Why Do Seasonal Food Offer Boost Sales?
Restaurants that strive to work with current and fresh seasonal products want to offer their customers a unique dining experience while supporting local farms and purveyors in the process. Additionally, recent surveys among restaurant owners have found that seasonal food and beverage offerings can increase a restaurant's sales by 10-15%. How do you create a profitable seasonal menu for your guests to adore?
Producing a seasonal menu starts with selecting the right ingredients. Chefs should reach for fresh seasonal produce such as fruits, vegetables, fish and meats. These ingredients are often better quality and cheaper at certain times of the year than ingredients that are available throughout the year.
The next step is to choose the foods that will be on the seasonal menu. The dishes are usually simpler so that the flavours of the ingredients can stand out. Seasonality and creativity can influence not only the dishes, but also the beverages, such as New Year's Eve and other holiday drinks, summer drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. An NPD Group study showed a high correlation between food and beverage sales - seasonal beverages served as an appetizer increase the average bill (Snacking reported an average increase of 25%).
During the winter season, hot drinks such as hot chocolate, cider, eggnog or special drinks mixed with coffee are very popular dessert substitutes. Spring offerings can include delicate flavours such as apricot, avocado or strawberry. Even bear garlic, herbs, twigs and celery remind us that life is flourishing again. Summer cocktails with pineapple, lemon and mango or cucumber will not disappoint guests. Use apple, pear, ginger, nuts, carrots, cranberries, figs, or cinnamon for autumn days. In the winter, guests also love maple syrups, mint, and sweet foams on top of drinks.
Be a Hit on Social Media
Creative photos, videos of food preparations or even of the actual purchases of seasonal products on social media are the ideal attraction and invitation for new and old customers. Include videos of the chef or bartender in your menu presentation, describe dishes in your posts, and invite a food blogger to your place for a tasting. Don't forget to include the dates when the seasonal menu is available and, if applicable, a link to book a table online.
Educate Your Staff
Your menu should definitely be tried out by your staff to get a better feel of the taste and texture of the food and to pair it with the drinks. Creative pairing is also a good tool for creating a comprehensive menu.
You can also organise a special event. Invite influencers, foodies and ask their opinion. Ask them for reviews on your blog or post on InstaStory.
Become an Icon
Some seasonal products and dishes may even gain iconic status, such as Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. One of the most interesting trends is the bold mixing of foods, as in the case of Fettuccine Carbonara Chicken Tacos - a cheese-based pasta served in fried chicken tacos. Another way to catch guests' attention is to use food of unusual colors. Indonesian Burger King offers a purple sandwich with a purple bun.
Good Advice to Conclude
Analyse data from previous seasons and keep an eye on this year's results. This will help you know which dishes to keep on the menu for next year. Maybe some of them will become your hallmarks over time.
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