Hello fu/ck/ers....
Recently got hired as executive chef of a restaurant and bar that does several million dollars per year in sales. Place has been open for around a decade and we are always busy.
The menu when I came on board was a shitshow, a straight up dumpster fire... 15 apps... 50 entrees, just all over the board, no real cohesion to it. The problem I'm finding is that the kitchen and storage is just too small for all these unnecessary extra items. I'd rather offer a dozen entrees that we can executive perfectly every time over and over instead of 50 entrees that are spreading us too thin.
Do you guys have any suggestions or rules of thumb as to the number of items I should offer in each category? I'm thinking 10 apps, 3 entree salads, 3 pastas, 4 fish, 5 meat entrees, and a vegetarian entree or two. I'd like to cross utilize ingredients wherever possible (pickled veg from the lunch menu sandwich used in a dinner app) etc.
Help me dudes.
>>7856082
When it comes to (loosly) vegetarian entrees, consider mushroom fricasee, It's almost like an odds and ends dish. You've got cream and eggs handy all the time, all you have to do is get a good mix of mushrooms, which can also be served as an accompaniment to meats and fish, added to pasta, used in soups and sauces, marinated and served alongside other pickles, or incorporated into a dip. Both flexible and on the rise as far as perceived ritziness goes.
>>7856082
I mean you got the job, you're more qualified to restructure a menu than any other aspie on this board. Don't be lazy, if you're really lost just look at the top 5 restaurants in your city and copy their structure.
>>7856101
I'm far from lazy... but I would also like to be armed with good information, like a website or something that I could present to the owners to help drive home WHY downsizing the menu and keeping it tight would be beneficial... The owners are great dudes, but they are old school in that their mindset is bigger is always better.
>>7856160
http://restaurantengine.com/shorter-restaurant-menus-gaining-popularity/
http://gritsandgrids.com/2011/09/go-small-or-go-home-an-argument-for-smaller-menus/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/08/24/restaurants-casual-dining-fast-food-ihop-tony-romas-bjs/14297487/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/18/americans-are-tired-of-long-restaurant-menus/
I'm not going to imply you're lazy again but this was 1 minute of googling to find you relevant articles
>>7856174
I might have picked shitty words to google... I did "menu design" and "menu engineering" and it kept coming up with hits for things like actually typing a menu, picking a font, etc. Got quite a few hits for wedding catering ideas too for some reason.
What search terms did you use? and thanks anon.
>>7856187
"restaurant menu fewer better" and "restaurant menu few offerings" without quotes
>>7856187
>I might have picked shitty words to google... I did "menu design" and "menu engineering" and it kept coming up with hits for things like actually typing a menu, picking a font, etc. Got quite a few hits for wedding catering ideas too for some reason.
Why didn't you learn from your mistakes and search using better terms?
Why didn't you do what a grandmother would do and ask google a question?
"Why short menu better"
People that aren't active, analytical thinkers don't involve being heads of anything anywhere, in my opinion. But I hold people to unrealistic standards.
You might also want to try a real forum with professionals on it, like cheftalk.com or something.
>>7856213
maybe reddit.com/r/askculinary also, though I go there mostly for food science questions
I've never seen /ck/ so eager to downplay itself before. We have plenty of brilliant chefs on this board, as evidenced from our cooking competitions.
Does your restaurant have a central theme, OP? Italian, French bistro, Modern?
I agree with you on trimming down the menu. I wouldn't go past 20 entrees.
A way to structure your menu that I've seen payoff is to have a 1/4 or 1/5 ratio of "safe" and "risky" items. Always have a handful of really experimental items on the menu, to keep yourselves unique. Seasonal items/menus is also a smart idea if executed well.
Once you change the menu, make absolute certain that your all the waiters sample the dishes. It's the right thing to do.
>>7856082
your first Job as Exec?
>>7856198
>Why didn't you do what a grandmother would do and ask google a question?
>"Why short menu better"
you're supposed to ask it like a retard caveman
i doubt your grandma asks questions without verbs and articles, or is she actually retarded?
