Banquet and Buffet Menus

Planning a banquet or buffet menu takes attention to detail, creativity, variety and balance of colors, ingredients and guest preferences.

Food must be varied with appropriate courses for the meal period. Some lunch/dinner meals should include some of the following: appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, starch, vegetables, bread and butter, desserts, and beverages. Often, dietary needs such as allergens and special diets such as gluten-free, salt-free, dairy-free, fat-free, and more must be considered. Customer preferences, price points, and time of day are also considered.

Portion control and placement of items must be considered to meet cost control goals and ensure you have enough food to feed all guests. Buffet organization must be considered; lighter items such as salads and appetizers are typically placed first in buffet lines. Often, more expensive items may be served by an employee to control portion sizes and to increase customer service.

Presentation is a major part of any buffet experience. Table arrangements must be made to avoid bottlenecks. Each buffet will vary as to how many service lines are needed for the number of customers planned in attendance to get customers through lines promptly. Foods should be garnished and attractive, and dishes should be functional and attractive, serving them with appropriate utensils. Each dish should be clearly labeled so customers know what they are getting and they can avoid allergens. When planning menus, prep time, staff capabilities, and time of service must be considered.

Menu Planning Considerations

Knowledge of the people served: these factors will affect how much to prepare and what type of menu will be most appealing for the specific group being served.

• Age
• Event type
• Food preferences
• Nutritional needs
• Time of meal
• Conditions of preparation and service
• Outside influences
• Food combinations **rules follow

Food Combination Rules

• Avoid Monotony
• Use a variety of the following:
• Ingredients
• Shapes
• Height
• Natural Form
• Temperature variation (hot and cold dishes)
• Textures
• Flavors
• Preparation methods
• Colors

Menu Writing Qualities

• Be complete
• Legible
• Color coordinated
• Proper size in proportion to table and room
• Durable
• Neat and clean
• Menu Objectives
• Communicate/Inform
• Alert the senses
• Coordinate with restaurant image
• Create a visual image

When writing the menu, many things must be considered.  Here are some things to keep in mind.

•  Title the menu creatively and appropriately; use adjectives Ex, Tina’s Spooktacular Halloween Party or a Taste of Thailand (not just Thailand Food)
• Appropriate Food Choices for Title/Type of Menu
• Consider audience, time of day, theme, age of customers, mealtime
• Variety of many items such as color, shape, temperature, ingredients, flavors, heights, and cost of ingredients
• Use of Adjectives/Descriptor Words in title and items must market the items and make them sound appealing
• Capitalize all words in a banquet except conjunctions  Examples:   with, on, in, and, etc.
• Write out all words; don’t hyphenate or shorten them Example.   and or with not @ or w/Use appropriate décor/clipart to make an attractive menu

Banquet Menu Writing

A list of food items served for a meal is listed in the order they are served.

List the foods in the order they are served. Here is a lunch/dinner menu order:

• Appetizers
• Soup
• Salads
• Entrées
• Starches and Vegetables
• Bread and Butter
• Desserts
• Beverages

Breakfast/Brunch Menu Format

• Juice or Fruit
• Cereal
• Eggs
• Fish, Meat
• Vegetables, Breads
• Beverages