According to The National Restaurant Association, the foodservice industry is on target to reach $1 Trillion dollars in sales this year. And when asked what stands out in the industry, here’s what they had to say (and what HotOperator recommends for taking advantage of those trends).

But before we get to that. Keep in mind, a strong message became clear: People want human contact when dinning out. You know, people helping people. So, take note before you try to tighten staff with computers.

The Key findings:   

1. Sales are up: The foodservice industry is forecast to reach $1 trillion in sales in 2024.

Is this sales in more people going out to eat? Nope. It’s mostly higher prices. To offset this, make sure you are mental anchoring your restaurant menu. Have comparative prices that show the guest just how little they are spending.

2. Restaurants are hiring: The industry workforce is projected to grow by 200,000 jobs, for total industry employment of 15.7M by the end of 2024. 45% of operators need more employees to meet customer demand.

Which is great. But it also offers another problem. Many operators are struggling to find workers (and keep them). A strong brand marketing campaign will help your restaurant stay top-of-mind. And that makes your restaurant more attractive to employees along with consumers.

3. Competition is strong: In 2024, 45% of operators expect competition to be more intense than last year.

This is difficult for most independent operators. Chain restaurants are taking a larger and larger portion of the market. To combat this, independent operators will need to use guerrilla marketing programs to stay in front of chains moving into their market. Try things like local bonuses. Special menu items that only local guests know about. And treat guests like royalty. 

4. Costs are up: 98% of operators say higher labor costs are an issue for their restaurant. 97% cite higher food costs. 38% say their restaurants were not profitable last year.

This points to a lack of marketing which puts stress on any restaurant. Simply put, a weak brand will not push their value up in the eyes of local guests. Our recommendation? Do a brand analysis along with a menu matrix to find out what your guests really think of your business. Every day you have a focus group going on in your restaurant. People are voting for your business with their pocket books and their feet. They are telling you if they like your business, and they are telling you what they like most about dinning with you (and what they don’t like)

But don’t do this on your own. You need an objective view. You need an expert to look at your business and offer advice. It might be painful, but it is necessary.

5. Consumers are value conscious: Nearly half of consumers are taking a wait-and-see stance when it comes to spending. Operators who offer a solid value proposition for dining out can nudge customers out of their holding pattern.

This is not a deep thinking thing to say. That’s because consumers are always value conscious. Where most people make a mistake is thinking that value conscious is all about price. But it’s not just about price. It’s about price and function together. A product can have a higher price only if you offer reasons that will support that higher price. Most operators get this wrong in their business and never think to support each item with the proper description and highlight.

6. Consumers love restaurants: 9 in 10 adults say they enjoy going to restaurants. Restaurants allow them to enjoy a favorite meal that has flavor and taste sensations they can’t easily replicate at home.

So it’s not all bad news. Of course people want to eat out. It’s fun. In fact, it’s a mini vacation. So, you need to nurture those feelings with your guests. That means you have to train your staff on how to work with guests so they make better choices when they order from you. And how to get your servers to leave their own struggles at the door when they come to work.

If you’re looking for help to build a better brand in your restaurant, give Mark a call. He’s an expert in restaurant branding, menu development, social media and content development. He’s been doing this stuff for nearly 4 decades, and has worked with more than 200 restaurants across the country. This gives him a unique ability to learn from other independent operators what’s working and what isn’t.

Hey, the first 15 minutes are free. To take advantage, call 800-316-3198 and leave a message. Mark will get back to you.

The post 6 Restaurant Trends and What They Mean (number 4 is essential) appeared first on HotOperator.

An ugly menu made by a restaurant operator.

I was out with friends for dinner the other night at a fairly upscale restaurant and was offered a really terrible menu. My friends all know that I have spent the last 30 years working with restaurant operators all over the world building great menus, so they all cringed a little when they got the menu. They asked me what I thought, and at that moment I was thinking: Does your restaurant menu represent your food? And then I said it out loud: “I was just thinking ‘does your menu represent your food?”

How can I put this in a way that you will understand how important this is and not get offended. When your menu is an ugly piece of garbage, it impacts your guest’s food experience. In this case, I ordered the ‘crunch chicken salad’, and found the chicken to be over cooked, and the salad dressing overly sweet. Would I have noticed that if I were not already turned off by the menu? Probably not. I can honestly say that if the menu were on a nice, waterproof sheet with an elegant design, I may have overlooked those slight imperfections. I probably would have thought that the menu does represent the brand, and that the salad was above average in quality.

Why chefs should stick to cooking.

What’s with all the dots? Makes the menu about price rather than quality.

When I go to a restaurant, I don’t expect to cook. I am going out to get something that is beyond my own capabilities. I’m looking for an experience. And your menu is a part of that experience. In fact, the entire experience comes together to form a brand in my mind. A special happy moment that is of a higher level. The food, companionship, service, food and atmosphere all come together to form a time that will be remembered. And the menu is a huge part of that experience.

When chefs cook and plate their food, they are looking for something special. The plate needs to go out just right and be consistent each time. Beyond that, the guest needs to be excited and satisfied with the entire experience from the moment they are greeted at the door to the time they first see the menu, to the time the food is delivered. If any one of those moments is a misstep, there is a hole in the brand that the guest will fill with criticism. Some of that criticism can emerge as a negative review. And here’s the thing, “positive reviews can encourage an influx of business, while negative ones can significantly impact a restaurant’s reputation and revenue. One research study found that a single negative review can drive away 22% of customers, while three can push the number to 59%.” This is more true of independent restaurant operators because they don’t have a high level of trust and notoriety. They simply are unknown, and people do not like to risk their dinner.

