I was thrilled to be on The Restaurant Prescription™ Podcast with Donald Burns, talking about the strategy around menu revamps and the importance of the menu telling your authentic brand story.
Listen in here: The Restaurant Prescription™ Podcast – Menus
Thanks, Donald, for the chat!
BY
This week we’re going to talk about your number one marketing and profitability tool…that’s right, your menu.
“Welcome to another episode of The Restaurant Prescription™ Podcast a show dedicated to talking about ailments and issues that plague the restaurant industry (and we know there are quite a few), we’ll serve the issues up on the plate, discuss the symptoms and we’ll give you the prescription for the cure.”
The Ailment
“This week we’re going to talk about your number one marketing and profitability tool…that’s right, your menu. As a restaurant consultant and coach, I am shocked by the number of bad menus out there. I’m thinking about starting a Pinterest board just for bad menu designs
It’s so bad that there should be a recovery group started for restaurant owners who abuse menu design.
To help me sort out the good from the bad, I am happy to welcome Tom Kelley to the show! Tom is the president of AccessPoint Group a very unique restaurant industry brand and innovation firm interested in one thing: growing their client’s profitability.
Tom has spent a career creating, promoting and building brands for restaurant companies, franchises, retail, emerging businesses, trade groups, and Fortune 500 companies.
Tom is a respected and recognized authority in the hospitality industry. He has served on the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association and on its senior management team. Tom writes frequently for major hospitality publications, such as Nation’s Restaurant News.
He has been quoted in regional business journals, major news dailies, Bloomberg and Business Week. Tom has even appeared on CNN’s Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, where he discussed crisis management issues.
It’s part science and part art that creates a solid menu. Tom has helped 1000’s of restaurants develop menus that not only drive sales, they achieve cost goals and mostly leave a lasting impression on the guests,
Tom welcome to the show….
Your Experience with the Ailment
“So Tom, what are some common issues you have seen with restaurant menu?
Your “Prescription”
1. Keep it simple.
2. Use your menu to tell your story/brand. Tell people what you stand for.
3. Use it as a marketing tool.
More tips from Tom:
• Control your costs
• Cross utilize products and meal periods.
• Watch portion sizes and monitor what comes back from the dining room.
• Promote your beverage program.
• Put what you do best on your menu!
• Make it fresh, make it your own, and MAKE YOUR MARGINS!
• Look at meatballs
What one piece of advice would you tell your younger self?
“There’s no fault in asking for help.”
If success was a recipe. What 3 ingredients would you say have to be in there?
1. Knowledge
2. Know your customers.
3. Execute consistently. Use feedback and mystery shoppers to dial in the dining experience you offer.
