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FACS:Marketing A Restaurant (Mktg)

Printable Version

Time Frame

9 class periods of 45 minutes each

Group Size

Large Groups

Life Skills

  • Thinking & Reasoning
  • Communication
  • Employability

Authors

DALE STEPHENS

Summary

Students will simulate the opening and running of a restaurant. They will have the opportunity to apply the Four Ps of Marketing as they relate to running a restaurant. They will experience first hand the different duties and responsibilities involved in running a business. Students will also understand how marketing relates to the real world and how a business must be properly marketed.


Materials

1- Crayons
2- Scissors
3- Play money
4- Tableware
5- Colored markers or pencils
6- Colored paper
7- 4 Menus from local restaurants
8- Four Ps poster from U.S.O.E.
9- Poster of food costs
10- Supplies for the restaurant
11- Sales tax chart,included
12- Calculators


Background for Teachers

Attachments


Intended Learning Outcomes

1- Explain and utilize the marketing principles of product, pricing, promotion,and placement while participating in a restaurant simulation.
2- Discuss how a person should market him/herself when looking for a job.


Instructional Procedures

Attachments

Websites

  • Adobe.com
    To use pdf files, download the FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader program.

Day 1
a. Discuss with students what marketing is, and what the Four Ps are. Use the overhead presentation, What is Marketing? An Overhead Presentation for TLC, (see Appendix A). Please note: A color version of this presentation is available for download on the marketing education web page.
b. Present to the students that the class will be opening a business. Each student will be involved in opening and running the restaurant. All class members will be both workers and customers. A business provides consumers or customers with goods, services, or information. Marketing is the promotion of these goods, services, and information. Our restaurant will provide goods and a service to its customers.
c. Using the FOUR Ps of marketing will insure that our restaurant is a success. Display four or more menus from local restaurants. Have students identify items that the menus have in common. Help them identify the FOUR Ps. (A classroom poster of the FOUR Ps should be used.)

1- Product (the food items that are served at a restaurant)
2- Place (the restaurant and where it is located)
3- Price (costs of menu items)
4- Promote (the methods used to let consumers know about the restaurant and what it serves)
d. Product - The culmination activity for this unit is a simulation of a restaurant setting. The goal for this activity is for the students to have an opportunity to learn about marketing, food service jobs, and to experience the actual preparation and serving of a food product. In this instance, the food product the students make is not as important as the learning experience. Introduce the menu items that your restaurant will serve. Some suggested recipes are provided on pages 15 to 17, but the final decision must fit the students, their abilities, and the school facilities. It is suggested that the choice be limited to three items. It is best to offer items that can be changed to give variety in ordering and preparing food. Have each student creatively name menu items on the RESTAURANT PROMOTION worksheet.
Breadstick Examples: Zesty Italian Breadsticks (Italian seasoned), Zippy Breadsticks (Cinnamon and sugar), Zingy Breadsticks (Plain)
e. Price - Display the cost of the supplies for the restaurant lab. Discuss the other expenses in running a restaurant, (employee pay, building cost, utilities, etc.) Discuss the need for profit. Most businesses figure the sales price is double the cost to produce or buy an item. Have students determine what you will charge for menu items. Have students record class-agreed-upon prices on the RESTAURANT PROMOTION worksheet.

Day 2:
a. Discuss with the students how they should market themselves by asking them the following questions:

• What qualities do employers look for?
• What can teenagers do to help themselves be successful in their jobs?
• What are some work skills that are important for employees to have, and that the employers look for?
• What are some personal traits that are important for employees to have?
• Why is it important to be a good employee?
• What would you expect of an employee, if you were the boss?
• Do you think employers expect different qualities in teenagers than in adults? Why?
• What are some reasons that people lose their jobs?
• What are some reasons that teenagers might lose their jobs?
• If you were an employer, would you hire YOU? Why?
b. Have students complete the worksheets Marketing: Applications and Interviews, and Job Application T-L-C corporation. This application is used to assign students their jobs.

Day 3:
a. Promotion - Promotion means the ways of letting people know how good your restaurant is. How will you introduce your restaurant to the people that will eat there? (We call these people the market).

