Chapter 9: Sales History

Sales History Background• Sales history, also known as a scatter sheet mix, is a

daily record of the menu items that have been sold.• Uses for sales history include:

▫ To forecast▫ To keep a daily record of which food items were sold▫ To keep a daily record of how many menu items were sold▫ To predict sales volume▫ To record information that will aid management in

forecasting accurately▫ To aid management in predicting a sales analysis▫ To project the annual budget▫ To aid management in determining the dollar amount that

customers are willing to payFundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

Sales History Background Cont’d

• To accurately, forecast the number of customers for each meal period it is necessary to have pertinent information that influences sales on that particular day. Examples include:▫ Day of the week▫ Date▫ Weather▫ Time of day▫ Meal period▫ Special events within the community that will produce

more sales (e.g., concerts, conventions, meetings, and bus tours)

▫ Employees who are absent from work that dayFundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

Sales History Background Cont’d

• To accurately, forecast the number of customers for each meal period it is necessary to have pertinent information that influences sales on that particular day. Examples include:▫ Day of the week▫ Date▫ Weather▫ Time of day▫ Meal period▫ Special events within the community that will produce

more sales (e.g., concerts, conventions, meetings, and bus tours)

▫ Employees who are absent from work that dayFundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

Benefits of a Scatter Sheet• At the end of each meal period, the food items that are

sold must be recorded onto the sales history ledger. • If a restaurant is losing sales, the sales history record

can be helpful in determining the problem. • Most restaurants lose sales because customers do not

like the approach that the restaurant is taking in one or more of these areas:▫ Sanitation▫ Quality of the food▫ Quality of the service▫ Prices▫ Atmosphere▫ Location of the restaurant

Fundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

How a Scatter Sheet Works• Column 1: includes the week ending date, the menu

item listings, a remarks area, and a meal period area.• Column 2: includes the name of the restaurant and

space for the weather and the days of the week• Column 3: shows the weekly total of the individual

menu items that were sold• Column 4: shows the selling price of the individual

item. • Column 5: shows the item sales• Column 6: shows the total of weekly sales• Column 7: shows the percentage contribution to sales

Fundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

Production Sheet

•Is a schedule that provides employees with information:▫Who will be doing which task▫When they will be doing the task▫Where they will be doing the task▫The equipment needed▫The quantity of a product needed

Fundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009

Menu Engineering

•A method of analyzing the popularity and contribution margin of each menu item

•Determines how much profit each item is contributing by determining each menu item’s contribution margin and popularity.

•Four classifications▫Stars▫Plowhorses▫Puzzles▫Dogs

Fundamentals of Menu Planning 3rd edition. (McVety, Ware and Ware) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 2009