Dessert Bar Operation Plan: Menu Design, Descriptions, and Variety

The food industry for dessert products is experiencing high growth since most people are attracted to the different flavors used in producing the food items. To effectively manage a restaurant and attract customers, an organization should formulate appropriate ways to conduct its operations. The firm is a food company that should practice and adheres to standards put in place by the food industry to enhance consumers’ safety.

Food Safety Plan

The management of Dessert Bar is committed to ensuring the right standards and procedures are followed to facilitate the production of a healthy food product. Based on the nature of the commodities being sold by the restaurant, it employs the Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) for properly tackling any microbial threats that may cause damages leading to health issues to the clients (Trafialek & Kolanowski, 2017). HACCP approach involves seven principles to enable the business to identify dangers that must be controlled to lower chances of foodborne illness amongst the users.

Hazard Assessment

The Dessert Bar management team has set aside a group of professionals that would conduct hazard analysis of chemicals, biological, or physical dangers. In this stage, the specialists will try to identify the possible threats that would affect the production and exact stages where they are more likely to occur in food service. The business will ensure the perils are properly identified to make sure the right mitigation is put in place.

Critical Control Points (CCPs)

After a thorough assessment of the potential hazards, the business firm will apply various techniques, such as testing the ingredients to be used in the production process to determine the level of chemical composition. Furthermore, the organization will practice proper usage of effective processing methods and storage of the raw materials, for example, cryogenic freezing. There will be control of the internal temperature to ensure the thermal processing is maintained.

Establishing Critical Limits

To enhance the safety of consumers, the business organization would adhere to the set limits that are both minimum and maximum values of any chemical, physical or biological presence in the food products. The firm will apply the scientific standards to establish the limits for the clients’ consumption. The business, at no point, will go beyond the limits that may result in foodborne destroying the reputation due to unsafe meals.

Monitoring the CPPs

In this stage, the business management team will ensure the food products are tested to verify the critical limits are as per the requirement of the food industry regulation. Furthermore, the test will enable the business organization to certify the preparation and sale of the products to the consumers. Dessert Bar will check the limits during production, storage, and before delivery to make sure the meals are safe and free from foodborne.

Corrective Actions

The business organization would make sure it has ways to handle any breach in the stated standards. It would try to eliminate all the possible issues that may cause safety concerns during the operations. In extreme cases, the firm will ensure it prevent the potential hazards. In this process, the special team would identify the reasons behind the standards deviation to formulate the appropriate course of action to manage the occurrences.

Verification of Procedures

The management board will ensure all the procedures for HACCP are thoroughly verified to allow the business to apply the relevant corrective actions and all possible setbacks are appropriately addressed. The business organization will conduct comprehensive checks at every stage to confirm if all the protocols are applied effectively. The step enables the firm to execute all the HACCP principles to enhance the Dessert Bar food safety strategy.

Keeping Records

The firm will have to keep all the documents involved in the planning and monitoring of HACCP’s essential activities. The records would enable the business organization to assess the processes and include other changes required to improve food safety. Furthermore, the documentation would make the auditing and firm observation easier. This principle indicates how the firm is committed to achieving and promoting food safety in the industry.

Details of Menu Selection

Dessert Bar will have its prominent items on its menu to enable customers to have a deep understanding of the food products. The products will be categorized into different classes that suit the need and tastes of customers. The company will have a menu board displaying the food being offered, an online platform where customers can access the types of commodities, and a printed one distributed in most areas of the eating point.

All the food packages will be included in the menu, and they will be grouped into cakes and cupcakes, shakes, and pies. The most popular product amongst the three classes would be placed on top of the list to attract consumers (Baiomy et al., 2019). For instance, cakes and cupcakes will be placed on top of the menu list highlighting all the items which belong to it.

Food prices would be analyzed and set to enable the firm, through its menu layout, to capture the attention of potential customers. Afterward, the menu description would be incorporated to make a list of deep connections with the commodities. The organization will involve chefs to develop the details of the products to enable the making of descriptive adjectives. In addition, an attractive color that relates to the company brand would be included in the menu design. Lastly, some meal photos would be added as background pictures to entice clients while making their selections.

Food Production Procedures

Chocolate Cake

The ingredients for menu items will be purchased from the market and the numbers confirmed against the order made. Upon arrival in the production chamber, some materials such as butter and milk would be kept in the refrigerator to provide the required temperature. Other requirements such as salt, sugar, baking soda, eggs, and flour would be placed in places free of moisture. The condition will allow the items to remain fresh and safe for usage.

Steps of Making Chocolate Cake

1. Prepare baking pans by lining them with parchment paper to prevent cakes from sticking.
2. Allow ingredients such as butter and eggs to attain room temperature for easy mixing.
3. Preheat the oven to reduce chances of cake developing cracks due to temperature variations.
4. Mix dry ingredients that are salt, flour, and baking powder.
5. Using an electric mixer, combine both butter and sugar while applying medium speed.
6. Eggs to be added individual at a time for proper mixing.
7. Alternate addition of dry and wet ingredients onto the butter-egg-sugar
8. Pour batter into pans equally to bake.
9. During baking, check cakes for doneness to avoid overbaking that may cause the production of dry food.
10. Using a wire rack, place the cakes on it to enhance cooling.

