Table of Contents
- Elements of a Good Lunch Menu
- Luncheon & Lunch Baptism Menu Template
- Modern Colored Lunch Menu Template
- Rustic Business Lunch Menu Example
- Creative Breakfast Lunch Menu Sample
- Clean Typographic Lunch Menu Design
- Food Lunch Menu Format
- Minimal Lunch Food Menu Layout
- Creative Lunch Menu Design
- Modern Business Lunch Menu Example
- Simple Prime Lunch Menu Design
- Formal Theme Lunch Menu
- How to Create a Lunch Menu (8 Steps)
- Simple Tips for an Excellent Lunch Menu Layout
- Types of Menus
- Sizes of Menus
- FAQs about Lunch Menus
- What is the importance of food menus?
- How should you price menu items?
Lunch Menu
If you have read our article about dinner menus, then you’ll know that there are certain dishes and beverages that are somewhat time-specific. Though they can be eaten or drank at any time of the day, you’ll be able to enjoy it more if you eat or drink them at the appropriate time.
There are dinner menus that list down only those meals and drinks that are best taken during the evening, and there are also lunch menus that list down a rather different set of dishes and drinks. Below, we have all the resources you need for making your own lunch food menu templates.
Elements of a Good Lunch Menu
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1. The cover page of the lunch menu:
While it isn’t necessary, a cover page actually helps in setting the mood for the customers.
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2. The food establishment’s name and logo:
Not only on the cover page, but the business’ name and logo should be seen on all pages of the menu to really make in the imprint on the customers.
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3. The headers for each section:
It’s best to arrange the menu items into sections, and these sections should have a header to make it easy to find.
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4. The list of appetizers:
The appetizers (also known as “starters”) should be the first section found on a menu, and this list contains foods that can help stimulate the customer’s appetite for the next courses.
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5. The list of main dishes:
After the appetizers is the list of the main dishes, and this can either be an entire meal that also contains side dishes or an a la carte.
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6. The list of side dishes:
If you are going for the a la carte type, then you might also want to offer your customers a choice of some side dishes.
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7. The list of desserts:
Depending on the type of menu that you are going for, you should also have a list of desserts to complete your customers’ meals.
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8. The list of beverages or drinks:
This is something that is also dependent on the type of menu used, your lunch menu may or may not have a list of beverages.
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9. The corresponding price lists:
Aside from just simply letting customers know what the food establishment is offering, it should also inform them how much they will need to spend on each food and beverage.
Luncheon & Lunch Baptism Menu Template
Modern Colored Lunch Menu Template
Rustic Business Lunch Menu Example
Creative Breakfast Lunch Menu Sample
Clean Typographic Lunch Menu Design
Food Lunch Menu Format
Minimal Lunch Food Menu Layout
Creative Lunch Menu Design
Modern Business Lunch Menu Example
Simple Prime Lunch Menu Design
Formal Theme Lunch Menu
How to Create a Lunch Menu (8 Steps)
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Step 1: Sketch out the possible layout of your lunch menu.
We know you want your lunch menus to really stand out in order to attract customers, but before you can start working on it, you will need to plan it first. To effectively plan your menu design, the best way to do it is to make a sketch of the design on a sheet of paper. If you don’t feel like making a sketch, then you can just write down notes instead.
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Step 2: List down the possible menu items perfect for lunch.
As mentioned during the introduction, there are certain foods that are best eaten during lunch while there are also some that are best eaten during dinner. Since this article is about lunch menus, then the next step in your process of making a food menu is preparing a list of all the dishes and drinks that you want to serve for lunch.
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Step 3: Decide on reasonable prices for each menu item.
A good food menu should contain not only the list of food and drinks that a restaurant is offering, but it should also contain a list of prices for each corresponding product. With regards to the pricing of the items, there are certain factors that should be considered, and these factors will be discussed below at the tips section.
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Step 4: Choose a manageable size for your lunch menu.
What is meant by manageable menu size? This actually refers to a size that’s large enough to fit all of the contents without making them look cramped, but not too big that it overwhelms the customer with too many options. There should be a balance between the space provided for the menu items, the white space to de-clutter those items, and a reasonable number of options for the customers to choose from.
