[Amanda]

There is a problem makes me headache:how to make the menu always attractive ?



As a hotelier, i rack brains to find different ways to low the cost and increase the profit. Recently,i find our menu have a big problem. As the result of different season, various prices, various pictures, everyday's special,etc. we have to chang our restaurant menu for 2-3 times/month to update. That's cost a lot.Sometimes, the ordered ingredients our out of stock, we have to say sorry. That's really terrible to customers. On the other hand, the page of menu is limited, sometimes we can't display all our cuisines on it. Also, the paper menu is not attractive enough.



I told my friends in this line, most of them said they also have this problem. One of them recommend us one product called iMenu. He said it is a electronic menu based on iPad, you can put all of your cuisines on the iPad, what's the most important, you can change your price & pictures at any time through the CMS, it is very convenient to update the data. By this way, you need to invest on the menu just one time, it greatly reduce the menu cost. Further more, because of the iPad, it becomes more fashion and higher level. It can attract more young customers.



It is said, there is a link on App store for free, i want to have a try. http://itunes.apple....d397791318?mt=8 if you are also interested in , have a try and share ideas with me, TKS!



Amanda

[chefdiplomat]

Why don't you use Chalk Boards and put yourself out of the misery? Good luck and try and find some positive energy in your everyday work.

[AlainRichard]

AMANDA,


One of my good friend has a successful restaurant down in Panama (Central America. He has a limited menu that changes every single day.

You attract new guests, old guests all the time for the variety. Impeccable service and personal involvement makes his success.

Depends on what he can buy he'll cook something different everyday.


Regards


Alain

[expat]

Hi
i wonder,you state, as a hotelier you have this problem.Does this mean,you have this issue in a inhouse restaurant within a hotel?
If so,you have much bigger problems with purchase,storescontrol,FC,Executive Chef etc,then the menu is the smallest issue
for menu attractivness, there are lots of tools, but first of all it should match the market-needs
if the people want fast changing menues,go for weekly chenging,if its seasonal,make quarterly changing menues

If you are a free standing restaurant guests might accept your short comings in supply safety visa your menu,if you are a hotel-restaurant,than this is totally unacceptable,given even a market difficult as egypt for example

other forms to make it easier have been mentioned,such as chalk boards, mirrors etc to avoid printed menues.
best regards
expat

Amanda, on 22 February 2012 - 06:54 AM, said:

There is a problem makes me headache:how to make the menu always attractive ?



As a hotelier, i rack brains to find different ways to low the cost and increase the profit. Recently,i find our menu have a big problem. As the result of different season, various prices, various pictures, everyday's special,etc. we have to chang our restaurant menu for 2-3 times/month to update. That's cost a lot.Sometimes, the ordered ingredients our out of stock, we have to say sorry. That's really terrible to customers. On the other hand, the page of menu is limited, sometimes we can't display all our cuisines on it. Also, the paper menu is not attractive enough.



I told my friends in this line, most of them said they also have this problem. One of them recommend us one product called iMenu. He said it is a electronic menu based on iPad, you can put all of your cuisines on the iPad, what's the most important, you can change your price & pictures at any time through the CMS, it is very convenient to update the data. By this way, you need to invest on the menu just one time, it greatly reduce the menu cost. Further more, because of the iPad, it becomes more fashion and higher level. It can attract more young customers.



It is said, there is a link on App store for free, i want to have a try. http://itunes.apple....d397791318?mt=8 if you are also interested in , have a try and share ideas with me, TKS!



Amanda

[expat]

Hi
apart from my recent reply,can you enlighten me further,what you mean with several specials,changes etc? this all happening in a hotel restaurant?
seems,there is no real plan how to run the place in the first place.
ok,here the basic plan:
1. general menue,standards
2. Seasonal additional menu,usual quarterly according to supply seasons
3. weekly menu due to cheapest availlable item
4. daily special to get rid of left overs
nobody in the trade combines this menus or the FB secretary get mad
nobody base a general menu on the rest,it should be the other way round to make the place more attractiv
all depends on a general in place purchase system,which constantly checks the market,with or without the personal asistance of the chef(i hate the market hopping executive chefs,which pretend to taste each strawberry themselfs...general availability checks once a year excluded)
IF the purchase is settled,its time to organise your stores,to define a min and max system,depending on your usage,avallability of the suppliers and much more
IF the stores are settled,and if your executive chef understands finally,that not all menus can be combined and IF the FB takes out his hand or stops finding new ideas every week,it might work out normal
best regards
expat
(cost cutting begins after the implementation of a system,not before)

Amanda, on 22 February 2012 - 06:54 AM, said:

There is a problem makes me headache:how to make the menu always attractive ?



