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It's beginning to look like a festive holiday season at workplaces as office party attendance and budgets are rising, according to ezCater's first-ever Workplace Holiday Party Trends Report , which reveals emerging trends and insights from 1,600+ employees and decision-makers nationwide.
You can have a crowd-pleasing menu, loyal regulars, and a packed dining roomand still watch your margins disappear. Too many restaurant menus are built on intuition and aesthetics, not real numbers. What Is Menu Engineering and Why Should You Care? Because not every dish thats popular is profitable.
Just when it seemed QR codes might go the way of the pager or MySpace, improvements in design were followed soon after by the pandemic. A quick scan can add recurring events like weekly happy hours, special prix fixe nights, seasonal pop-ups, or live entertainment directly to a guest’s personal calendar should they choose to opt-in.
Where our eyes land first, how we interpret prices, and what descriptions stick in our minds—all of it is shaped by subtle design choices and cues we may not even notice. And while it’s been used for years in print menus, these same techniques can be applied to digital menus, too.
menu, hours, etc.), These agents are intelligent conversational digital hosts , designed to interact with customers over the phone (or via text), providing a seamless experience that mimics human conversation. The most common asks are to make a reservation, ask a Frequently-Asked-Question (e.g., or place an order (for take out).
Restaurant design, kitchens, and the dining customer experience has been changing over the past few years and with the COVID pandemic, it may be changing again. In addition, the open and visible cook line kitchens are a new age design so that the patrons can see the preparation of food and the cooking process.
Seasonal and specialty cocktail glasses that make signature drinks stand out. During the holiday season, for example, drinks like apple cider, warm bourbon cocktails, and spiked hot chocolate become even more special when served in distinctive, themed glassware of varying shapes, colors, and sizes.
Cooking should be fun and designed to make all involved happy. Now, make sure that the vegetables on the sandwich are at their peak and reflective of the season: dont serve raw tomatoes outside of July and August. Out of season do something interesting with tomatoes (oven roasted, marinated, sun-dried tomato paste, etc.)
For instance, "Discover which menu items are most popular among our target market" is a clear and focused goal. If your market research goal is to introduce a new menu item, you can measure its success by tracking its sales and customer feedback. You can also use pre-made templates specifically designed for the restaurant industry.
While there was a brief dip in consumer awareness of menu price increases in late 2024, the spring of 2025 has seen a moderate rise, affecting dining habits and consumer perceptions of value. Millennials and parents also over-index in restaurant visits, with a strong inclination toward nightlife activities and premium dining experiences.
Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business. YES – the menu is that important! Far too many times the menu takes a back seat to all other planning that will lead to serious miscalculations along the way.
It's not just the merch on the menu that is driving traffic to the brand with a misison to create spaces that blend sports and leisure and offer innovative cocktails, next-level architecture and high-end designer decor with elevated bar bites, retro games, and exclusive event nights.
Designed by The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry, the facility provides real-world experience for the next generation of chefs and hospitality leaders. Art featured throughout the facility pays homage to the University and the fresh ingredients used daily in the 1856 kitchen – four kaleidoscope art pieces for each season of the year.
Behind the scenes, strategic decisions greatly impact a restaurant's bottom line, and at the forefront of these is the art of menu engineering. Far from just a list of dishes, a well-engineered menu is a powerful tool that can significantly increase a restaurant's efficiency and profitability.
You take your seat at a table embedded with a touchscreen menu. Walk over to the bar where Tipsy, the robotic bartender with eight arms, prepares your cocktail with speed and accuracy that would put the most seasoned mixologist to shame. Need a drink?
From salted egg yolks and chili crunch fusions to mushroom-infused teas and freeze-dried fruit powder garnishes, Kimpton’s in-house experts share the standout ingredients, menu items and techniques that will come to the table in 2025.
is a modern Japanese restaurant offering an authentic kaiseki tasting experience, as well as a seasonal cocktail bar with Japanese-inspired plates, and a members-only Japanese whiskey lounge. Unlike omakase, which centers on raw fish, kaiseki is a cooked and composed tasting menu that flows with the rhythm of the seasons.
Restaurants can now use customer data to enhance restaurant menudesign, creating smarter menus that increase profits and improve the dining experience. Spot Best-Sellers : Focus on the 16% of menu items that drive 80% of sales. Improved Efficiency Trim menus and reduce food waste. Ready to learn how?
Instead, you’ll see signage about the health benefits of plant-based eating — the “primary drivers of consumer choice are personal benefit,” says Goldman — and the menu board, designed like any one in other fast-food chains. Initially, the priority was on quality and flavor, not necessarily environmental impact. We call it out.
But, a restaurant’s brand identity – and visual brand design – is equally important and not to be forgotten. Your logo design is the visual symbol that will represent your restaurant to the world. Even if you have a unique business name , a generic logo design will quickly get lost. Your Website. Your Signage.
The menu, which includes the ever-popular fry bread taco, tells a story of connection, innovation, and respect for legacy and Indigenous culinary traditions. Thirty Nine’s menu highlights high-protein and precolonial ingredients.
Think seasonalmenu items, weekend-only bundles, or one-day-only discounts; the urgency motivates guests to take action soon. The best part is these promos don’t require big budgets or deep discounts, but they consistently boost restaurant sales while keeping your menu new and exciting.
