A menu is the introduction to what a restaurant offers. And for many guests, it’s also their first impression. Designing a menu is a science with huge potential to bring in revenue—if you know how to make the most of it. You can help guide guests decide what they will order —and therefore how much they will spend!

Identify your most frequent guests and invite them to a private tasting of new recipes. Add the most popular specials to your regular menu and eliminate the unpopular ones.

SYSCO OFFERS MENU

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

TO HELP YOU GROW YOUR

BUSINESS!

READING BETWEEN THE LINES OF YOUR MENU The right design for your menu could help your business grow and keep guests coming back.1 Be proactive with changes in your menu’s design, what you offer, and adjust as necessary. Not sure where to start? Take a look at the ideas in this article to help create the best impression for your restaurant.

TAKING AN OBJECTIVE LOOK A good place to start is by identifing the most and least popular dishes on your menu. Create a plan to analyze profits and determine which dishes should stay and which should be retired. This plan should be based on number of dishes sold and should also take into account the cost per serving, the price listed, and profit earned. Some dishes will only need a simple modification to sell better; for example, adding one or two new ingredients to enhance taste can impact menu appeal. The dishes that aren’t profitable, even after these modifications, will need to be completely eliminated from the menu.

LIMITED TIME OFFERS To test out new dishes use limited-time offers (LTOs) featuring seasonal ingredients. Using seasonal ingredients helps you keep costs low, and as a bonus, it’s also appealing to customers, who are looking for fresh, seasonal flavors.

Give your menu a modern twist by offering upscale dishes as specials. These dishes shouldn’t be included on your regular menu but suggested by the servers. Try providing a script to your employees with all the information they should convey to the guests. Hungry diners won’t order food based on the price but on how appetizing the dishes seem.2

Another idea is to offer your regular menu and two additional ones; one for specials and another one for desserts. This allows you to change these offers as often as needed, without needing to print a new menu every time you update the specials or desserts.

Sobremesa

An interest in global cuisines has increased,

especially among Millenials who love

to try new and different flavors.

Source: The Hartman Group

67% OF CONSUMERS order specials that feature seasonal ingredients.3

Your opinion is very important to us. If you have suggestions for future editions of Sobremesa or would like to know more about the topics included here, please email us at: sobremesa@sysco.com. Discover the thousand and one ways

Sysco can help you grow by visiting sysco.com. Until next time!

Place your most profitable items in

the top right corner, and your most

profitable category central on the menu,

to attract the diner’s eye and influence their

ordering decision.

Autumn 2014

WARMING UP TO SOUP Leverage the potential soups offer. Soups are a great way to increase yield and profits. They’re inexpensive to make, too, usually requiring little more than staple pantry items and repurposing leftover ingredients. Soup is a comfort food and most consumers want to try new and different kinds.4 Try offering different variations throughout the year and make sure to offer specials, especially during the fall and winter months. A recent trend to consider is the rise of healthy and gluten-free soups with seasonal ingredients that emphasize freshness.

Here’s a unique, delicious recipe for avocado soup. To make this vegan dish, you will need the following ingredients:

AVOCADO SOUP RECIPE• 2 pounds Sysco avocado

pulp (can substitute with fresh avocados)

• 2 quarts vegetable broth

• ¼ cup white wine

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• 1 ½ cups diced onion

• ¼ cup minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons pepper

• ½ teaspoon powdered guajillo

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Cilantro for garnishing

Start by sautéing the onion and the garlic in the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook at medium-low for 20-30 minutes. This soup will yield sixteen 8 oz portions. Total cost to you? Per serving cost is $0.56* – with a menu price of $3.99 providing you with a profit of $3.43 per dish. * The cost may vary depending on your restaurant’s location and the price of the ingredients you purchase

A LITTLE BIT OF MENU GENIUS Make sure your customers are informed about the menu changes and always ask them for their opinion regarding changes. Include them in your decisions. Identify your most frequent guests and invite them to a private tasting of new recipes. Add the most popular specials to your regular menu and eliminate the unpopular ones. With this feedback you’ll be able craft a menu that’s perfect for your restaurant.

You can make the most of your menu by asking your local Sysco representative about using Sysco’s Menu Services*. By using Sysco’s Menu Services, sales per customer increased an average of $336.31 per week, while the profit margin increased an average of $44.11 per week. Don’t wait to make the most of your menu – learn more about the benefits of this valuable service!

1 Food Tech Connect, Designing Intelligent Menus to Increase Restaurant Profitability, 2013

2 Money.msn.com, Restaurants look for servers who can upsell, 2014

3 Technomic, Leveraging LTOs in Fast Casual, 2014 4 Flavor & The Menu, A Canvas for Flavor, 2013

* The Sysco Menu Services are available in certain US regions. Make sure to verify with your representative that these services are available in your area.

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