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Step 5: Download a lunch menu template.
It is totally fine to have full control over the design of your lunch menu, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will need to start all the way from the bottom. With our collection of lunch menu templates, you’ll be able to give yourself a head start and have control over the design. Save yourself the time and effort, use any of the templates shown above.
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Step 6: Edit the downloaded menu template.
Even though templates already come with a design, it will still require you to make some changes before you can actually use it. Templates will only help you with the first half of the process, and the remaining half is all up to you. Editing a menu template includes adding or removing elements, arranging the elements on the layout, and adding the menu items and their corresponding prices.
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Step 7: Finalize the design and proofread the content.
After editing the template, you will need to ensure that the design is not only well-organized, but also faithful to your sketch, and you can do this by evaluating the look of your lunch menu. Aside from evaluating the design, you must also proofread the content for any misspelled word or error in the grammar.
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Step 8: Print out your lunch menus.
Once the design has been evaluated and the content has been proofread, the last thing that you will need to do is to have your lunch menu printed. To ensure high quality and very durable output, use high-quality ink toners and paper or card stock. But if you want to save yourself the stress, you can have your menus printed by printing companies instead.
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Simple Tips for an Excellent Lunch Menu Layout
- Focus on the functionality of the menu, not on the creativity.
- Keep the design simple, clean, and presentable.
- Add colors to bring life to your lunch menu.
Types of Menus
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1. À la carte menu:
The first menu type is the à la carte menu, which is used if the food establishment prefers to have their customers make individual orders. This menu type lists down their items individually and also prices them separately. The best thing about this menu type is that it ensures profitability while also minimizes the risk of wastage since it forces customers to only order what they want to have.
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2. Du jour menu:
For the next type of menu, this one is highly common in small restaurants that are highly dependent on either the stocks in their inventory or on the demands of their customers. The contents of this menu type change frequently due to the factors previously mentioned, which is why it is best to use materials such as huge chalkboards or digital displays to enable easy changing of the menu items.
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3. Prix fixe menu:
Unlike the à la carte menu, this type consists of different courses, and for each course, a customer can choose from multiple dishes. And regardless of what the customer orders for each course, they will still end up paying the same amount since the price is already fixed. For some people, they consider this as synonymous to the table d’hote menu type, but it actually differs in the sense that the latter often comes with additional surcharges.
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4. Cycle menu:
A cycle is defined as a series of occurrences that repeat or are repeated, and in the case of the cycle menu type, the contents are reused over and over again. The time period of the cycle is varied and will totally be reliant on the food establishment, most do it on a weekly basis while others also do it on a monthly basis.
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5. Dessert menu:
The dessert menu is the first of the two types of menus that are often considered optional. The reason behind that is because you can always choose to have the list of desserts incorporated onto the main food menu. The problem with doing that is it often leads to the customers forgetting to order desserts or having to call the waiter for the menu, which many would find inconvenient.
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6. Beverage menu:
The beverage menu is the second one among the two optional menu types, and just like the dessert menu, you can have your list of juices, cocktails, and spirits printed on a separate menu card. Since the list of beverages is separated from the main food menu, customers can focus more on what dishes to have, and can just refer to this menu at any time.
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7. Captain’s book menu:
Not all food establishments use a captain’s book, only those that have their very own wine supply or wine cellar. Unlike beverage menus, a captain’s book only contains a list of all the wines and spirits that are being offered to customers. And as the name suggests, this type of menu is indeed designed to resemble a book, complete with a leather front and back cover page.
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Sizes of Menus
- 4.25″ x 11″
- 5.5″ x 15″
- 8.5″ x 11″
- 8.5″ x 14″
- 11″ x 17″
- 11″ x 25.5″
FAQs about Lunch Menus
What is the importance of food menus?
Food menus are more than just a list that provides people with options, it also communicates the business’ goals and how it aims to serve people.
How should you price menu items?
- Determine a base price point.
- Consider the costs of raw ingredients and the costs of preparing each dish.
- Know the prices of similar items from the competition.
Were you able to pick at least one menu template that works for your business and the type of dishes that you are serving? We hope so because it would be a waste to leave this site empty-handed. You have nothing to worry, though, because every single one of these templates is high quality and fully editable.
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