Operational Considerations for Menu Changes

More thoughts generated from my trip to Buenos Aires. Many Argentinean restaurants have endless menus. They put The Cheesecake Factory to shame. And their kitchens are very, very small consisting mostly of a range, fryer and some pots and pans.

These operators can successfully execute menus of this size and scope because they most likely have highly experienced kitchens and waitstaffs, and the two groups probably have worked there for a very long time. Argentineans don’t have a lot of mobility. They are very happy to get a job, and tend to hold on to it for a very long time.

In the United States, we’ve counterweighted a less-skilled kitchen crew and serving staff that have a great deal of turnover with highly designed kitchens and lots of specialized equipment. Most U.S. restaurants update their menus fairly regularly. In many instances, the change consists mainly of limited-time offers. While the operator may intend for the changes to be short-term, it’s important to remember that these LTOs will have operational consequences because kitchens are designed to produce a specific menu. That said, some approaches to changing menus are better than others.

The most pressing need for change is a competitive demand. When deciding whether to change a menu or add a LTO, ask the following questions:

• Does our menu lack variety when compared to our competitors?
• Do our competitors successfully offer specific items that we should consider making a part of our menu?
• Is there a menu item that we should have but don’t that is key for our concept?

Once you’ve decided that a menu change is necessary, there are some operational considerations that can make the change easier and more profitable, including:

• Can you leverage existing equipment?
• Does the new menu item follow a similar preparation process to at least one item you already prepare?
• Does the new item require any special steps that would slow down your line?
• Will the new item require any dedicated ingredient that is not already in your kitchen?
• Can you execute the new item at the expected level of quality for your brand?

A fast-casual Mexican chain’s addition of salads to their menu is an example of a thoroughly thought-through and well-executed menu addition. With the increasing focus on health, and most of their competitive restaurants offering salads, it seemed like it was a necessary change. The salads were basically unwrapped burritos, and the operations were practically unchanged to add them. It simply required a new paperware bowl.

In contrast, when a QSR burger chain decided to offer salads, the new menu items not only required a foreign work flow, but new and additional equipment and ingredients. Not so simple — yet the changes still may be a necessary and profitable addition to the menus. It will just require more planning to make it work well.