Long Menus are so 1999

            While Mark Twain once said, “The report of my death was an exaggeration” the demise of the lengthy restaurant menu is already in motion.  For years from quick service to casual dining restaurant operators have offered menus with up to 100 + items on them in a strategy of “quantity over quality” and the fear of the “veto vote” by one or more in a dining group who believed the offered dining option did not meet either a culinary or dietary need.

            As Americans have honed their dining acumen they are now seeking either a specific type of food (think Ecuadoran ceviche only menu) or a dining experience (such as a Chef’s Table or tasting menu) that changes from daily to weekly or even at the whim of the operator or Chef.  As diners focus on quality, operators are taking the hint and reducing the number of menu items to include core items that speak to their guest demographic or to a specific cuisine.

            Working with a client on a recent menu revision we assisted in a dual purpose to reduce the number of items from a primary focus on eastern Mediterranean to one more inclusive of the entire Mediterranean rim.  While this may appear to be moving in the opposite direction we assisted with the expansion of different cuisines while reducing the overall number of menu items and maintaining the traditional menu categories.  Our client desired to appeal to a broader audience and believes that by reducing the total number of items while widening the cuisine offerings they could also maintain and / or improve their margins.

            Some operators may not consider that with a lengthy menu there comes a lengthy inventory and when proteins and produce which are highly perishable are part of that long menu it can lead to higher loss and waste than a slimmer group of menu offerings.  Our client will continue forward with their core menu offerings and supplement them with daily, weekly and happy hour specials with the intention to entice the new and frequent diner to return as often as these offerings change.

            As we have seen in the fast-casual menu offerings those operations focus on fewer items with a higher level of quality and execution.  The COO of McDonald’s recently stated the execution of a better product was a main driver of their recent menu paring efforts.  As the menu continues to evolve we offer a suggestion of the trend in the format of the menu from a book or multi-page to a single page style.  Why do we believe this may become the new menu format for hard-copy menus; smart phone and tablet!