Your menu is a fantastic marketing tool and a way to tempt guests to choose certain dishes on your menu. The average guest spends just 3.5 minutes viewing a menu before making a decision. List your most profitable dishes in the first half of your menu with 8 to 10 items in each category.
Your guests need to be impressed by your menu and be convinced of its value. Descriptions appeal to the five senses and name the "best" ingredients.
A signature dish does not have to be your most expensive item, it can be a low price dish with WOW factor. The dish is what you are famous for, so own it. It should be a dish that guests only experience at your restaurant.
Guests want robust flavors, so deepen and intensify flavors through the layering of specific ingredients. By using a variety of herbs and spices, flavor profiles become multi dimensional. Use combinations that are hard for guests to recreate at home.
Grab attention by using some unusual ingredients. For example, use beef cuts that tempt the guest, such as Kobe, certified Angus or organic. Offer the option to pay extra for a premium ingredient in some dishes.
Give guests the option of several side dishes to increase choice and boost revenue. For example, offering a delicious side salad of mixed greens, pistachios, mandarin oranges and Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette.
All staff should know which are your most profitable dishes. Encourage them to recommend the dishes when appropriate.
