The following is a guest post from Andrew Call at The Backburner Blog.
Missing out on opportunities in general is unfortunate. Missing out on opportunities to help your restaurant’s staff turn a profit for you, especially if that opportunity comes knocking daily, is not only unfortunate it’s downright unnecessary. When it comes to your restaurant the first and often only impression customers get by way of your food selection comes from your menu, and it’s an impression that you present every time a server seats someone. Surprisingly, many restaurants miss out on the opportunity to take those few pages and turn them into a well-oiled selling machine.
While re-evaluating your menu and opting for a redesign may seem like a lot of work, making the decision can mean the difference between “hmm, maybe I’ll try that” and “wow I can’t choose what to eat first” reactions from your customers.
Here are a few tips for getting started:
Show don’t sell. Making a decision based on price is something everyone has done. Let’s face it, hungry eyes can absolutely devour a delicious burger when browsing the menu but all it takes is a quick peek at the $20 price tag to keep those eyes moving. A tactic that has worked to help move customers past the dollar sign is to literally erase them from your menu. Customers are conditioned to recognize that wily little dollar sign and eliminating it from the equation prompts people to purchase based on something other than price.
In fact, taking focus away from price entirely is a good idea. Rather than setting a menu item’s price off to the side, in line with every other price on the page, try blending it in and making it less daunting. Placing prices casually at the end of a product’s description is a great way to soften the blow and get customers to decide on taste rather than how much an item will hurt their wallet.
Piece by piece product placement. No, this doesn’t mean product placement in the sense of inserting outside brands into your menu. What it does mean is placing each menu item like you would a puzzle piece. You don’t just jam puzzle pieces together regardless of if they fit or not. Each piece needs to be picked thoughtfully and with consideration to the pieces around it, making sure the piece you’re placing fits perfectly. The same is true with your menu. If you haphazardly throw items onto the page you’ll miss the big picture.
You may not have noticed it in your own dining experiences, but people tend to scan menu items in a predictable way. When working through an appetizer, entrée, or dessert list it’s common for customers to start with the top item first then jump to the bottom of the list second, working inward in this fashion. Strange, right? It may be strange but noticing this trend and taking advantage by placing your top sellers in prime locations at the top and bottom of your lists can significantly increase sales of those items. Additionally, using the top right and bottom left corners in the same manner can catch a customer’s eyes as they track across the page.
Create space for new items. Just like adding a new piece of restaurant equipment can up productivity in the kitchen, having a corner of your menu dedicated to new or limited time items can help drive sales and generate customer interest. By simply setting new items apart from your regular menu listing, and advertising with an attractive “NEW” graphic, you highlight those items as ones the customer should pay attention to. If a new item is easy to find and stands out as something special a customer is more likely to make a purchase.
Outside input can be helpful. If you’re not comfortable making changes to your menu, or feel you could benefit from some outside help, there are professional consultants who offer a fresh set of eyes. Menu consultants do a great job of taking the little things about your restaurant and emphasizing them in an appealing way through effective design. Additionally, consultants have taken the time to do demographic research that they can use to improve how your menu targets specific demographics. Let’s face it, reaching as many people in as many demographics as you can means more customers coming through your doors.
Train your servers. Even with the most exquisitely designed menu you can’t guarantee customers will make the most of their meal on their own merit. Training your servers to back up your menu is essential. Helpful suggestions and non-imposing add-ons to a customer’s selection can go a long way if servers can complement your menu. Presenting your selections effectively in menu form is the first step. Giving your servers the strategy needed to back up that menu in a comfortable, informative fashion is the next step when it comes to providing your customers with an exceptional dining experience.
Suggesting a side salad where appropriate, recommending a larger sized item that’s priced just a little higher, and trading up for a specific brand of liquor instead of selecting from your well choices are all ways your servers can subtly persuade customers to feel good about ordering more. In turn, a customer who feels good about ordering more is inclined to come back and invite friends to do the same.
Andrew Call provides blog insights regarding restaurant management and marketing at The Back Burner, which is written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant supply, parts, and a wide variety of food service equipment and sundries.
