8 astonishingly simple menu tweaks that boost sales

8 A S T O N I S H I N G L Y S I M P L E

M E N U T W E A K S T H A T B O O S T S A L E S

A L I T T L E P E R S P E C T I V E O N T H E M O D E R N M E N U :

Menus weren’t always a part of the dining experience.

The first commercial restaurants didn’t allow guests to choose what they ate, when or with whom. You simply showed up, enjoyed a family-style spread and went home full to a night free of dish duty.

Today’s experience is different, and the menu is at the heart of it.

The best brands design their menus to drive sales and

guest loyalty. If you're not following their lead, you're leav-

ing money on the table.

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1 . B O X U P Y O U R B E S T I T E M S

Boxes draw attention and make things seem important.

Put a box around profitable dishes to encourage guests to

order them more often.

SUMMER SEASON | DINNER MENUExecutive Chef Pascal Lorange | Chef De Cuisine Dave Hartmann

Our menu is centered around selected farms and ingredients for including the following local farms: Pell farm, Prospect Hill Orchard, Satur Farm, Norwich Meadows

CRAB & HEIRLOOM TOMATO 14Jumbo lump crab

heirloom cherry tomato, garlic

RAW BAR & SEAFOOD

VEGETABLES 9 EA

ARTICHOKEGarlic, Parmesan, Balsamic

ROASTED BEETRoasted Beet, Goat Cheese

Scallion

CARROT & BRUSSELS SPROUTS

orange juice, cilantro, spanish onion charmoula, dry apricot, harissa

CHEESEAssortment of 5 for 19

Served with Fig JamMarcona Almond & Toastt

Fromage de Chèvre(Goat)Gorgonzola Dolce (Cow)

Robiola (Cow)Manchego (Sheep)

Rocchetta (Cow, Sheep, Goat)Verdial Cracked Fennel Pink Pepper

Cuquillo Herbs de Provence

Bresaola, Dolce Gorgonzola, Almond

Prosciutto, Ricotta, Fig, Olive, Walnut

Cured Salmon, Radish, Cucumber Yogurt, Dill

Crab, Heirloom Tomato, Avocado, Apple Aioli

Octopus, Cherry Tomato, Heirloom Carrot Purée

Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, Tomato

Burrata, Tomato, Herbs, Balsamic

Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Chive

Manchego, Fig, Marcona Almond

Mushroom, Artichoke, Scallion, Parmesan


Our menu is centered around selected farms and ingredients for including the following local farms: Pell farm, Prospect Hill Orchard, Satur Farm, Norwich Meadows

CRAB & HEIRLOOM TOMATO 14Jumbo lump crab

heirloom cherry tomato, garlic

RAW BAR & SEAFOOD

VEGETABLES 9 EA

ARTICHOKEGarlic, Parmesan, Balsamic

ROASTED BEETRoasted Beet, Goat Cheese

Scallion

CARROT & BRUSSELS SPROUTS

orange juice, cilantro, spanish onion charmoula, dry apricot, harissa

CHEESEAssortment of 5 for 19

Served with Fig JamMarcona Almond & Toastt

Fromage de Chèvre(Goat)Gorgonzola Dolce (Cow)

Robiola (Cow)Manchego (Sheep)

Rocchetta (Cow, Sheep, Goat)Verdial Cracked Fennel Pink Pepper

Cuquillo Herbs de Provence











Moules Frites caught your eye? Now you know why.

E X A M P L E

WHAT SHOULD I BOX ON MY MENU?Swipely shows you which items are

consistently most popular, most pro�table and most

liekly to bring guests back.

Search Cactus Grill 125 Dorrance St., Providence, RI

Orders

Enchilada Trio

Carne asade

Chicken Fajitas

Steak Enchilladas

Chicken Molé

Chicken Burrito

Steak frites

Average

Veggie Burrito

Pork Burrito

Fish Tacos

Nachos Grande

Veggie Quesadilla

Chicken con queso

Shrimp tacos

Steak tartare

Chilaquiles

Panucho

Huaraches

Sincronizadas

Tortillas

Pollo motuleños

Flautas

Lengua

Cabrito

Chile relleno

Gorditas

Venado

Sopes

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Menu item

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2 . F O C U S O N T H E F O O D , N O T T H E P R I C E

Keep prices in the same color, font and size as your menu item descriptions, avoid columns and consider losing the “$” symbols.

Fig & Olive does a great job hiding their prices in plain sight, letting their item descriptions guide guests’ ordering decisions.

E X A M P L ESUMMER SEASON | DINNER MENU

Executive Chef Pascal Lorange | Chef De Cuisine Dave Hartmannd cuisine from the Riviera & Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy and Spain.

