Table Talk: Updating and Changing Dining Menus

According to the National Restaurant Association's annual What’s Hot culinary forecast, top restaurant menu trends continue to focus on local sourcing, environmental sustainability, and nutrition. More than a fad, these trends are true indications of today’s consumers’ increased interest in what they eat and where their food comes from.

Restaurants who keep in step with the movement toward locally sourced, sustainable foods may also notice another trend — the need to regularly change and update their menus. Why? Local sourcing and environmental sustainability often translates to choosing dishes that maximize the use of local produce, which, in many regions, changes seasonally.

So how often should a restaurant change its menu? According to Dan Crumbaker, Executive Chef at the Whitefish Lake Restaurant in Whitefish, MT,

“How often a restaurant produces a new menu varies greatly from establishment to establishment. A lot of it depends on demographics and where they are located.”

“More contemporary and cutting edge restaurants may produce a new menu each night. Some may update it on a quarterly or seasonal basis. Those with a more established, tried and true offering may update once a year or have even greater planning curves. Most restaurants fall somewhere between the two extremes.”

“At the Whitefish Lake Restaurant, we are a resort destination and tend to stay fairly consistent. We revisit our menus seasonally, but due to our location, so much of what we offer is based on availability,” he says. “We always offer daily specials that make the best use of local and seasonal ingredients.”

Superior Menus, Superior Solutions.

Consider this: your menu is the only form of marketing that nearly all of your customers will read. On average, a customer spends two to four minutes reviewing your menu — in some situations, before they ever even enter the restaurant.

Regardless of what your schedule is for updating and changing your menu, count on Superior Menus to assist you in putting your best menu forward. We provide a variety of menu covers and sleeves, as well as menu inserts and accessories that make it easy and affordable to make a good impression.

For example:

Stock Covers and Sleeves

Durable and attractive, stock covers and sleeves are an easy way to update and protect your menu as little or as often as you wish. Simply slide your choice of menu paper inserts between the pages and voila! We offer a variety of styles — from cool and contemporary to traditional and textured — in a wide range of sizes and materials including clear plastic, vinyl, nylon, padded, and more.

Menu Accessories

Flexible and functional, Superior Menus also carries a variety of menu accessories designed to make it easy to add and expand your menus whenever you wish:

• With over 25 unique designs, menu paper inserts are a tasteful and affordable way to update and enhance the look of your menus. 
• Our versatile, convenient and affordable Add-A-Pages are easy to use for fast and easy updates.
• Vinyl page protectors are a great way to prolong the life of your menu papers and help prevent moisture and food from creating undesirable stains.

What’s YOUR strategy for updating menus? How often do you do it? We’d love to know. Please post your thoughts and comments below. 

Catering to Kids: Family-Friendly Ideas

While the trend of implementing “no kids” policies at high-end restaurants may be making headlines across the country, catering to kids and creating family-friendly dining environments can be a smart way to grow your business and build brand loyalty.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the average American family forked over $3,370 on meals away from home in 2011. Add to this the fact that, according to the National Restaurant Association, parties with kids accounted for $84 billion and 15 billion visits last year, it’s easy to see why having a reputation for being “family-friendly” can be key to your success.

Contrary to what people may think, parents really DO enjoy dining out with their children. According to a 2013 survey conducted by Restaurant.com, nearly 6 out of 10 parents dine out with their children at least once a week. 

Their reasons for dining out include:

• 70% say that going out to eat with their kids is a great way to spend time with the family
• 66% reported that they like not having to cook
• 65% appreciate the fact that everyone can order what they want
• 65% liked not having to do dishes

So what are the key ingredients for a successful family-friendly restaurant?

Delicious food, great service and fun activities that make the dining experience a pleasure — for children, as well as their parents.

Consider the 5 following tips:

1. Keep Kids Entertained

Activity placemats that feature puzzles such as word finds, crosswords, and connect-the-dots, as well as games such as tic-tac-toe can be a smart way to keep little ones busy — as well as provide activities they can do with their parents. From mermaids and treasure chests to zoo animals and sports, Superior Menus offers a variety of activity placements, each with their own special theme.

2. Keep Things Colorful

Fifty-three percent of the parents surveyed by Restaurant.com reported that coloring was the key way they entertained their children while dining.

A must-have for any restaurant that caters to kids, crayons and coloring sheets are a popular way to keep children occupied and provide them the opportunity to tap into their creative side.

3. Make It Healthy

According to the National Restaurant Association, “healthy kids’ meals” was the No. 3 restaurant trend in 2013. If you haven’t signed up already, their Kids LiveWell initiative is worth checking out. Designed to help restaurants and food providers offer menu items that meet specific nutritional guidelines, it makes it easy for families to eat out and eat healthy. It’s almost as easy as it is to customize and order our unique selection of kids menus. The hardest part is choosing which theme!

