Superior Spotlight: Las Casa Restaurant & Patio

                                    
          

Small Business Saturday is on November 26^th. This is a great opportunity for small businesses to drive more traffic into their stores, businesses and restaurants.

In honor of the Shop Local Initiative and Small Business Saturday, we are highlighting one of our favorite small businesses, Las Casas Restaurant & Patio in Temple, Texas. 

Meet Ralph Sheffield. Ralph and his wife Debbie have owned Las Casas Restaurant & Patio for the past 34 years! Ralph loves being in charge and has been working in the restaurant business since he was 12 years old. See his success story.

What inspired you to go into the restaurant business?
I went to work at age 12 in the pizza business.  When I was 19, I opened a pizza place in Temple with another guy that I used to work for. In 1977, when I was 21, I opened a pizza by the slice restaurant in the mall. Over the next 4 years I built 40 more pizza shops. I sold that business in 1982, and that year I opened Las Casas and Catering.

How many employees do you have?
35

Do you have any mentors, or have you had any along the way? 
My grandfather was my mentor. He was in the cement business and he taught me about hard work and how to be a people person.

Where do you get your recipes from?
I create all of my own recipes.

Do you offer daily specials? 
Yes

What is the most successful promotion you have ever run for your restaurant? 
White Wing Wednesday. It was a promotion that we ran for 10 years. You could get wings for ½ price when you dine in. It would pack the house and our sales for margaritas and beer tripled. We stopped the promotion about 5 years ago because of the high price of bacon. People still call on Wednesdays to see if we are still doing it.

How often do you change your menu? Do you have a seasonal menu? Do you offer daily specials?
I update our menu about once a year.  We have daily lunch and drink specials on the Patio. And we do offer a children’s menu. We use Superior Menus for our menu printing.

What is your biggest challenge?
Labor and managing food costs.

What do you love most about owning your own business?
I am in control of what happens.

Do you have any additional achievements?
I was the State President of the Texas Restaurant Association from 2002-2003. I was elected in 2007 to serve as State Representative in the Texas House until I left in 2015.

Would you like to be in our next restaurant spotlight? Email us at CustomerService@SuperiorMenus.com attention Wendy

Menu's Made Easy

7 Things You Need to Think About When You Create Your Menu

Your menu is a very important reflection of your restaurant. Other than the meal itself, your menu is the most important piece in making the right kind of impression to your patrons.

In our last post, we covered the 5 essential elements for creating your menu. Now comes the fun part, actually designing and creating your menu. Here are some important things to consider:

1.      Menu Style
Decide which menu style you would like. Are you looking for an affordable option that is basic but still durable? Clear menu sleeves are a low cost alternative for your menu covers. You can easily slide in your new menu as you make changes or updates. Or maybe you are looking for a high end elegant menu with a smooth vinyl cover and album style corners? If these don’t sound like your style, you could create a custom menu that is unique to your business. 

2.      Menu Layout
Research shows that most people will read your menu like a book, starting in the top left corner and read it left to right. So what does this mean for you? Well, if you want to increase profitability, you can place your higher priced menu items in the left hand corner. If you catch their eye early with an enticing menu item, chances are, that is what they will order.  Blocking can also help to organize your menu and help direct eye flow.

3.      Make it Easy to Follow
Group like items together and put them in the order that the customer would order them in. Start with appetizers, move on to entrees, next comes side dishes and lastly desserts. And keep it simple. Having just 20 amazing dishes are far better than 100+ mediocre items. And PLEASE don’t forget to proofread! Nothing is worse than getting all of your menus printed out only to find a glaring typo!

4.      Gather Feedback from Customers

Before you order copies of your brand new menu, stop first and gather some feedback. Ask some of your best customers to come in and take a look at the new menu. You could even pitch the idea as a VIP event with drinks and appetizers. This is a small price to pay for the invaluable feedback you will receive before you launch your new menu!

5.       Choose the Right Kind of Visuals
Just say NO to clip art and illustrations! These types of images won’t do your menu items any favors. And be VERY careful if you are using actual photography of your entrees. We recommend hiring a professional photographer to take these pictures. Some things are just better when left to the professionals!

6.      Print Daily Specials

Most likely, you will have specials. We suggest printing your specials separately each day. Specials are special and should be treated as such.

7.      Don’t Forget to Update!
Food and market prices vary, so it is expected that your prices will fluctuate. You are in business to make money, so when rent goes up or wages are increased or food prices are on the rise; make sure you are making the necessary changes to your menu to cover these increased costs. 

5 Ways to Create a Rock Star Menu!

As a restaurant owner, you are probably always looking for new ways to innovate and create more buzz for your restaurant. Whether you are brand new to the business or a seasoned owner, you know how important the menu is for your business.  From designs to descriptions, there are so many things to think about.

 Here are the 5 necessary elements that you need for an irresistible menu.

1    Decide What to Include
Do you have a family secret recipe for lasagna that is to die for? Well of course, you will have to include it on your menu. Or maybe you grow your own garden and you want to include fresh ingredients; you will want to build your menu options around your garden goodies! Pasta primavera, anyone? Just make sure that your style, your culture & your personality is somehow weaved into your menu.

2    Descriptions
You have decided what you want to put into your menu, now the next step is putting it down on paper. Keep it simple and remain true to your brand identity. If you own a French restaurant, your patrons may expect the menu to be in French. You want your menu to fit the style of your restaurant. The meal names are important, but the descriptions are just as critical. 

Make sure to use descriptive words for the appearance, texture and flavor. If you are describing a savory dish words like “creamy” and “succulent” are good options. Desserts can be described as “light”, “airy” and “rich”.

When referring to how a meal is prepared these are good options:

Blanched
Breaded
Charred
Seared
Caramelized

3    Highlight the Good Stuff!
Seasonal Ingredients and special accommodations are definitely things you will want to bring attention to on your menu. Remember those garden veggies we were talking about earlier, make sure to mention those! And what’s that, you don’t use any chemicals to grow your garden? Feel free to brag that you offer organic fruits and vegetables. If you use local farms for your meats and dairy, mention that too! Make it a point to highlight your low carb, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan or gluten free items. People LOVE that stuff!

4    Organization
Now that you have all of the elements in place for a stellar menu, you have to decide how you will lay out all of your delicious options. Many restaurants offer a separate menu for desserts and wines. We recommend starting with breakfast (if offered), then lunch, then appetizers and then finally moving on to the entrees. Many owners list the most expensive meals first in hopes to catch the eye and wallet of their customers!

5         Style & Design

Now comes the fun part! You get to design your menu! First you get to pick the menu cover or menu sleeve. Are you looking for something formal and embossed or maybe something more casual? Here are some great options in custom menus for covers and inserts! And don’t forget about the Kid’s Menus!

The trick to designing your menu is creating something you are passionate about. When you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work. Your menu is a reflection of your business, so make it yours and make it great!