Specialty Food Magazine

Spring 2017

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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Adhere to Current Language and Organization Trends These trends can help send a clear message to customers about who you are through your menu. Group items by category or priority. In addition to batch- ing items in categories, like "protein" or "from the grill," also feature your most popular selections. "Call out signature items or house specials as they are the foundation of your menu and make up a hefty portion of your sales," Bowser says. "They deserve extra attention. Their continued success will allow you to experiment with other newer items." Zingerman's Deli lists its best sellers as the "All-Time Top 10 Sandwiches." Zingerman's numbers sandwiches for conve- nience, and lists "Staff Favorites" separately. Be clear about what you are offering. If you're highlighting vegan fare or gluten-free or other dietary concerns, make sure to note that on the menu. Ledgers are also becoming popular to help you add information without taking up too much space (like V for vegan; GF for gluten-free, or S for seasonal). Take advantage of small plates. According to a DataSsential MenuTrends service and keynote report, small plates are now found in 39 percent of casual dining restaurants, up 10 percent in the past year and 48 percent over the last four years. So, if you're a full-service restaurant, consider trading out words like "starters" and "appetizers" for "small plates" or "sharing plates." Spiegel says, "People build their meals out of small plates and especially enjoy the fun, communal feel it gives." The small plate mentality is also an area where diners are will- ing to take more risks. "[Small plates] can be an opening for menu innovation or creativity," notes Noveshen, who adds that diners would rather take a gamble on something smaller versus an entree. Customize your menu based on platform. Consider whether your menu will be viewed in person, via your app, or other web-based fast ordering. "The entire way that convenience has been defined has been disrupted with the advent of on-demand meal deliv- ery services like UberEATS, Caviar, DoorDash, and, in the grocery model, Instacart," says Kalt, of The Culinary Edge. "There's another level of immediacy that people are expecting where they have to do nothing and have their food delivered to their door in five minutes." These new visual platforms will give foodservice menus a makeover. "Think pictures versus massive amounts of text," Kalt says. Spiegel agrees: "An online menu needs to speak higher volumes because there is no person behind the counter or a server to explain the dishes." Optimize Your Menu's Visibility on Social Media As the Zagat Guide takes a backseat to Instagram and Snapchat, restaurateurs are realizing the value of having a robust social media platform where they can offer both behind-the-scenes glimpses of how a dish is prepared or how they operate as a culture. "Foodservice establishments can use these platforms success- fully to make their food look super sexy and glamorized. It's a way for them to get input on menu items and see what resonates more with their followers—and how that translates into sales," Kalt says. While a restaurant's highest-value clientele in today's world is the people who follow it on social media, Spiegel cautions, "an online community that becomes viral is more powerful and can be more difficult to navigate than putting an old-fashioned sign in front of your restaurant and writing your daily specials." She says combining the value of your social media inf luencers with old-fashioned grass- roots marketing and brand ambassadors to solicit for you, can be a win-win for menu inspiration. Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. 48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com

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