4. Serve It in Kid-Proof Containers

When it comes to kid-friendly dinnerware, kid-proof containers such as our plastic tumblers are a sure bet. Not only are they colorful and fun, they come with a plastic lid and make a great “souvenir” that kids can take home with them and reuse.

5. Make Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

Nearly all respondents (96 percent) of the Restaurant.com survey reported that they have used a coupon or a deal when dining out with their children. Thirty percent reported they do so more often than not. Whether it’s a “Kids Eat Free Day” or “Free Dessert,” discounts and coupons are a great way to keep them coming back for more.

Interested in learning more about how Superior Menus can help you cater to kids? Visit the Kids Products section on our website. And if you’d like to share your own strategy for keeping young patrons engaged and entertained, we’d love to hear about it. Please post your story below. 

Top 10 Reasons for Gift Certificates

"I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage."  -- Erma Bombeck

We all have a little Erma in us.  Mostly kept in check, 'she' runs wild during the holidays!  Wonderful food is the anchor of festive holiday gatherings and romantic, intimate dates alike.  Whether you are sharing a cheerful cappuccino with a dear friend or a family-style meal with your loved ones, the holidays bring out the foodie in all of us.  

Offering gift certificates for purchase helps promote your business in so many different ways.  Here's just the Top 10!

10.  Instant Marketing: Just Add certificate!  John and Beth love-love-love-love your homemade gnocchi.  They know that their friends would love it, too.  Gift certificates are a great way for the Johns and Beth’s to be your instant marketing team!  When your loyal customers purchase a gift certificate for their friends, you've just broadened your client base.

9.     Variety (and your curry shrimp) is the spice of life!  New customers -- and even your loyal standbys! -- are more likely to experiment with your menu if they are paying with a gift certificate.  Then they take their great experience to the office and ... (See No. 10!)

8.     One size fits all.  Mom and Dad.  (Sigh.)  They have everything; they want nothing.  But they love Sunday brunch!  When you offer gift certificates, even those who don't frequent your restaurant or coffee shop are likely to stop in to buy the perfect (easy!) gift that they are certain will be enjoyed.  Even out of town friends and relatives can take advantage of your certificate offer and purchase a gift for their local-to-you friends and family over the phone or on your website.

7.     A special thank you.  The guests at Table 22 have just finished the tilapia and can't stop raving about the sauce!  Why not tuck a gift certificate for a nominal amount into the bill folder?  You will find that this simple gesture given at just the right time will have an surprising impact on your bottom line!  That's another story that will make it to the water cooler ... and beyond!  (See No. 10 ...)

6.     Dinner of the Month Club.  Be super creative and consider selling a dozen certificates in set amounts as a packet, marketing them as a Dinner of the Month Club.

5.     Buy 50 get 10.  Who doesn't like a deal!  Whether you are a high-end dinner establishment or a local coffee shop, why not offer patrons who purchase gift certificates a little perk just for themselves?  When you offer a gift certificate of a particular monetary value -- or just a free cinnamon roll with that morning's coffee, they will ...  (See No. 10 ...)

4.     With certificate you get egg roll. Give your gift giver more holiday bang for their buck and offer a free appetizer or desert ( or both!) to the guest redeeming the certificate.

3.     Get your Santa on!  Think of it as part of your marketing budget if you must -- but donate, donate, donate!  Whether you send a few gift certificates to the local elementary school as a special thank you for the teachers or to the area clinic for the nurses who work so diligently, you can be assured that your good deed with spread like wildfire and you'll have just gained two handfuls of new customers!

2.     Night out!  Consider putting together an entertainment package that puts your restaurant at the center of it all!  Partner with a local limo company and offer certificates for dinner with transportation included to their special event!  Not only will your certificates be available at your restaurant but on the limo website as well!

1.     The gift that keeps on giving back!  Gift certificates are the very best way to promote your business all year long by bringing new customers through the door.  They are an easy, planned-out or spur of the moment marketing tool.  They delight those receiving them as gifts.  They give you a great name when you make donations within the community.  They are a tool to help you forge alliances with other local businesses.  They even soothe a ruffled customer or thank a loyal patron!  The Number 1 reason for offering gift certificates is as clear as a peanut in the Kung Pao:  They market you all on their own!

The Superior Menus Team is delighted to have you as a member of our family and we wish you the very best for a healthy and prosperous New Year! 

A true balance between work and life comes with knowing that your life activities are integrated – not separated.  --   Michael Thomas Sunnarborg  (21 Keys to Work Life Balance)

While workers in all industries strive for work-life balance, few are more challenged to achieve that goal than those in the hospitality industry.   In fact, often times the very idea is so daunting that we throw up our hands in defeat before we ever really get started.