Our menu is centered around selected farms and ingredients for their genuine taste and seasonalityincluding the following local farms: Pell farm, Prospect Hill Orchard, Satur Farm, Norwich Meadows

SALMON CRUDO* 14Orange, Grapefruit, Dill

Lemon, Scallion

OYSTERSServed with a trio of mignonette

18 1/2 Dozen / 34 Dozen

RAW BAR & SEAFOOD

CURED MEATFIG JAMON GOAT CHEESE 24

Jamon Iberico de Bellota Cinco Jotas

sherry vinegar – Arbequina Olive Oil

TRADITIONAL JAMON IBERICO 28Jamon Iberico de Bellota Cinco Jotas

served with Pan Con Tomatemixed olives – Arbequina Olive Oil

CARPACCIOZUCCHINI 14

Lemon, Pine nut, ParmesanPicholine Olive Oil

YELLOWFIN TUNA* 15Cilantro, Marcona almond

Toasted Sesame Oil

BEEF* 1518 Year Balsamic, Tomato

OLIVESMixed 6

Malaga OreganoVerdial Cracked Fennel Pink Pepper

Obregon Rosemary GarlicCuquillo Herbs de Provence

Cordoba Lemon Thyme

CROSTINI3 for 12 / 6 for 21











Cucumber, Shallot, Yogurt


d cuisine from the Riviera & Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy and Spain.Our menu is centered around selected farms and ingredients for their genuine taste and seasonality

including the following local farms: Pell farm, Prospect Hill Orchard, Satur Farm, Norwich Meadows

SALMON CRUDO* 14Orange, Grapefruit, Dill

Lemon, Scallion

OYSTERSServed with a trio of mignonette

18 1/2 Dozen / 34 Dozen

RAW BAR & SEAFOOD

CURED MEATFIG JAMON GOAT CHEESE 24

Jamon Iberico de Bellota Cinco Jotas

sherry vinegar – Arbequina Olive Oil

TRADITIONAL JAMON IBERICO 28Jamon Iberico de Bellota Cinco Jotas

served with Pan Con Tomatemixed olives – Arbequina Olive Oil

CARPACCIOZUCCHINI 14

Lemon, Pine nut, ParmesanPicholine Olive Oil

YELLOWFIN TUNA* 15Cilantro, Marcona almond

Toasted Sesame Oil

BEEF* 1518 Year Balsamic, Tomato

OLIVESMixed 6

Malaga OreganoVerdial Cracked Fennel Pink Pepper

Obregon Rosemary GarlicCuquillo Herbs de Provence

Cordoba Lemon Thyme

CROSTINI3 for 12 / 6 for 21











Cucumber, Shallot, Yogurt

Cactus Grill 125 Dorrance St., Providence, RI

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Henner Zeller; CC BY-SA 2.0

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3 . U S E Y O U R P R I C E Y I T E M S W I S E L Y

Every menu has a most-expensive item, and guests rarely order it. Place high-profit options near this dish - they’ll seem like bargains in comparison.

Bertucci’s Frutti di Mare looks like an affordable luxury when placed near the expensive filet.

E X A M P L E

HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT GOES WHERE?Swipely can tell you which items are popular and

bring people back; try placing them near your

most expensive dishes for added appeal.

Agu Nieto CC BY 2.0

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Overview

4 . S H A R E Y O U R S T O R I E S I N T H E R I G H T P L A C E

Your guests care about your traditions and the stories you have to tell, but your menu may not be the best place for all the details.

E X A M P L E

CONTACT US

[email protected]

1-888-SWIPELY

OPERATIONS

Sales

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Servers

MARKETING

Customers

Reviews

Calendar & Events

Loyalty Program

FINANCIALS

Batches & Deposits

Payment Fees

Transaction Search

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The team at Per Se shares the history behind their French traditions on their website, making guests feel like insiders.

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Reviews

Search Cactus Grill 125 Dorrance St., Providen

5 . M A K E I T S O U N D G O O D E N O U G H T O E A T

Use enticing language to describe ingredients and preparation methods.

Restaurant WeekAugust 5 – August 11, 2013

Total visits

1072Average sale

$31.91+$1.14+178

Sales by dayDay Sales ($) $8k

Aug 5

Aug 6

Aug 7

Aug 8

Aug 9

Aug 10

Aug 11

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Calendar Daily journal Campaigns

Marketing Calender & Events

Campaign spend

$4,703.66

ScorecardCactus Grill Other businesses

What are people saying about Cactus Grill?

Showing 1-20 of 234 reviewsThe Campfire

Record Beans

Traditional Enchiladas

Burritos

Chicken Quesadilla

(7)

(1)

(4)

(3)

(4)

POPULAR TAGS

RATINGS

SOURCE

Yelp

Google Plus

OpenTable

TripAdvisor

This place is amazing! We have only done drinks and apps here but they keep coming back and bringing cocktails (The Campfire being one of our favorites) are amazing! The atmosphere is awesome. Being in character and it seems like everytime we go something exciting... more

“Definitely Go”

Pros:Best Mexican food I’ve ever had! I ordered the traditional enchiladas and my boyfriend ordered a shrimp and garlic dish.. both were great! The record beans are just the right amount of sweet (again, the best I’ve had). The wait staff was extremely... more

Reply on TripAdvisor Share

Cactus Grill, I am so disappointed in you. I popped in for a late lunch with my mom this afternoon and it was packed to the brim. When a table finally opened up, it took the two servers working the ten table in the restaurant about fifteen minutes to bus the table for us to sit down. As a server myself, I HATE when people seat themselves... more

“Disappointing”

Kennedy Plaza April 2, 2014 Written by Jillian V.

