Seasonality is one food trend you can put your money behind - seasonal menus see 26% more orders, after all. Embracing a seasonal menu is a great way for your restaurant to keep up with restaurant industry trends while being interesting to your guests and staff. Not to forget, seasonal menu’s give you an opportunity to increase business. Seasonal food and drink offerings can add an important, dynamic element to your existing menu options in a number of ways… and we’ll let those ways convince you of the benefits your restaurant could see.
One trend we’ve seen over the last few years in the restaurant industry is all things seasonal. For most American-style restaurants other than sports bars, a seasonal menu is a must. It’s important to keep things fresh and trendy when trying to compete with newer restaurants, but a seasonal menu can seem daunting to some. Don’t sweat - this week on the blog we’re diving in to how to create and maintain a successful seasonal menu, without the stress.
First, keep the staple items the same. While a seasonal menu can include new and creative items, it’s good to keep a few staple menu items that your customers can expect. This creates a sense of familiarity, pleases those creatures of habit, and allows you a little breathing room. A seasonal menu does not mean that you need to change up every menu item every three to four months, but it does require a little bit of creativity and rotation.
Pick just a few seasonal dishes to start out with that you feel confident in. Instead of trying to recreate the menu multiple times a year, keep the staples the same and allow your team of chefs to choose three to four seasonal items to spice it up. Once you start to experiment with seasonal items, your customers will grow to anticipate your menu changes.
Social media is a great tool for restaurants trying to keep up a seasonal menu. You can poll your followers on what they’d like to see in the upcoming season as well as notify them about spur of the moment tasting menus and updates. Make sure that your staff is also excellently trained with menu changes, as it will be the waiters’ job to sell the food in the restaurant.
Don’t let seasonal changes wear you out. Change your perspective to a positive one, train your staff adequately, and embrace small changes. Follow this simple recipe and we guarantee you’ll be on your way to success, past the summer season.