There are 100’s of ice cream flavours, yet the most popular is and always will be vanilla. And I would wager that the most popular pizza is pepperoni, plain potato chips are the best sellers and chicken noodle soup rules.
I could continue with other examples but the point I am trying to make is vanilla sells and consistently increases revenue. In the restaurant business we call them Stars, a consistent menu item that is popular and contributes to the bottom line.
Why do you think most restaurants have 30 to 50% of the same menu items?
Recently I had a conversation with a popular restaurant chain as they were to embark on a brainstorming session to develop ideas to maintain the bottom line without taking menu price. Presently, with such a varied menu they are forced to carry extra ingredients, extensive and on-going staff training and longer cook times, which all add up to increased food and labour costs.
Hence the search for vanilla begins.
The first place to find dollars is to evaluate the menu and delete any items that either do not sell, only have single use ingredients, and of course do not contribute to the bottom line. Next assess the balance of the remaining menu and potential new items to improve the process and profit.
That said, if every restaurant sold only vanilla, the experience and the menus would be very boring and bland.
I am first in line and very enthusiastic about recipe ideation, developing new flavours, testing taste profiles and to always be in pursuit to make every meal better and different-in essence to find a unique vanilla.
The eclectic style and endless selection of restaurants is what makes the industry so dynamic and pushes all to constantly improve and innovate. Therefore, all suppliers and operators should be finding, refining, and defining their own vanilla in every aspect of operations, marketing, and innovation.
The more vanilla on the menu, the more sales you can scoop to the bottom line.
How would you grow the bottom line without increasing menu prices?
Scott Moore, President of Stir Creative Communication Inc., has been helping foodservice and hospitality suppliers and operators increase sales for over 30 years. For innovative and revenue-increasing programs, marketing and promotional campaigns and much more, contact Scott at 905-484-3094, scott@stircommunications.ca, or visit www.stircommunications.ca.