Let’s break it down a bit – define a few stressers – and offer specific suggestions.

Stresser:  I don’t believe anyone can do it but me.   Sometimes, that’s just flat out true.  But not always.  Not even most of the time.  Just realizing that to be the truth puts you half way there in terms of a more balanced mind-set when it comes to your responsibilities.   The more balanced your view -- the more balanced your actions.

Stresser:  No one can do it but me.  Really.   There are going to be times when no one but you can make a decision, place a call, calm the waters.  Create a very short list of those “times” and post it – yep!, literally post it! – in your office or at your station so that those in charge when you’re not available will understand under which circumstances you would expect their call.  Allow yourself three initial revisions, promising to delete at least one entry each time.

Stresser:  I’m never really away.  Probably true.  Yet, there are ways to mitigate the interruptions.  Allow calls to go to voicemail.  Even if you are watching that dreaded number flash on your Caller ID, letting the initial call go (very) temporarily unanswered helps in two ways:  First, you will feel more in control of the situation when you retrieve the message.  You are now acting rather than reacting and just that attitude resets how you will process the interruption and the reason behind it.  Secondly, you are training yourself, believe it or not, to respect your personal time.  If only for a brief moment!  When others see that you are serious about your away-time, they'll take it seriously, too.

Stresser:  I only get one day off a week.  Think we’re going to say, “Force yourself to take two!”?   Nope!  We’re going to encourage you to really take that day.  If you are able to choose, make it a day of the week when your son normally has his basketball game or your daughter has dance class.  Being truly present in your personal life – both feet in! – will allow you to feel that you’ve really had a day off. 

Stresser:  There's no one I can count on.  This may or may not be true ... but we think you'll be surprised when you ask.  Sit down with each member of your staff -- a one-on-one -- and you may well uncover some pretty marvelous skills that may have not been apparent or put to use in their current position.  You may find that your dishwasher is there because she's new to town and may have just completed an internship in the community affairs office.  You may find that your hostess spent many years as an executive assistant and now simply likes the meet-and-greet experience. 

Whether you embrace these suggestions or simply allow them to be food for thought, the Superior Menu's Team wishes you a successful season -- and time to enjoy the upcoming holiday splendor! 

What is the other guy doing right?

"Fast casual restaurants in New Jersey continue to grow and grow."                                                                                                                                          NJ.com, Aug.5, 2013

Fast casual dining.  It's a business model that's working.  What are these often thought of as cookie-cutter restaurants doing that not only continue to hold their diners interest but is now increasing the number of diners they draw? 

Let's take a look at some of their tried-and-true approaches that keep their hungry customers coming through the door.

Be our guest.  According to Clarence Otis, CEO of Darden Restaurants, atmosphere and consistency are key.  "Casual dining really satisfies the fundamental emotional needs (of the diner) .. people want to slow down, relax and reconnect and be with family and friends." 

Is your restaurant comfortable?   We mean in every way.  From the lighting to the arrangement of tables and booths to the style of your wait staff, is it a space that invites diners to relax and enjoy their time there?  Take a look during a dinner service.  Are your customers enjoying not only the food but the experience?  Enhancements may be as simple as turning down (or up!) the music; changing the color of the napkins; turning up (or down!) the lights.

Something for everyone.   Offering menu selections that make it easy for diners to find something that everyone at the table will be able to enjoy makes your place the 'place to go' when families with ever-picky teens and friends with the vegetarian hubby need to choose a place for lunch.  

Variety doesn't have to mean a 10-page menu.  Your seafood-topped Caesar salad may be the best in the county -- but offer it with or without the shrimp and now you have two selections for your customers to choose.    Build your own burger is another great way to create a something-for-everyone atmosphere.    Now take that build your own burger attitude and get creative!  Perhaps your customers can create their own pasta with add-ins or sauce choices.

Consistency, consistency, consistency.  Abraham Lincoln advised, "Whatever you are, be a good one."  If you are the burger joint -- be the best burger joint EVERY time.   When your customer praises your "burger, tonight!" the emphasis shouldn't be on the 'tonight'.

Experts tell us one of the primary reasons why fast casual establishments continue to grow in popularity is that people know what to expect in terms of quality.   These days more than ever, with dining out budgets being slim to non-existent, customers are less likely to take a chance that Jimmy is cooking tonight and will probably opt for a restaurant where they know the quality will be what they expect.

Road Trip.   The idea isn't to become cookie-cutter or to be a carbon copy of the local Applebee's, but to take a clear-eye look at what is working -- and working well -- for the casual dining model.    One of the very best ways to do this is .. become the customer!  Meet with a few friends, enjoy a meal and talk candidly about the experience.   The entire experience!

