waste. With food costs making up a quarter of overall operator expenses, the reduced risk of ingredients going bad can mean major savings.1
Convenient &amp; efficient
Combining prepared ingredients with food made from scratch can dramatically reduce prep times. Speed-scratch can have a big impact on the bottom line, especially when also making the most of these efficient ingredients.
More with fewer ingredients
Using ingredients across menu and dayparts maximizes inventory, letting operations easily add great flavors to many dishes. Using prepared ingredients this way can be just as valuable for taste as it is for staff efficiency!
Add flavor and flair
Speed-scratch cooking doesn&rsquo;t come at the expense of taste. In fact, using prepared ingredients gives inventive chefs the chance to easily add flair to menus. For instance: using flavor concentrates to add zip to cocktails, or prepared sauces with scratch dishes like eggs Benedict or stir-fried noodles.2
Go global with your offerings
Speed scratch ingredients can mean serving flavors with exotic origins &mdash; without needing to source all the required fundamental ingredients.
<ul>
<li>Harissa sauce can add North African heat</li>
<li>Teriyaki sauce can bring sweetness and umami</li>
<li>Hibiscus lemonade can deliver citrusy floral flavor</li>
</ul>
Ingredients made for foodservice
Speed scratch ingredients aren&rsquo;t just designed to maximize flavor. Many are designed with foodservice in mind, offering exceptional flexibility in addition to their quality. For instance, gravies that offer superior steam table hold, or sauces that work in hot or cold applications, straight from dry storage.
As flexible as you want it to be
One of the best things about speed-scratch solutions is how it empowers the operator. Ultimately, each operation gets to choose what to get ready-made and what to make from scratch. That can unlock a lot of creativity, flavor, and impress guests who want to come back for more.
Want to learn more? All of these insights came from the Nestl&eacute; Professional Solutions report, &ldquo;Working Smarter: Back-of-House Operations&rdquo; &mdash; check it out <a href="https://www.nestleprofessional.us/working-smarter-back-house-operations" target="_blank">here</a>.
Content courtesy of Nestle Professional
1Datassential PULSE Industry Overview: Segment Detail (2024)
2Use Key Ingredients Across Dayparts, Nestl&eacute; Professional Solutions (2025)

In foodservice, how you develop your menu can be as important as the final menu. Speed scratch solutions can maximize efficiency and taste at the same time.

Streamline Menus with Speed-Scratch Creativity

Potatoes are more than just a side, they&rsquo;re a versatile, cost-effective ingredient that works across the menu, from appetizers to desserts. Found on nearly 83% of U.S. restaurant menus&sup1;, formats like mashed potatoes, hashbrowns, and potato-based desserts help operators streamline prep, reduce waste, and boost margins without increasing complexity.
Beyond their strong menu presence, current foodservice trends reveal notable shifts in production and value. Between July 2023 and June 2024, total potato volume in foodservice declined by 1.6%, yet overall market value rose by 2.4%, signaling steady demand despite tighter supply&sup2;.
Potatoes offer operators unmatched versatility. Plain mashed potatoes can serve as a base for entr&eacute;es, a side dish at dinner, or a component in appetizers. Hashbrowns are a breakfast staple, but they also shine in loaded presentations or as shareable small plates. For dessert, potato-based shortbread cookies deliver an unexpected but comforting sweet finish. These strategies resonate with diners: 53% of consumers say they would pay at least five dollars more for a main dish that includes potatoesᶟ.
This ingredient strategy also simplifies back-of-house operations. Kitchens can rely on foundational items, such as mashed or shredded potatoes, to build out multiple menu offerings. Cross-utilization supports inventory control, reduces food waste, eases labor demands, and ensures consistency.
Potatoes also pair easily with emerging flavor trends. Mashed potatoes can be served with globally inspired sauces, herbed hashbrowns with customizable dips, and shortbread cookies with seasonal fruit compotes. Labeling these items as gluten-free, vegetarian, or plant-forward adds diner appeal without adding operational complexity.
With adaptable forms like mashed potatoes, hashbrowns, and shortbread cookies, a single ingredient can anchor multiple menu categories. This streamlined approach boosts efficiency and helps drive profitability in today&rsquo;s competitive foodservice environment.
Content courtesy of Idahoan Foodservice
1Potatoes USA.&nbsp;<a href="https://potatoesusa.com/research-reports/2024-foodservice-menu-trends/" target="_blank">&ldquo;2024 Foodservice Menu Trends.&rdquo;</a> Potatoes USA, 2024&nbsp;
2<a href="https://potatoes.news/u-s-foodservice-potato-trends-2024-declining-volumes-but-rising-value-signals-market-resilience/" target="_blank">&ldquo;U.S. Foodservice Potato Trends 2024: Declining Volumes but Rising Value Signals Market Resilience.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;Potatoes News, 2024&nbsp;
3<a href="https://spudman.com/article/potatoes-a-profitable-and-popular-menu-item-for-restaurants/" target="_blank">&ldquo;Potatoes: A Profitable and Popular Menu Item for Restaurants.&rdquo;</a>&nbsp;Spudman, 2023&nbsp;

Potatoes are more than just a side, they’re a versatile, cost-effective ingredient that works across the menu, from appetizers to desserts.

More than Just a Side

Archives

About the Menu

Top Tips For Crafting the Perfect Restaurant Menu

Streamline Menus with Speed-Scratch Creativity

More than Just a Side