Examples:
• When Pepsi introduced Pepsi-ONE, there were a lot of coupons, free samples, and special store displays.
• When Saturn introduced a new car, there was a free barbecue on the lot, and contest at Franklin Quest field for a one-year free lease on a Saturn.
b. Have students choose a name for the restaurant. Record the name on the RESTAURANT PROMOTION worksheet.
c. Advertisement is one form of promotion. Have students create a logo and/or slogan to represent the restaurant. Have the students write or draw their logos/slogans on the RESTAURANT PROMOTION worksheet. This logo/slogan will also be used on the menu they will be creating. Example: The golden arches are know worldwide as McDonald's, the red bull's eye identifies Target.
d. Have students design a menu for the restaurant using a computer design program, or felt-tip markers, paper, etc. Menu items are usually grouped together: beverages, main dishes, and appetizers. They should use color and pictures of food, and leave enough space between items so the menu can be easily read. It must include the following information:
1. Name of the restaurant
2. List of the menu items
3. Price of the menu items
4. Logo or slogan
The design needs to include at least three (3) groups of items. These menus will be used later for the restaurant. The students need to plan out their menu on the RESTAURANT MENU worksheet.

Day 4:
a. Market Research - In order for a business to learn what the market (customer) wants in a product or service, they do market research. Have you ever been questioned at the mall about a product or your shopping habits, or have you filled out product questionnaires for the warranty? These are examples of market research. Have students complete the MARKET RESEARCH worksheet.
Using the results of the market research, have students design a way of inviting people to a new restaurant (place). They can use coupons, displays, contests, samples, etc. They should describe how they would use the idea to promote new menu items. Be creative and have fun with this. Please be very detailed. (For example, if you wanted to do a contest similar to Saturn’s you would have to explain how people would enter the contest and how you would determine the winner - Saturn had a car filled with balls and people had to guess how many balls were in the car.)

Days 5 and 6:
a. The teacher should choose from the following possible activities and set up learning stations around the classroom for those activities. The leader will need to provide the necessary directions and/or supplies at each station. Give each student a copy of the student activity guide, RESTAURANT SKILLS to complete as they rotate through the units.

1. Public Relations Activity:
2. Lunch Break: Students will use the scenarios to practice tallying customer orders with tax, and to record answers on their student activity guides. Sales tax charts are available through the Utah State Tax Commission or at most office supply stores.
3.Cashier’s Activity: Students will read the information on cashiering and complete the cashier section of the student activity guide. Play money can be used for the student to do this activity.
4. Table - Setting Activity: Students will read the information provided on table setting, and then do the table setting activities for the situations described. Tableware or mock tableware is needed for this activity.
5. Customer Service Activity: Students will complete a worksheet with advice and phrases that a Food Server should use.
6. Dishwashing Activity: Students will use the provided dishwashing cards and put the steps for dishwashing in order. After they have finished sorting the cards, they can complete that section of their activity guide.
b.Assign jobs and detail responsibilities:
Manager/Assistant Manager: Makes sure each person is doing his/her job, and that customers are happy. The manager/assistant manager makes decisions as needed, and often fills in for absent employees.
Host/Hostess: Helps customers find seats and is in charge of menus.
Cashier: Sets up cash register and handles money as customers pay.
Food Servers: Take orders, serve beverages and food, and could design an order form to fit the selection of foods, and total the bill.
Table Attendant: Sets and clears the tables.
Cook: In charge of food preparation and decides on the most efficient way to prepare the food.
Cook’s Assistant: Helps and assists the cook in food preparation; makes sure the necessary cooking and serving equipment is clean and ready for use. Washes, dries, and puts away dishes.
Customers: Order and eat the food; use correct eating and social behavior.

Days 7 and 8:
a. Half the class will be customers and the other half will be the restaurant workers. While the customers are waiting for the restaurant workers to prepare the food, etc., have them watch the video "Working" from Metropolitan Life, or another work-related video.
b. Job descriptioin sheets are included and can be used to help workers remember what they are to be doing.
c. Evaluation: While the workers are cleaning up, the customers need to complete the evalulation. At the end of the working day, workers need to evaluate the performance of their work as a team for that day.


Created: 07/18/2002
Updated: 03/31/2021
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