Less is More, for Menus

Less is More, for Menus

I recall one of my experiences in culinary school when my Food Prep 101 professor told our class, “There will always be a demand for quality and an audience willing to pay for it.”  The Chef went on to say as future operators we will need to focus on the needs of our guests and continually use the feedback we receive as a compass directing the menu items, the level and style of service to remain relevant in a highly competitive business.  As this is also a ‘busy’ industry with a multitude of details it’s easy to allow our focus to wander when dealing with the demands of each day.

            It may appear an oversimplification; however, in our experience interpreting the demands of our clients’ guests has served as a guide to defining menu offerings.  Even if you’re not well versed at using guest feedback a review of your product mix sales report should offer insight as to what is and isn’t selling.  To that point Chili’s recently reduced their menu by 40% (Bloomberg News, 9/8/17) a return to their core menu to address the demand for quality and simplification to increase execution. Known for their burgers, fajitas and ribs alongside their southwestern themed adult beverages these are the items that grew the chain, somewhere along the line kale and quinoa were added to the menu perhaps as part of an attempt to avoid the “veto vote” or to attract an non-core audience.  We ask why not go with what got you to the “dance” and just hone that to perfection?

            Reducing the overall number and focus of menu items isn’t new, it’s even been suggested here (TMS Blog, 10/16/14) as a result of an experience with a client who needed to trim inventory and focus on the most popular menu items including those which had better contribution margins.  Further to the point recent trade media posts recount the efforts of other casual dining operators (NRN, 9/11/17) such as Ruby Tuesday’s to reduce the number of items in an effort to revitalize sales.  Quick service operators such as McDonald’s have been under pressure to reduce their menu to speed service and Dunkin’ Donuts has a reduced menu currently in test.  We’ve previously suggested that you can’t be everything to everyone, operators need to define their core market and tailor menu items accordingly.

            Another example of a past client with menu issues was an owner who believed they were operating a casual center-of-the-plate “entrée-driven” restaurant.  A review of their product sales mix suggested they were operating a soup and sandwich unit with a high demand for lunch items that were quick to prepare so guests could get back to work.  The original menu was a tri-fold with five pages of menu items across all categories having no “flow” so guests had to hunt for the meals they wanted to order.  An additional review of food cost suggested a trimming of menu items alongside a menu format that was linear and only two pages, front and back.  This allowed for a quick scan for guests who were on a lunch break and a reduction of capital-saving inventory and speed of execution.  

            Some operators fear that reducing the number of menu items will result in a loss of business.  To that thinking we suggest options such as if the product sales mix demonstrates a strong sales history of items that have been marked for removal why not offer them as “specials” on a cyclical basis or tie them to events such as the restaurants anniversary!  A popular item by “voice of the guest” that isn’t shown in your sales data could be a good target for using on a monthly or quarterly cycle.  Alternatively, if that item has seasonal ingredients why not do as “nature” intended and only offer it “in season” when the ingredients cost less as well. If you believe a dive into your sales data and decades of operations experience could boost your sales contact us for these and other industry insights at www.themenuspring.com .  BTW, how do you boost you blog readership by 750%, try putting the word “football” in the title in September!  Of course it could be the “bots” in charge too.