An à la carte menu offers food items separately at a separate price. All entrees, dishes, salads, and desserts are ordered separately; the patron thus “builds” a meal completely to his or her liking. À la carte menus often contain a large selection of food items and, consequently, often lead to increased check averages. Commercial operations often find this menu type highly profitable, provided they can keep food spoilage—which can result from the large number of offerings—under control. Having variety within a manageable range of products is desirable.