4d • General discussion
The Only Way to Roll Out a Menu
Why This Matters
Most menus don’t fail because the food sucks.
They fail because the process sucked. When we try to write a menu in one sitting, it turns into:
- Too many voices at once
- No paper trail
- Great ideas that disappear
- Hours burned with nothing finalized
- Energy spent arguing instead of building
I stopped doing that. I learned it’s easier—and better—to collaborate across time instead of trying to force magic in one meeting. Menus need space to marinate. How We Build Menus Now
Instead of sitting in a room fighting through ideas, I:
- Post concepts early
- Let the team read through them
- Allow comments, edits, and suggestions over time
- Give people space to think, not react
- Create conversation without chaos
This does two things:
- It creates clarity before emotion
- It builds ownership before execution
By the time we meet? We’re refining, not starting. Leadership isn’t collected in a meeting. It’s built in systems.
Order of Operations: The Only Way to Roll Out a Menu. If you skip steps, you pay later. Here’s the exact order I follow every time:
1. Build the Menu on Paper First
No cooking yet. No ordering yet. Just clarity.
Write every dish:
- Name
- Components
- Garnishes
- Sauces
- Accompaniments
Nothing lives in your head. If it’s not written, it’s not real.
2. Create the Order Guide
Build your purchasing backbone:
- Vendor
- Cost per pound
- Cost per ounce
- Case size
- Yield notes
You don’t cost a menu blindly. You cost it from the source.
3. Create Station Lists
Every station gets:
- A responsibility list
- Items owned by that station
- Prep expectations
- Par levels
Unassigned food = unowned food.
4. Diagram the Stations
If your team can’t see the system,
They can’t run it.
Map:
- Walk paths
- Hot zones
- Cold zones
- Pickup flow
- Garnish zones
Work smarter, not sideways.
5. Write the Recipes
Every dish gets:
- Exact measurements
- Yields
- Steps
- Storage
- Shelf life
- Reheating instructions
If you can’t hand it to someone new, It’s not finished.
6. Cost the Dishes
Know your numbers:
- Plate cost
- Target margin
- Variance thresholds
Creativity without control is just stress.
7. Draw the Plates
If it lives in your head, It dies in service.
Sketch:
- Component placement
- Negative space
- Sauce flow
- Height logic
Consistency doesn’t just happen. It’s designed.
8. Then You Cook
Now you test. Now you taste. Now you adjust. Not the other way around.
9. Photograph the Dishea
This is for:
- Training
- Consistency
- Social
- Marketing
- Menu design
Your phone is part of your toolkit. Use it.
10. Price the Menu
Now that you know:
- Costs
- Complexity
- Execution speed
- Labor impact
Then you decide value. Not before.
11. Host the Tasting
The tasting isn’t a party. It’s a classroom.
Teach:
- Flavors
- Story
- Cost
- Execution
- Allergen logic
If your team doesn’t understand the menu, They can’t sell it.
This Applies to Bars Too
Cocktail programs follow the same flow:
- Spec sheets
- Build sheets
- Batch ratios
- Cost per ounce
- Glassware mapping
- Prep diagrams
Bartenders work slower without systems,
Just like cooks.
A rushed menu looks good on Instagram. A planned menu wins on payroll, food cost, reviews, and team morale. The difference? Leadership. You don’t roll out food. You roll out clarity.
Action Step for Today
Open a doc. Start your next menu early Post one dish idea. Invite comments. Give it space.
Magic happens when you stop forcing it.
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The Only Way to Roll Out a Menu
skool.com/therestaurantpreshift
Real talk for the hospitality game. You’ve mastered the craft — now it’s time you learned how to make money. I’m a Top Chef Restaurateur with no fluff
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