Your Menu is a Tool

HotOperator Design-Engineered

Okay, back to the menu. Take a good look at it and think to yourself: “Does your restaurant menu represent your food?” Thinking further, will this menu make my guests think more highly of my food? If there is any doubt at all, get it serviced. And don’t do what you’ve always done hoping for a different result. 

When you think of your menu as a tool for your ‘salespeople’ to use to sell food, you’ll see your menu as a brochure that represents your brand. You’ll more fully understand that your guests will have a much better idea and experience with your food when your menu is design-engineered properly. 

The Higher The Menu, The Lower The Quality of the Menu?

It’s funny, some of the most horrible menus are from so-called high end restaurants. Almost all of them are a complete disaster. Flimsy slips of paper that come off of a copy machine and flopped on the table without any explanation or introduction. 

A Restaurant Menu You Can Print

This is like your guests start making Béarnaise sauce over filet mignon on their own? It’s a difficult dish, but it doesn’t look that hard when you see it on a plate. How hard can it be, right? It’s just a tarragon-flavored French sauce made from clarified butter, vinegar, shallots, egg yolks and herbs. Simple enough. You can see where this is going. It’s about knowing what you’re good at and leaving the really tough stuff to professionals. You know, like your menu.

Simple Elegance in a Menu is like Béarnaise in a kitchen

Looks easy when it’s done properly. But it’s a bitch to get right when you’re working on it. Staring at the ingredients and getting everything together just right so it doesn’t scramble and make you start over is much more difficult in the process than it is to plate it up.  A great menu is similar. Take a blank piece of paper and make something that’s upscale, beautiful and will make your guests think more highly of your food. 

As an industry, we can do much, much better.

Google Design you can print on your own

Get the right agent to help you. Someone with an experienced staff with menu design and engineering skills. Then, listen to them. It’s easy to think: “But I can save money doing it all myself. Plus, I change my menu nearly every week, sometimes multiple times in a week.” But a great design firm can set the menu up so you can still have a beautiful menu, and change it every week. Hell, every day, if you want to.

Here’s my advice, and I hope you will take this advice: get a professional to work on your menu. Someone with skills and experience. A real high level ‘chef’ in design and writing.

Once Completed, Your Restaurant Menu Will Represent Your Food and Lift your brand.

To get a free consultation, call (920) 420-2076, or click the link!

The post Does Your Restaurant Menu Represent Your Food? appeared first on HotOperator.

7 Ways To Make A Better Carryout Menu

Most restaurant operators complain about the cost of delivery for their restaurants. And rightly so. Most third-party delivery companies take between 20% and 30% off the top of every order. The good news is, most consumers would much rather buy from the restaurant directly. All they need from you is a nudge in the right direction. Here is how the right carryout menu deal could bring In 15% in profits.

Here are a few tips on how to best nudge your guests into getting carryout rather than delivery, and buying directly from you. Keep in mind, many third-party delivery services will do everything they can to get between you and your customers. But the right design for your carryout menu can go a long way to getting those customers to call you directly for carryout.

1. Make it a pretty menu
   Unless you’re bald, you probably don’t cut your own hair. Get your menu designed by professionals. The better your menu looks, the more people will be inclined to keep it. And you want your customers to keep your actual printed menu.
2. Put your phone number on it
   Put your phone number on every page of your menu. Say something like: This is our phone number! Any other phone number isn’t us!
3. Offer promotion to buy direct
   Lucky for you, most of your guests want to buy direct. They just need to know how to buy direct. And a little incentive never hurts to make sure your guests use and remember your actual phone number. If you have online ordering, put a QR code on your menu too. Then, put a headline on your carryout menu that says: Buy Direct and Save! For a limited time, buy direct and get 10% off your order!
4. Only include items that travel well
   Most people know carryout and delivery food just isn’t the same as eating in the restaurant. But they are sensitive to a bad meal. You have control over how bad things can get by making sure everything you sell for carryout and delivery is going to make it home okay. If you know a product won’t travel well, don’t sell it. If your guest insists, tell them you’ll make it for them, but you can’t guarantee it will still taste good once they get the product home. 
5. Size does matter
   Make sure the menu is sized right for easy use. Which is another reason to get your menu professionally designed.
6. Quality printing makes a difference
   A nicely designed menu on a quality piece of paper will get kept longer and make a better impression than something printed on a copier on copy paper. Yes, it will cost you a few pennies more, but a great menu will make you more money and last longer. 
7. Put one in every carryout and delivery order
   Seriously, be generous with them. Get thousands of carryout menus, and then give them away. When you run out, print more.

About HotOperator

HotOperator is a foodservice marketing agency. We love restaurants. We want them to survive. But we can’t do that unless we work together. Hire us to help you romance your restaurant brand.

Mark and Kelly are a marketing team and managing partners of HotOperator. They have been working in the restaurant business since 1989. Contact them through the HotOperator website, or by calling 800-316-3198, or contact Laux here.

The post How The Right Carryout Menu Deal Could Bring In 15% In Profits appeared first on HotOperator.