Procedure for Making Vanilla Cupcakes

1. Use a saucer to mix dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking soda.
2. On a stand mixer, whisk together sugar and softened butter using a moderate speed for about 5 minutes until thick.
3. Add individually egg at a time and beat for proper mixing to incorporate them, then blend in vanilla.
4. Reduce the speed of the mixture, then add flour alternating with buttermilk while whisking properly during the additions.
5. Pour batter to about 2/3 full into the lined muffin tins. Place at the center of the oven at a temperature of 177 degrees Celsius for 20 – 25 minutes.
6. Place the cakes on a wire rack and allow them to cool.

Producing Caramel Shakes

The ingredients required are butter, sugar, cream, vanilla, salt, and water.

1. Add water and sugar to a heavy saucepan, then stir to form an even layer
2. Use a medium heat warm pot for cooking the sugar until its starts to bubble and turns clear.
3. Swirl and brush the saucepan severally to avoid crystallization.
4. Continue swirling and cooking for about 10 – 12 minutes as the sugar will form clumps and thickens.
5. Add butter and beat until it melts completely.
6. Remove the pan from heat and add cream, then beat to mix it properly.
7. Beat in vanilla and salt.
8. Allow the pan to cool for some minutes.
9. Pour them into lidded glasses for further cooling as they thicken.

Estimation of Food Costs

The cost of the dessert products is about $1200 in the restaurant. The prices of chocolate cake are $100, which is 12 percent of the overall charges. Vanilla cupcakes are costing $120 that translates to about 10 percent of the total expenditures. Caramel shakes cost $90, which constitute about 7.5% of the expenses. All three menu items cost $310, which is approximately 25.8% of the food costs.

Comparison of Ingredient Prices

Staffing Plan

Dessert Bar will require staff to hold different positions and perform various roles to propel the functioning of the restaurant. The firm will recruit qualified individuals to enhance effective performance. The posts include departmental managers, chefs, information technologists, accountants, waiters, hostesses, and cleaners. The process will involve vigorous exercises to ensure the picking of the right candidate for the job advertised by the business organization.

Recruitment Processes

Recruitment Planning

The management board drafts comprehensive job specifications describing responsibilities, skills, experience and qualifications required, status, and other conditions about the vacant position.

Strategy Development

Dessert Bar will then decide which methods to use for hiring the candidates, the procedure to follow during recruitment, and the geographical area to prioritize while probing candidates (Sultana & Sultana, 2017). The restaurant will advertise the posts to attract potential applicants.

Searching

The restaurant management team will advertise the posts to attract potential applicants.

Screening

The board of management will screen the applicants’ application forms to check if qualifications, abilities, knowledge, experience, skills, and interest match the job specifications. Individuals who fail to meet the requirements will not be included in the process of selection.

Evaluation and Control

The company will evaluate the cost incurred during the recruitment process, such as advertisement expenses, administrative, and recruiters’ salaries. In addition, the management will examine whether the hiring process followed was effective. In case it is not proper, it will then establish control measures to enhance the exercise.

Pre-Employment Testing

The management will subject candidates who have met the job qualification to various tests depending on the vacant position. Management level posts will examine their language skills, cognitive abilities and leadership qualities. Servers’ applicants will take practical examinations to verify their potential.

Interviewing and Selection

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to avail themselves physically for oral interviews in a panel of three interviewers. Applicants who have attained the minimum requirement of the job description will then be selected to join the organization.

Hiring Sales Manager

The human resource department will advertise the position to alert potential applicants to submit their requests through the online platform. After that the few individuals will be selected based on the qualification of the job. The management board will then interview them to determine how relevant they can be to the company. An individual who meets all the requirements will then be selected to hold the post of marketing manager.

Recruitment of Waiters

The management outlines the job description for waiters then advertise for potential contenders. They will then screen the application forms to confirm the candidates who met the job specifications. Applicants will be subjected to practical tests to evaluate their physical abilities. A panel of three interviewers will conduct oral interview to justify the qualification. Individuals who attain minimum requirement will be selected to join the company’s staff.

Conclusion

In summary, Dessert Bar restaurant should apply HACCP to produce safe food products for its clients. In addition, the company will design a proper menu list that contains all the items being sold. The firm will also use the appropriate processes to hire recruits to enhance performance both in production and management. The operation plan will enable the organization to remain effective in the industry.

References

Baiomy, A. E., Jones, E., & Goode, M. M. (2019). The influence of menu design, menu item descriptions and menu variety on customer satisfaction. A case study of Egypt. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 19(2), 213-224. Web.

Sultana, N., & Sultana, N. (2017). Analyzing the effectiveness of online recruitment: A case study on recruiters of Bangladesh. Asian Business Review, 7(2), 10-84. Web.

Trafialek, J., & Kolanowski, W. (2017). Implementation and functioning of HACCP principles in certified and non-certified food businesses: A preliminary study. British Food Journal. Web.