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By now it is time to leave behind the sweet, fresh flavors of summer and start thinking about how to revamp your cafeterias' menu in preparation for the fall season.
With this article, we want to give you some valuable tips and usefulguidelines to follow in order to impress your most loyal customers and get those who don't yet know you to choose you, by placing alongside the great classics - such as theespresso made to the rule of art - also curious new creations on the menu.
1. Timing: how often do you renew the menu?
Everyone has his or her own habits and method gained through years of experience.
But, although there is no universally valid rule, we still want to give you some advice.
As a general rule, the best choice is to not change the menu too often.
This way, in fact, you risk that customers will not even have time to notice the change and have a chance to taste your new offerings.
But also be careful not to let too much time pass between menu changes! Your customers, bored and dissatisfied, may look around and seek new flavors from your competitors.
Our advice is to createseasonal menus .
Three months is a great time to give your customers time to notice the changes, and it is a suitable time frame so they do not tire of the offerings you have chosen for them.
2. The ingredients: which ones to choose to revamp the menu?
There is nothing more disappointing than opening a menu in the middle of summer and finding hot chocolate among the options!
The impression in such cases is that the restaurant does not pay enough attention to the offer and never renews its menu.
To avoid this, we recommend that you offer seasonal menus by employing only seasonal ingredients, thus fresh, superiorquality and, often, even less expensive.
For your recipes try to use warm ingredients in winter and fresh ones in summer, so as to meet the climate-related needs of the moment.
3. Communication: be original in your menus!
Think of all the time you have spent studying your new recipes, the expense you have put into finding the best ingredients, and all the work you have done to get the best possible result.
Well, your work does not end there, however. Communicating your innovations is equally important.
Otherwise, you risk spending money and energy without your customers noticing the new features you have introduced.
Rely on your own creativity (or that of a professional graphic designer) to revamp your menu also in graphic design.
Adapting the themes proposed in your cafeterias without risking falling into banality is indeed one of the biggest challenges of this profession!
4. The recipes: few but good!
One of the most common mistakes is to give too much choice to customers, filling the menu with all kinds of recipes.
Have you also happened to go to a restaurant with too much choice and give up reading the menu without even getting to the second page?
This is why it is essential to choose 4or 5 recipes and no more, from classics such asIrish Coffee to more innovative ones, in order to achieve several benefits:
- a less food waste due to the reduced range of ingredients;
- possibility of creating a workstation less cluttered . In fact, fewer ingredients and tools will make your shelves clearer and cleaner;
- a greater control over the recipes most in demand. In this way you will be able to easily realize which options are "going for the most" making them symbols of your establishment and likewise change in rotation more often those that are not successful.
5. Creativity: the best way to be unique
Being original is a good way to stay in customers' memories.
So remember that creativity is the key ingredient in any successful recipe that will set you apart from your competitors.
Building your identity through your menu and the ingredients you choose is crucial in an increasingly competitive market.
Find the right recipe for you and offer it to your customers to tell your story.
These and many other practical and operational tips are offered by Filicori Zecchini consultants to client bartenders.
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