Kennedy Plaza March 20, 2014 Written by Kelly M.

(2)

(6)

(3)

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(1)

(7)

(3)

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Edit

(2)

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Who wouldn’t order the California Club? The description sounds tasty and even guarantees “VIP status!”

E X A M P L E

IS IT WORKING?Most online reviews mention a menu item - Swipely

shows you how your delicious descriptions are being

shared on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google+ and more, all in

one place.

COD Newsroom CC BY 2.0

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Last 4 Weeks

vidence, RI

6 . G I V E N E W I T E M S “ S P E C I A L ” T R E A T M E N T

Introduce new items as appetizers or specials. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, new items are ordered more when the perceived “risk” of ordering them (in terms of portion size and price) is low.

We sure hope some of these delicious lobster dishes stick around at the ChopHouse...

E X A M P L E

KNOW WHAT’S WORKING Swipely tells you exactly how much new and repeat

business your specials and promotions bring in.

Total sales (during campaign)

$68,752.48Customer breakdown

+$6,794.61 +57

$12k$10k

12,617.71

9,457.57

8,530.34

8,563.11

8,817.01

8,710.57

11,956.19

+1,800.32

+685.64

+527.72

+582.44

+700.32

+785.28

+1,825.59

Restaurant WeekSHOW

343729 repeatnew

+122

OPERATIONS

Sales

Menu

Servers

MARKETING

Customers

Reviews

Calendar & Events

Loyalty Program

FINANCIALS

Batches & Deposits

Payment Fees

Transaction Search

SORT BY Newest

all our friends! Their craft an old bank gives tons of

and my boyfriend ordered a shrimp and garlic are just the right amount of sweet (again, the best I’ve had). The wait staff

Reply on Yelp Share

Reply on TripAdvisor Share

Cactus Grill, I am so disappointed in you. I popped in for a late lunch with my mom this afternoon and it was packed to the brim. When a table finally opened up, it took the two servers working the ten table in the restaurant about fifteen minutes to

Reply Share

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7 . T O A S T T H E S E A S O N

Seasonal specials are great for your food and beverage menus, especially since drinks are often high-profit items.

OPERATIONS

Menu Intelligence

Server Performance

MARKETING

Calendar & Events

Customer Database

Loyalty Rewards Program

Reviews & Ratings

FINANCIALS

Sales

Batches & Deposits

Payment Network Fees

Transaction Search


ScorecardScorecard

Server Bridget D.

History

OPERATIONS

Sales

Menu

Servers

MARKETING

Customers

Reviews

Calendar & Events

Loyalty Program

FINANCIALS

Batches & Deposits

Payment Fees

Transaction Search

STRENGTHS OPPORTUNITIES

Sales per cover

15.23 avg sales per cover

Entrees, drinks and wine. Dessert, beer and apps

DrinksEntrees

Comparing all shifts against shifts that Bridget hasworked.

Edit Share

Providence, RI

[email protected]

Bridget D.

Seasonally-inspired cocktails, like those at Flatbread Pizza, can bring in extra revenue. The Modern Maple cocktail could even be paired with their Maple-Fennel Sausage Pizza for a themed combo!

E X A M P L E

MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITUse Swipely to �nd out which servers are winning

with speci�c items like drinks, then share their secrets

with the rest of your team.

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Kenny Louie CC BY 2.0

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8 . G O O N . . . I N D U L G E

Dining out is a luxury; make it feel that way. Train servers to recommend decadent items like cocktails or desserts – guests will enjoy the VIP service and you’ll like the boost in sales.

Showing off your decadent dessert selection might just raise ticket totals and tips.

E X A M P L E

KNOW (AND USE) YOUR STRENGTHSSwipely shows you who is best at selling speci�c

items. Coach servers to apply their successful

approaches to other items you’d like to sell more of.


Sales per week

$500

$450

$400

ranked 5th of out 20 entrees

Dec 11–18 Dec 19–26 Dec 27 - Jan 1 Dec 3–10

$8.5k

$8k

$7.5k

Fish

tac

os

All Entrees

Highlights

Michelle S

Billy J

Donald T

Top servers

Matt O’Connor

Jim Austin

Kelley Riley

Recent customers

Fish tacosAll Entrees

Dec 3 - 10

Fish tacos

All Entrees

$401.98

$8,991.01

Show all 24 servers

Menu Intelligence Fish Tacos

Recent sales Top servers Pairings Reputation Profit boosterScorecard Recent sales Top servers Pairings Reputation Profit Booster

$12.50Cactus Grill 125 Dorrance St., Providence, RI

Recent 4 Weeks

OPPORTUNITIES

Top 20%

Dessert, beer and apps

Wine Dessert Apps (+5)

About

FILTER BY Server shiftComparing all shifts against shifts that Bridget has

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8 astonishingly simple menu tweaks that boost sales

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