If you’re looking for ways to take your menu from great to spectacular, flavor and menu planning should be at the top of your list. Flavor profiles can make or break a dish, and strategically arranging your menu can make it easier to follow favorite dishes, find something new, and draw in new customers. While flavor and menu planning might seem straightforward, there are a lot of things to consider. Here’s a Top 10 list of what to think about when you’re crafting your flavor and menu.
1. Crowdsourcing Tastes and Preferences
The first thing to consider when revamping your flavor and menu is to get the pulse of your customer base. Reach out to customers on social media, get feedback from patrons, and look at food reviews to understand what customers are saying about flavors, menu items, and presentation. Make sure to keep regional food trends in mind, and ask about local favorites. Knowing what current and potential customers feel passionately about is essential for crafting a menu that will draw in new business as well as wow existing customers.
2. Supplies, Sourcing, and Seasonality
At the same time that customer feedback is being gathered, it’s important to keep logistics in mind. What seasonal ingredients are available? If ingredients are out of season, will they lead to significantly increased costs? Where will the food be sourced from? Understanding what products are already included in-house, what ingredients need to be purchased locally or on the market, and what the impact of seasonality has on cost is imperative for crafting flavors and menu items in-line with budget, and sticking to it.
3. Allergens and Dietary Restrictions
Making sure every customer has something great on the table is essential to making sure their experience is consistent with your brand and maximizes profitability. With the prevalence of allergies and food restrictions, menu planning should include options for not only for vegans or those with dairy allergies, but people with nut allergies, gluten sensitivities, and even those who don’t eat pork or fish for religious reasons. Not just including options, of course, but making sure they are just as mindfully crafted as the most luxurious item on the menu.
4. Regional and Global Preferences
If you’re running a global chain of restaurants, considering regional preferences is essential. What’s trending in Japan isn’t necessarily what’s drawing a crowd in France. Developing menu items that speak to regional backgrounds and local food customs, while still drawing on flavor palettes seen throughout the global Restaurant Chain, requires careful consideration and extensive knowledge.
5. Current Trends
What’s new and cool? Food trends often take centerstage for Insta-famous locations, and restaurant patrons often flock to those that “get it” and have their own take. Take the time to consider ingredients, flavor fusions, and presentation options that take a modern twist on classic dishes, or create an updated version of existing cuisines that diners can’t get enough of.
6. Portion Sizes and Prices
On top of making sure items are flavorful and creative, it’s important to consider portion sizes and price points of each. How much will customers need to spend to get a meal, and how filling is the dish? It’s important to keep menus consistent with competitors, and thinking through portion sizes and pricing is of paramount importance to making sure customers see a great value.
7. Plate Presentation
At a global chain of restaurants, coming up with exciting plate presentations that make it around the world can be a challenge. Plate presentation is the difference between a dish that looks like any other and one that is truly special. Pay attention to the colors of the dish, garnishes, and complementary items. Keep in mind that dishes should capture attention, but also be manageable and preferably require minimal effort for diners to manage.
8. Referencing Other Industry Leaders
It’s important to stay true to your brand, but to assess what competitors and industry leaders are doing well to be successful the foodservice market. Watching what works and what doesn’t is a great way to build an initial starting point, helping to quickly develop ideas and save time.
9. Developing Flavor Profiles and Mindfully Crafting Recipes
Let’s face it, some menu items can just be thrown together without much thought. But to truly craft something amazing–the kind of items that customers will rave about–takes time and effort. Leaving room for creativity and experimentation makes the process fun while working towards flavor profiles that keep patrons coming back for more.
10. Utilizing Analytical Tools for Insights into Performance Over Time
Lastly, when crafting a menu it’s important to use analytical tools to measure success and measure progress over time. Having the right tools and insights can help you make key decisions when it comes to your restaurant’s menu—including what’s working and what could be improved, as well as understanding the resulting customer behavior.
When it comes to creating amazing dishes and a menu that will draw customers in, thinking through these Top 10 considerations is an essential part of the process. Utilizing crowdsourcing to get feedback, developing flavor profiles and crafting recipes, and using analytical tools are all essential for success in the foodservice market.
