START Chapter 14.2

14.2 Menus and POS Equipment

      Restaurant Menus
The menu is the first and best marketing tool a lodging restaurant can have
The menu dictates what resources are needed
The more complex and varied the menu, the more expensive the restaurant operation
When planning a menu consider these factors:
     -What is the target market of the restaurant
     - What type of food, beverages, and services will be offered
     - Location of the property
     - Transportation and parking accommodations and facilities
     - Competition
How the menu will affect
   Labor- an adequate number of qualified employees with the appropriate skills
   Equipment- equipment must be available to produce all items on the menu
   Space- adequate square footage is required for all equipment and other needs
   Layout and design- the menu affects space and equipment necessary for production
   Ingredients- recipes, ingredients important, should be readily available at costs that support      selling
   Time- the menu will affect timing of food production and service
   Cost implications- equipment, space, personnel, and time concerns can all be translate into costs
All food and beverage employees are able to answer the following questions:
    - What are the ingredients?
    - How is it prepared?
    - How large are the portions?
    - What goes with it?
    - What does it taste like?
    -What may guests substitute for this item?
    -What cannot be substituted for this item?
Food and beverage employees make a point to sample as many of the items offered as possible.
Employees also explain any words on the menu a guest may not understand
Food and beverage employees tell guests what specials are offered without making them wait.

      Point-of-Sale Equipment
A point-of-sale (POS) system is made up of a number of POS units, usually found in the property’s restaurants, gift shops, room service stations, and front desk area.
A POS system will either be manual, electronic, or computerized.
Majority of POS systems are computerized
Electronic and computerized POS units store information in their memory and print the check
The paper used in the printers is called tape, because it is usually three to five inches wide and looks like a calculator or adding machine tape. The tape may have two or three layers of paper.
Computerized POS units in different food and beverage outlets may be liked to each other or the front desk.
Most properties program the keys on point-of-sale
Most computerized point-of-sale units require employees to sign onto the system










14.2 Questions

1. List five of the seven areas of a food and beverage operation that will be affected by the restaurant menu
Time, Cost implications, Ingredients, Layout and Design, Labor, Space, Equipment

2.Why should food and beverage employees be familiar with how menu items are prepared?
Guests will often ask questions

3.What should food and beverage employees be prepared to do when a particular item on the menu is not currently available?
A suggestion for another item

4.List the three types of POS systems
Manual, electronic, or computerized

5. Describe how programmed keys on POS equipment can make a food and beverage employee’s job easir
It is automatically added to a guest’s folio.