Components of the menu planning process: the case of five star hotels in Antalya

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how chefs working at five star hotels perceive the menu planning process. Design/methodology/approach Case studies were used to deeply investigate the menu planning process of five star hotels. Data were drawn from in situ interviews and documentation, which were examined via content analysis. After the coding process, themes and categories were extracted and corroborated by direct quotations. Findings The findings revealed that the menu planning process can be classified into five major categories. The first category consists of the prerequisites of planning a menu. The second category is “key issues” and encapsulates the managerial, consumer, gastronomic, marketing and external aspects of menu planning. The third category highlights key actors’ responsibilities in the menu planning process, while the fourth category, “trial and improvement,” elaborates on the iterative process of menu design and the key players and issues involved with it. Finally, the last category outlines the difficulties of menu planning. Originality/value In the existing academic literature, most research conducted about menu planning only provides conceptual framework while empirical information remains unexamined. However, this qualitative study aims to clarify the components of menu planning in more detail in terms of five star hotel firms that offer various food and beverage operations. The present study is an attempt to fill a gap in the existing literature on the subject.