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Incremental appetizer sales build check averages and revenues, a truth that sends operators on scouting missions for appealing first-course options. Many have found that seafood ushers in meals with aplomb, [...]

WITH A WIDE-RANGING MENU and an address right in Chicago's Loop, Petterino's has been attracting a steady lunch crowd since it opened two years ago. But it had a problem. [...]

A SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE spring roll with Asian dipping sauce sounds like it has all the right elements to be a menu winner--spicy New Orleans sausage paired with popular shrimp [...]

Keeping the customers hooked on the seafood offerings of a restaurant requires some hard work and persistence on the part of the owners and the staff. Promotions for these items must be directed in such a way as to keep customers interested and to attract other consumers. The restaurant can be expanded to accommodate a wider client base or the menu can be modified to offer a wider selection. Further, there is a need to ensure the safety of the seafood items on the menu., WHAT TYPES OF MARKETING STRATEGIES WORK? When an operation enjoys a loyal following for its seafood dishes, promotions to increase sales must be tailored to the more sophisticated, seafood-educated customer. [...]

Once seafood items are introduced on the menu it is important to keep these offerings and to expand the selection. Promotions such as buffets and eat-all-you-can offerings as well as radio and television spots and word-of-mouth referrals are important aspects of keeping customers interested and happy. The restaurant servers also play pivotal role not only in promoting dishes but also in getting feedback from diners., NOW THAT YOU'VE INTRODUCED SEAFOOD TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, HOW DO YOU KEEP THEM INTERESTED? For Bob McDevitt, vice president of marketing for Raleigh, N.C.-based Golden Corral, 'fun' is the operative [...]

Independent restaurateurs can adopt the steps used by chain operators for managing the addition of new menu items. These include determining the objectives of adding new items, developing a time table for including new items, creating a list of possible menu items, choosing from the list, asking focus groups to evaluate their appeal and developing prototypes of the most appealing menu items., Are you sure that new menu item of yours will be a success? Your gut says so, but what about your head? There's a better way to develop new ideas [...]

Tweaking existing items, rather than adding new ones, may be the key to culinary success. `SURE, WE'D LIKE TO CREATE another icon--a silver bullet that makes the competition go away. [...]

Whether traditional or not, weddings today express a distinctly personal style, right down to the menu. It's an image of romance vivid enough to make someone already married want to [...]

Selling the Extras at Lunch Profitable lunches can be a tough sell when you're dealing with dieters and snackers and customers whose own financial well-being has taken a nose dive. [...]

Casseroles, soups, and stews are folksy favorites around the country. When I asked my butcher why be couldn't get me any short ribs, be said, 'Because all I have go [...]

THE MIDSCALE ADVANTAGE: MENU, SERVICE AND VALUE Chains and independents provide comfort to customers in times of demographic and economic change. Real sales are up 5% over last year at [...]

Good things happen when kitchens cross-utilize ingredients: SKUs (stock-keeping units) remain at a minimum and production is simplified. Today rising commodity costs and slumping sales have demanded an even greater [...]

Few things are more frustrating at the end of a long day on the trail than to still feel hungry when all that day's meals have been consumed. Menu planning [...]

Food service operators should use their menus as operational and merchandising tools. Menus can be used for advertising, kitchen staff training, ingredient cross-utilization, managing food costs and attracting customers. Operators can increase their profits by using flexible materials that would allow easy changes in their menus, avoiding formula pricing and applying rounded prices. Operators are also advised to highlight and categorize specific menu items and to use appealing menu descriptions and layouts., Of the kitchen is the heart of a foodservice establishment, then the menu is its soul. A good menu is a powerful merchandising tool that makes an important statement about [...]

The creative talents of chefs are being restricted by the introduction of standard menus by restaurant and hotel groups seeking cost savings. Some chefs are comforted by maintaining a standard menu and find it challenging to consistently meet the standards specified by head office, while others will leave the establishment due to the constraints. Customers may become dissatisfied with a standard menu which could ultimately lead to a loss of custom and so eradicate the cost saving benefits. The experiences of two chefs who work with standard menus are described.

COCKTAIL-MENU MAKEOVER Yes, you can serve your favorite foods fried chicken! anything Italian!during the cocktail hour. See how caterer Nisa Lee (nisalee.com), in Pelham, New York, turned basic fare into [...]

MENU GUIDE SUMMER PICNIC Smoky Chipotle Hummus with Garlic Bagel Chips* Roast Beef Sandwiches with Whole Grain Mustard and Cranberries 85 Cantaloupe and Celery Salad with Mint Vinaigrette 56 TO [...]

MENU SERVES 8 OAXACAN ALMOND-RICE SHAKE HIBISCUS COOLER FRESH FRUIT STICKS WITH CHILE SALT GRILLED BEEF AND PORK TAQUITOS MENU SERVES 6 TO 8 PAN-ROASTED SHRIMP GRILLED SPRING ONIONS SLAB [...]

Not into all the fanfare that accompanies a formal wedding? Freaked out by triple-digit guest lists? Turned off by the 12-piece orchestra, the endless receiving line, the garter toss? If [...]

By Cheryl Sternman Rule, Special to R&I Well-written menus are terrific sales tools that use a bit of consumer psychology to help boost check averages. It's no secret that printed [...]

Experienced chefs know all about the importance of gross profit margins and the like, but now there are computer programs that let you analyse every tiny detail of a menu [...]

The intolerance to Lactose in milk makes people in Australia to prefer dairy free dishes. Chefs like David Hunter, the executive chef at Golden door health retreat in Queenland's Willowvale include a range of delicious dairy free dishes like sweet potato and mushroom frittata, fresh sea bass and ocean trout spring rolls.

Sean Conolly, the 35 year old chef in Astral restaurant in Star City Hotel, prepares menus which are very innovative dishes reflecting wonderful fresh produce that he uses to create memorable meals. He is an expert in preparing desserts that match the wine and food.

MICHAEL SANSON I've got a suggestion for you. Right before your customers pay their next bill, propose the 'appropriate' tip they should leave. Sounds awfully pushy, doesn't it? Maybe so, [...]

A menu price that ends in a '9' usually conveys to consumers an impression of an item's value, while prices ending in 'O' may say something about quality. This paper [...]

You take dollars to the hank, not percentages We hear this question more than any other: Is my food cost too high? There are many who belong to the old [...]

Vegetarian is one of those food categories that some operators find intimidating. Perhaps they've tried menuing vegetarian options in the past and have been disappointed by the sales performance, or [...]

The secret to whipping up a good batch of czarnina is knowing how much blood to use. George Burzynski, owner of Polonez Restaurant in Milwaukee, says 1 cup of blood [...]

Okay operators, it's time to boast about your performance in the kitchen. REMEMBER WHEN BURGER KING touted broiling versus frying? Well, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Promoting [...]

A WINE LIST DIVIDED into stylistic categories makes choosing easier at Le Bocage, a French-Northern Italian restaurant in Watertown, MA. 'It helps customers find the style of wine they like [...]

Keeping doors open late is tricky, but many who have braved the dark have found the payoff. Anyone who has put in late hours at the office or gotten out [...]

A common joke among menu developers is that if they take one menu item from a competitor, it's stealing; if they take two, it's research. But according to chef and [...]

Krispy Kreme is exploring new avenues outside of the doughnut district. Starbucks continues to brew up measures to draw customers who might be seeking alternatives to coffee. And Cinnabon is [...]

Changes to the menu at Dermott's Restaurant were made to reduce costs, although old favourites on the menu had to be retained due to customer demand.