Employee Retention- Is Turnover the name of the game?

"Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can't miss."  Lee Iacocca

Even with the current job market, in the restaurant industry, employee retention numbers are staggering.   According to Restaurant News, as much as 50% of a fast-food restaurant’s staff should be expected to turn over in every given year.  Casual dining restaurants average a turnover rate of 44% -- a cost of nearly 3.5 billion dollars in recruiting and training.  How do you tackle the chore of retaining and sustaining the value of a one of your most crucial assets? 

Below are a few tried and true ways to keep your employees happy – and employed with you!  Let’s take a closer look at Mr. Iacocca’s suggestions:

If the shoe fits.  Even Cinderella’s Prince knew how important it was to have the right fit.  Make a short list of the qualities that you need your employees to have.  Not just the experience; not just the technical know-how – but the personal qualities.  Need some help deciding?  Try this trick: If your restaurant/business were a person … what would he/she be like?  Young, enthusiastic, energetic?  Gentle, soft-spoken, conservative?  Choose your employees as you would a “friend” for your restaurant.

Rules are good.  Effectively communicating the rules – even better.  “Any student can hit any target if you identify it and hold it steady” is a common adage in education – but a remarkable tool for management, as well.   Clearly define your rules.  Keep them consistent -- from staff member to staff member.  Sue doesn’t get a different set of rules than Jim.  They may not like the rules – but they will respect the fairness. When your employees have clearly defined guidelines, they’ll know themselves where they need to be. 

You can do it!  Motivate your employees with achievable reward programs.  Raising the bar unrealistically high will have the exact opposite effect.  Consider rewarding your employees weekly – or even daily.  It helps to keep everyone focused with their eye on the prize.  

We appreciate you!  Think out of the box when you think “reward.”  Monetary gifts are welcomed pats-on-the-backs, but it may surprise you to find that so is the “Thank you, Brian.  Great job.  We really are lucky to have you on our team.”   Offer gift certificates that your employees can share with their families – or even a percentage off the bill for those invited by your server or chef or dishwasher.  That will be a certain win-win!


These are just a few ideas that may help in encouraging your staff to feel good about where they are – and great about the work they do!  

Customer Loyalty

"There is a big difference between a satisfied customer and a loyal customer."  ~ Shep Hyken

Sally Smith takes three creams and never forgets to ask how your mom is feeling.   Jim Davis loves Prosecco and wouldn't consider entertaining prospective clients anywhere but your place -- and his tips reflect his gratitude for the part you play in his success.  Mrs. Rudolph likes a sunny booth by the window and always has "a little something" for you.

They are your loyal customers.  They are the "bread and butter" that keeps you going.  Oh, sure, special city events and even graduation season can quickly improve your bottom line -- but you can count on Sally's grande each and every morning.

Thanking them in a special way is not only a nice thing to do -- it's good business.  Here are a few ways to recognize your regulars and inspire new friends:

Punch Cards ...  No groaning!  Tried and true, punch cards remain a marketing staple because they are a good way of rewarding customers.   That's not to say you can't shake up the system a bit!  Offer to keep either paper or electronic cards on file.  That way, your customer is no longer digging for that little piece of paper amongst the too-many others.  Arrange your paper file in alphabetical order for easy retrieval -- or on your computer by telephone number -- and make taking advantage of their reward that much easier.

Go Fish ...  Fish bowls into which your customers drop business cards are not only a great way of fairly drawing for a free lunch, but an instant way of securing names and addresses for your upcoming marketing mailings.   Make a game of it and have a customer draw the winner.  Draw daily so that everyone knows they aren't dropping into a bottomless marketing pit!

Merry Christmas and Happy St. Patrick's Day ... Encourage customers to purchase gift cards by either offering a percentage off of the value of the card or by presenting them with a free card at the fraction of the value of the cards purchased.   Perhaps a $10 gift card for every $50 purchased.  Whether they tuck their “extra” card into their pocket or into an envelope for the paper carrier, you've just assured yourself of another smiling face at your door.

Jim-estroni ... Have some fun with your menu while engaging (and saluting!) your customers.  Have a drop box where new items to the menu can be suggested.  Use a suggestion and give a menu-credit shout-out (not to mention a free sample!) to the customer who made the drop!

 Slam Dunk ... As you look for new ways to attract customers and reward those who are already a part of your business family, don't forget that being willing to sponsor the dunking booth for the high school basketball team or donating the corn-on-the-cob for the Special Olympics fundraiser helps the community see that you really are a part of the bigger picture.

These are just a few ways of continuing to deepen your relationships with your current customers and develop a new, profitable client base.

As always, our Superior Team would like to hear the ways that you make new friends and celebrate your current customers!