Optimization in a Vietnamese Bistro

This bachelor’s thesis focuses on the application of operations research in the context of meal planning. Its main objective is to develop an optimal five-day meal plan for employees working in a rubber factory. The thesis addresses the importance of nutrition and the process of determining the nutritional requirements for the diners. Subsequently, it focuses on the construction of a nutritional database of dishes offered in a Vietnamese bistro and the formulation of two basic mathematical models. The first model minimizes the total cost of the five-day menu for a single diner, while the second model maximizes the profitability of the menu. These perspectives – cost minimization and profit maximization – are chosen depending on the specific needs and goals of the business. The thesis also describes the gradual modifications and extensions to the models made to address the issues of meal repetition and limited variety in the initial menus. The results demonstrate that the modified menus provide a greater variety of meals and eliminate repetitive items compared to the initial menus. However, the addition of constraints and improvements in menu diversity either increased the total cost in the minimization models or decreased the profitability of the menu with added constraints. The thesis also includes the compilation of a database of ingredients and dishes in MS Excel and the solution of mathematical models using the LINGO program.