In today’s highly competitive restaurant industry, menu innovation can be a powerful tool for increasing sales and attracting new customers. Incorporating new, creative, and exciting dishes into your menu can help elevate your business, increase check size, and attract a wide range of customers looking for a unique experience.
As a restaurant owner, you should be aware of the influence your menu has on your customers’ decision-making. At the end of the day, the eye eats first and a well-executed, innovative, and aesthetically pleasing menu is the best way to get those orders coming.
In this article, we go through 8 innovative menu ideas to increase sales at your restaurant.
Let’s dive in!
8 Innovative menu ideas
Know your clientele!
Before you start adding items to your menu or dreaming about new concepts, you must know your clientele and stay true to what they like about your restaurant. However, this begs the question, how exactly do you figure out what your customers want? This is where your POS system comes into play. One of the benefits of modern POS solutions is that they can provide data and reports that give you insights into your consumers’ behaviors, their favorite meals, how often they try new items, and so on. Based on this information, you can identify and capitalize on your strong points. Furthermore, you will determine how welcoming your customers are to new experiences and go from there.
Stay on top of food trends
Keeping up with the latest food trends can be appealing to customers who are looking for something new and different. If a food trend is making a buzz on social media, for example, it is worthwhile adding it to one of your best-selling dishes or even creating a special that features the trend.
Remember that Black Burger everyone was talking about a few years ago? People were actively looking for restaurants that serve this eccentric-looking dish to try it out and post about it on social media. According to a study published by World Scientific News, 76.4% of 381 respondents in the UAE reported that they have tried a new food item because of social media trends.
Whatever the trend is though, make sure to incorporate it in a way that aligns with your restaurant’s identity.
Get creative with flavors!
One of our best innovative menu ideas is offering well-loved flavors in a dynamic new context that can incite customers to try out your interesting creations. For instance, using salted caramel, usually reserved for desserts, in one of your crunchy savory appetizers can add a fun twist to your menu. Make sure to make a fuss about these creative items on social media and get your staff to recommend them as they may easily fly under your customers’ radar.
Offer seasonal specials
Seasonal specials are a great way to increase sales. By featuring ingredients that are only available during certain times of the year, you can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity around these dishes, encouraging customers to try them out before they’re gone! For instance, you might feature a pumpkin spice latte or soup during the fall months or a fresh berry tart during the summer. These seasonal specials can be a great way to keep your menu fresh and exciting, while also appealing to customers’ seasonal tastes and preferences.
Use descriptive language
How many times did you find your mouth watering after watching an ad featuring a delicious burger or even a bag of chips? Sometimes you may even order that item on the spot! That’s called “marketing psychology.”
Marketing psychology has been used for ages to attract consumers and it can be a very powerful tool to drive sales. This tactic is not limited to visuals, it also includes descriptive language. By using adjectives like “explosive” to describe hot chicken wings and “extra crispy” for those nachos, you can tempt customers to try them out. This is called “the framing effect” which is a cognitive bias in decision-making where the way information is presented or framed can influence one’s perception, judgment, and decision-making.
Studies have shown that the framing effect, results in a 20% difference in consumers’ decision-making on average. So focus on the items that bring you the most profit, and make them irresistible simply by using words!
Reimagine old classics
Among other innovative menu ideas is adding new and creative items can help keep your menu alive and drive more sales. However, going overboard with it may create a counteract. Attracting new customers is important but appealing to your loyal ones is just as crucial. That’s why adding some twists to old classics is a way to vamp up your menu while keeping your loyal customers in mind. Try deconstructing or reconstructing a dish or adding an exciting ingredient on top of a burger to make it unique and more flavourful or create a mix of two classics in a creative way.
Experiment with pricing
Pricing is another key player when it comes to your menu. By experimenting with different pricing strategies, you can find the sweet spot that maximizes sales and profitability. For example, you might consider offering small portions of popular items at a lower price point or offering a combo meal deal for a suitable price. Also, use the menu engineering strategy to analyze the profitability of each menu item through sales data and food costs and adjust the prices accordingly. These pricing strategies can help you reach a wider range of customers, while also increasing sales.
Slim down your menu
Navigating through a menu should not be like reading a Harry Potter book. A menu should be relatively short, have enough options and look clear and neat. It is evident that slimming down your menu can help you cut major costs related to inventory management and reducing food waste. However, it may be surprising to you that a short menu also helps increase sales! A study published in the Journal of Marketing Research found that a smaller menu can increase overall sales by 6%. A shorter menu minimizes choice overload and makes it easier for customers to decide what they want to order. With fewer options, they are less likely to feel overwhelmed or paralyzed by choice, which can lead to faster decision-making and a bigger basket.
Conclusion
The menu is a true representation of a restaurant, not just through the items, but also through its design and level of innovation and creativity. A well-planned and executed menu can play an important role in attracting customers, increasing check sizes, and making your restaurant stand out.
If you are struggling with planning a Menu, You can always refer to our Menu Engineering feature
