A lot of distributors claim to be menu design experts, but are they really? A lot of robotic, build your own menu design websites claim to offer a great menu at a lower cost. But at what price in lost opportunities for your business?

Here are seven rules to follow when looking for a real and objective restaurant menu design expert.

There are a lot of companies that claim to be menu design experts. But are they really? Here are seven things to look for in a restaurant menu design expert (and what to look out for). Finding the perfect menu for your restaurant can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Reason One: Your restaurant menu is the immediate point of contact with your guests.

It’s the centerpiece of your business. It’s also the single most important marketing tool you have for your restaurant. Which is why you need a true restaurant menu design expert to work on your menu. And it needs to include Product Positioning, Highlighting, Mental Anchoring and Strategic Pricing.

Reason Two: Objectivity is key to your overall success in the restaurant business.

A menu designed by a distributor will not be done objectively. The distributor is only offering the menu design service to get and keep your business. So they will tell you anything to get that business, but they are not experienced restaurant menu design experts. Make sure you are working with someone who’s only interest is your success, not their own.

Reason Three: Your menu matrix needs to be completed by a real menu design engineering expert.

There are a lot of people in the foodservice industry who will call themselves experts. But are they really? When selecting a menu design engineering company to partner with, make sure they are only focused on your business, and not their own. Many companies have other interests at heart. They are either direct employees of a distributor, or they are a consultant who is being paid by a distributor. The problem for you is, they are interested in moving cases, and getting as much of your purchase business as possible. In some cases this will be in alignment with your interests. In other instances, it won’t.

Reason Four: Your brand needs to be expressed through your restaurant menu.

Which means you not only need a menu design expert, you also need a brand marketing expert. Again, a lot of companies will make that claim, but are they really? Look at their motivation. WIth HotOperator and our expert team, our interest is in making sure your business is successful. Not at the expense of your purchase decisions, but because we are hired directly by you.

Reason Five: If someone is offering you a free or less expensive menu design engineering service, you can bet you’re paying for it somewhere. This might be in the quality of the final menu, the items they recommend you sell more of, or the process they use. But any way you look at it, you want a true restaurant menu design expert.

Reason Six: Objectivity is critical to your success.

And you simply cannot get honest, trustworthy advice from someone you’re buying food and supplies from. Keep in mind, they want to sell very specific products to your restaurant. That’s why most distributors will do nearly anything they can to get you to buy those items.

Reason Seven: A well engineered restaurant menu is worth a lot of money to your restaurant business over time.

Saving money on your menu is not the best way to take advantage of future success. You simply cannot save your way to success in the restaurant industry. Designing a menu on your own, using an online robot, or worse, having a distributor ‘help’ you with your menu is a sure way to leave a lot of money on your tables, and in the pockets of your guests.

HotOperator has been engineering and designing restaurant menus since 1992. They are, in fact, experts. You can trust them to be objective, professional and responsive. They will offer you advice about marketing trends, new products and brand marketing. And they will do that with one, single goal in mind: to make your restaurant a success.

Contact HotOperator® here!