Foot traffic or heat mapping, menu item engagement, or consumer demographics by time of day. In 2025, we expect to see continued growth in menu innovation with bold flavors, premium ingredients, and creative presentations, keeping loyal fans happy while drawing in adventurous foodies.
But what if your menu was telling your guests something about luxury? In the January 23, 2024 New York Times article,“The Menu Trends That Define Dining Right Now,” the publication gathered 121 menus from restaurants all over the United States.
Photos of your menu items, ambiance, and even happy customers will give potential guests a glimpse of the dining experience you offer. Use it to share updates, special events, or new menu items. For example, you can promote your seasonal dishes or happy hour specials. It's an active marketing tool.
Understanding your target market is the foundation of making smart decisions for your menu, pricing, and overall guest experience. Without a well-defined target market, restaurants risk wasting resources on strategies that dont connect and menu offerings that dont selltrying to appeal to everyone, but standing out to no one.
The right restaurant newsletter doesnt just share updates; it keeps customers invested in your brand, your menu, and your next move. Its your chance to turn casual diners into consistent regulars, promote new menu items before they even hit the table, and build a real sense of community around your restaurant.
The food service segment is facing countless obstacles on the road to post-COVID recovery, and prioritizing menu innovation is a key component to remaining top of mind with guests as restaurants compete for “share of stomach.” Once you’ve sourced your seasonal ingredients look to incorporate them into your menu.
Naturally engaging for the senses, videos attract attention in a sea of content, get diners interested in your menu, and encourage visitors. Showcasing New Menu Items and Specials Several aspects of the restaurant experience affect the guest’s perception, but the menu is arguably the most important.
For consumers, LTOs often bring to mind seasonal offerings that have become synonymous with specific times of the year. Any quick-service restaurant endeavoring to increase consumer engagement and create a dynamic brand needs to consider making LTOs a significant part of their menu development. All the tasting doesn’t hurt either.
Restaurant operators searching for something versatile that will cross the dayparts need to look no further than their breakfast menu as waffles have been breaking out of the morning. Profitability: Waffles are a low-cost, center-of-the-plate item and one of the most profitable breakfast item menu offerings.
However, for many states and cities in climates that experience a full four seasons of weather, cooler weather is fast approaching and with it, another chance to make operational changes. So, what are some additional ways restaurant operators can swing with the seasons and make additional revenue? Then, work to fill those gaps.
Restaurants can use it to design visually appealing marketing materials or craft personalized messages. For instance, restaurants can offer VIP perks like early access to seasonalmenus or invitations to exclusive chef-curated events. Generative AI also holds promise for enhancing restaurant loyalty programs.
Pick your event idea by looking at your: Venue size and layout Customer demographic Available resources Time of year (season) Community Write out each of these factors, and a picture will emerge of which restaurant event idea will best fit your location. Get the word out to regulars and people curious about your restaurant.
“Egg demand was relatively stable in the early 2000s and seasonality played a much bigger role in peak demand periods than it does today,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist with CoBank. “While seasonality remains an influencing factor, egg use has grown dramatically over the last 20 years.
A well-designed website does more than just make a good first impression. It puts you in control of your brand, helps customers find you online, and makes it easier for them to view your menu, book a table, or place an orderand thats just the beginning. A well-designed website signals professionalism and legitimacy.
SALIDO leverages design, data, and workflow management to optimize both front- and back-end operations. They also have the choice of using the MarketConnect app to order and pick up from a designated shelf onsite, avoiding interactions and maintaining necessary social distancing. ” says John Cocker, FOODWORKS’s president.
By analyzing customer preferences, dining habits, and feedback, AI chatbots can send personalized messages to engage customers with new menu items, exclusive offers, and meal recommendations. Within a single chat interface, consumers can go through the entire menu, choose food and beverage products, add them to their cart, and make payments.
Knowing the true cost per serving means you’re not guessing where to set menu prices. Tracking prices and monitoring your invoices regularly will help you spot seasonal changes or supplier increases. To calculate food cost percentage, divide the cost to make the dish by its menu price, then multiply by 100. The remaining 71.7%
Prioritize a clean design, fast load times, and a seamless mobile experience since most customers will be searching from their phones. This includes hours of operation (including holiday updates), your website link, phone number, and menu. A well-designed rewards program does just that, turning one-time customers into loyal regulars.
Vegan burgers, pizzas and coffees are gaining popularity as cafes and restaurants are designing their business models to not only accommodate vegan consumers but also to provide delicious vegan food items. The restaurant uses renewable energy to plant its own trees and curates a seasonalmenu only. The Rise of Vegan Restaurants.
Seafood season offerings from Wendys McDonalds and Popeyes. Why fast-food restaurants observe seafood season and not other religious holidays According to Wendys, its seafood season. Arbys has a limited time menu of crispy fish sandwiches. Americans love pumpkin spice latte season and when the McRib is back.
Sure, we all keep our excitement levels high when we first open, but over time, seasonality, employee issues, and the realization that weekends and evenings will never be yours start to chip away at that excitement. It will take effort, but at the end of the day, it is only the equivalent of a baseball season. Let’s get started.
“Egg demand was relatively stable in the early 2000s and seasonality played a much bigger role in peak demand periods than it does today,” said Brian Earnest, lead animal protein economist with CoBank. “While seasonality remains an influencing factor, egg use has grown dramatically over the last 20 years.
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