Think Outside of the Menu

Sometimes increasing sales can be as simple as advertising in your own restaurant. Recently, when consulting with a customer, I took a few pictures of some of the items on their menu. Next, I placed one menu item with a basic description and price on the front of the paper (2 times), and duplicated this process with the other menu item on the back. After laminating the double-sided color copies, and cutting them down to 5x8, the customer distributed the 25 sheets onto the tables throughout the restaurant.

Bingo! – Sales quadrupled on their $12.99 BBQ Rib platter after the first week and more than covered the cost of the laminated sheets. The key to this is to highlight your most profitable menu items, or add-ons like appetizers and desserts. Simplify the decision making process for your patrons by suggesting they order exactly what you want them to order and reap the rewards!

Chef Armand Celentano
Center of the Plate Specialist, Performance Foodservice – Hale