Looking for a ridiculously simple and cost-effective way to improve the bottom line for your restaurant? Consider revamping your menu. With a better presentation, careful price consideration, and–if you want to get ambitious–a new item or two, you can create significant change. Here are a few aspects of your menu that you should consider carefully if you do decide to make changes.
- Psychological pricing. For a long time, the norm in most restaurants was to price items just shy of the nearest dollar amount. ($9.95, or $14.99, for example.) The idea behind this: those five cents don’t mean a whole lot to the company, but they will often make customers feel better about the amount that they are spending. In recent years, this trend has reversed, (with the exception of fast food) because customers are becoming more aware of this effect. Even dollar prices ($7, $16, etc.) tend to make for a cleaner, more high-end style presentation.
- Upsell indulgences. Special treats should receive special priority on your menu. After all, you can already count on the majority of customers purchasing your staple items: desserts and add ons are much more likely to get passed over. Also, indulgences can generally be priced at a higher margin of profit, because people are generally willing to dish out a bit more for treats than for ‘necessities.’
- Reduce clutter. Speaking of a clean, high end presentation, beware of over-crowding your menu, as this can actually make the photos and attention-getting devices you employ less effective.
- Seasonal Menus. Adding seasonal specials can be a great way to boost sales while also making your kitchen more efficient. This can be accomplished either by adding new items to the menu, or by limiting certain items to the season in which they sell best.
- Invest in plastic menus. Paper menus and other low-quality options may save a quick buck at first–but they will ultimately reflect poorly on your business, as they can become dirty or torn very quickly. Invest in high-quality, water-stain-and-tear-proof plastic menus with ID Source to create a fantastic impression!