The rise of minimalism has entered the food service industry. Benefiting both the customer and the establishment, a simple and to-the-point menu update will create faster turnover, increased customer satisfaction, and higher profit sales.
Food Service Direct, the premier online marketplace for all things food industry, shares the following information to help you maximize profits at your bar with small changes.
Categorize Items By Their Profit and Popularity
Gone are the days where items are separated by chronological eating order—now, menus should be grouped by their impact using these four categories:
- Very popular & profitable dishes
- Very popular & low profitability dishes
- High profitability & low popularity
- Low profitability & low popularity.
Strategic placement in this manner will have an almost immediate ROI.
Minimize Variety
By limiting the number of options on your menu, you’ll help speed up the decision process and steer customers toward your star dishes. Experts say somewhere between 7-10 options is the sweet spot.
Use Photos—But Not Too Many
Quality over quantity. Too many and your menu looks messy, too little and customers don’t know your style. One, professionally taken photo per page is key.
Offer Variations At An Upsell
An easy way to upsell your items is to offer nontraditional modifications on your menu. Options like alcohol with dessert, the ability to double your meat, split entrees but still get personal sides, etc. However, you run the risk of being too messy again, so only add
the most marginal modifications on the menu.
Entice Customers With Decoy Dishes
Place the pricier dishes at the top of the menu, which will create the perception that other items are really inexpensive. Customers will notice these lower-priced dishes and assume they’re getting a bargain—and who can resist a bargain?
