We are now creating seasonal menus in our restaurants, it has created a lot of additional work for our chefs and servers.
Menu items need to be researched, created and tested.
Once this process is finalized, the new items are identified, recipes created and costed to insure the items fit into our menu format.
This process concludes with the additions to our menu, a tasting with our staff and the selling to our guests.
This whole process is cumbersome and requires a major commitment by our staff.
The effort allows our restaurant to utilize more local ingredients, keep up with current trends in the industry, keep our staff focused and ultimately, create a buzz with our guests.
Keeping your menu current is an integral component to your restaurant's brand.
If utilized properly, your menu can become a marketing tool.
Create some excitement each time you you unveil your new menu.
You can invite VIP customers into the restaurant for a private tasting, or allow new items to be purchased at a discounted price the first week.
There are many ways to incorporate the new menu into your marketing.
You can even have your guests submit their favorite recipes, have your chef's test them and utilize some of them on your future menus.
The last thing you want to have happen is for your customer's to forget about you, it's hard enough today with our sagging economy and high unemployment rate to keep your restaurant afloat.
We need to make sure we are utilizing every tool available to us in order to keep our restaurants in the fore front of our customer's minds.
Social Marketing is free, everyone is on-board or in the process of utilizing social marketing.
We need to go beyond our marketing budget, think outside of the box and start creating our own culture that continues to wow our guests and entice them to share their dining experience with their friends.
Around every corner in our restaurants are hidden opportunities which can help us grow our business.
Having a seasonal menu, or parts of our menu seasonal, we can partner with local farms, utilize more products, or grow our own herbs.
These are all micro marketing projects that come into play with a seasonal menu.
You can now utilize sourcing local foods in your marketing, "we grow our own herbs", in your marketing.
The marketing is limitless and we are creating it as we go along.
If you can get your whole staff on board, generate a round table discussion on the subject and watch the ideas flow.
You can segment the marketing and have each manager responsible for one section of all the micro marketing ideas.
Now more than ever, we need to develop a social conscience.
Our customers are demanding it and we can use it to our advantage.
Get out ahead of the curve, put your menu to work for you in ways you've never realized were possible.
Get creative and get your staff involved.
Never mind the weather or the economy, people still eat out.
Make your restaurant the restaurant of choice.
The place with all the great ideas