As a hotelier, i rack brains to find different ways to low the cost and increase the profit. Recently,i find our menu have a big problem. As the result of different season, various prices, various pictures, everyday's special,etc. we have to chang our restaurant menu for 2-3 times/month to update. That's cost a lot.Sometimes, the ordered ingredients our out of stock, we have to say sorry. That's really terrible to customers. On the other hand, the page of menu is limited, sometimes we can't display all our cuisines on it. Also, the paper menu is not attractive enough.



I told my friends in this line, most of them said they also have this problem. One of them recommend us one product called iMenu. He said it is a electronic menu based on iPad, you can put all of your cuisines on the iPad, what's the most important, you can change your price & pictures at any time through the CMS, it is very convenient to update the data. By this way, you need to invest on the menu just one time, it greatly reduce the menu cost. Further more, because of the iPad, it becomes more fashion and higher level. It can attract more young customers.



It is said, there is a link on App store for free, i want to have a try. http://itunes.apple....d397791318?mt=8 if you are also interested in , have a try and share ideas with me, TKS!



Amanda

[Beni]

i think Amanda tries to grab the attention for the audience here to the advantages of an IPAD as Menu support
as explained by expat you get the feeling that the menu and items are huge driving it to be more of no systematized operations.

warmest regards

[chefy]

At one of my last places I split menu in 3 area's
1) Permanent Classis (top selling items, good margin
2) Seasonal menu (changed every 2 month)
3) Weekly Specials

Last but not least, sometimes we had daily specials they where only word of mouth, waiter announced them to guests verbally only

I believe we run very good with it, increased year to year revenue more or less dramatically and could always go with seasons and try new things.
Important was always had some evergreens on menu, classic comfort dishes which patrons can order if they dont feel like the new modern / in-stuff

[expat]

Hi Chefy
its classic,as mentioned above
why try to implement something above this,if the person is not seasoned enough to set up the classics first?
best regards
expat

chefy, on 01 March 2012 - 11:36 AM, said:

At one of my last places I split menu in 3 area's
1) Permanent Classis (top selling items, good margin
2) Seasonal menu (changed every 2 month)
3) Weekly Specials

Last but not least, sometimes we had daily specials they where only word of mouth, waiter announced them to guests verbally only

I believe we run very good with it, increased year to year revenue more or less dramatically and could always go with seasons and try new things.
Important was always had some evergreens on menu, classic comfort dishes which patrons can order if they dont feel like the new modern / in-stuff

[chefy]

@ expat
i still wondering why a hotelier wants to make menu.
isnt that the job of the chef & FB?.
The second reason, why I did
classis fix and small seasonal changing is to keep my cooks happy.
Have them bring in new Idea's, not cook every day all year same stuff
Start utelizing different seasonal products
Where I am now, I still do same, similar fashion as much as i can adapt it
for my current assignment and location. but yet the same principle.
Comfort food basics and some other stuff too to cover a wider spectrum.
If you like to go out and enjoy food (like something more modern) and your spouse / partner
likes only comfort / regular where u go? I try to cover this area, serving little bit of both. In a Seafood Restaurant, u only serve seafood or also one or two meat dishes, for people who don't eat seafood? don't want to loose family of 10 just because to lazy to have one meat dish

[expat]

Hi chefy
fully agree with the question,what the "hotelier" is putting his fingers into this business...
as for the rest,also agree,as its classical setup,nearly running everywhere,there must be a reason for it.
do the same in at least one place in each hotel i work
best regards
expat

chefy, on 04 March 2012 - 03:32 AM, said:

@ expat
i still wondering why a hotelier wants to make menu.
isnt that the job of the chef & FB?.
The second reason, why I did
classis fix and small seasonal changing is to keep my cooks happy.
Have them bring in new Idea's, not cook every day all year same stuff
Start utelizing different seasonal products
Where I am now, I still do same, similar fashion as much as i can adapt it
for my current assignment and location. but yet the same principle.
Comfort food basics and some other stuff too to cover a wider spectrum.
If you like to go out and enjoy food (like something more modern) and your spouse / partner
likes only comfort / regular where u go? I try to cover this area, serving little bit of both. In a Seafood Restaurant, u only serve seafood or also one or two meat dishes, for people who don't eat seafood? don't want to loose family of 10 just because to lazy to have one meat dish

[AinV]

@Amanda: More info please!

[hotelogix]

To make menu attractive you should be doing some attractive things in the work like designing etc

This post has been edited by EhotelierModerator: 21 March 2012 - 11:37 PM

[chefy]

I wonder why hotel people always think they are the smartest and know all. There is so much we can learn from stand alone restaurants / shopping mall outlets / coffee shops.
why the more sucessfull then hotel run outlets??????
I dont agree to much with last post. while presentation is of course important. People will see soon if no substance behind it.
Go with the seasons / have your classics and some small specials.
Take in account that special events / dates where u are. Starting easter promotion / deco 2 day before easter really doesnt help you to get easter business.