| Now is a great time to review the performance of | | | | strategies did not mesh. For example, McDonald's |
| your restaurant menu. Famed New York | | | | tinkered with their menu almost non-stop until they |
| restaurants like Jean-Georges and Aquavit have | | | | finally landed on a core menu, complemented by |
| launched popular fixed-priced menus. Applebee's is | | | | fresh salads and healthy sides for children. All great |
| now offering two courses for a party of two for | | | | menu development initiatives must start with crystal |
| just $20.00. With it's own twist on value, The | | | | clear brand parameters. |
| Cheesecake Factory, recently launched a small plate | | | | In regards to the Culinary Innovation Filter, Culinary |
| menu with items ranging from $3.95 to $6.50. If | | | | Research & Development as a organized |
| you haven't already considered leveraging your menu | | | | discipline has exploded over the past ten years. The |
| to drive sales, lower costs, or strengthen your | | | | Culinary Institute of America (My alma mater) now |
| position; what are you waiting on? | | | | has an entire department devoted to training chefs in |
| I have created and launched new menus for national | | | | this area. |
| brands like Olive Garden and Applebee's, Cruise Lines | | | | The focal point of the most Culinary R&D has |
| like Royal Caribbean Cruises, independent restaurant | | | | become the "Development Process". Although I am |
| start-ups, and corporate dining companies. When | | | | a huge supporter of process driven development, I |
| done correctly, a new menu can dramatically improve | | | | offer two notes of caution to senior executives and |
| your business. In fact, a well executed menu launch | | | | decision makers. First, most of the process charts |
| can increase guest traffic, strengthen or reposition | | | | that I have seen are far to complicated. If your |
| your brand, create buzz, and improve employee | | | | company's culinary development process can't be |
| morale. Not to mention it can allow you to take | | | | explained to a fifth grader using a single slide, it to |
| advantage of emerging food trends and purchasing | | | | complicated and costly. |
| opportunities. | | | | Secondly, remember GIGO, garbage in garbage out. |
| My menu development team and I helped | | | | The best conceived process does nothing to ensure |
| repositioned the Olive Garden brand by importing | | | | culinary innovation. Your process, at best, is an |
| dishes and cooking techniques directly from Tuscany, | | | | excellent funnel. It can sort the great ideas from |
| Italy. We launched sales enhancing promotional | | | | the good ones. If only uninventive and uncreative |
| menus for Applebee's. At Royal Caribbean, we | | | | ideas go into a culinary development process, don't |
| reversed five consecutive years of flat food | | | | be surprised if little value comes out. If a lack of |
| satisfaction ratings and saved the company millions of | | | | culinary innovation is your concern, the goods news is |
| dollars in food cost, along the way. On each | | | | that there are reliable methods to spark innovation |
| occasion "Smart Menu" principles were at the core of | | | | and numerous ways to out source it as well. The |
| the successes. | | | | bottle line with Culinary Innovation is, you must bring |
| The four smart menu development filters that I will | | | | something new to the party if you want guest to be |
| cover originated as a means of integrating input from | | | | "Wowed". |
| various corporate players into a single menu | | | | The Operations Filter exists to ensure that dishes |
| development process. Once the process had been | | | | created in a tested environment can be consistently |
| proven and prefect, I realized the four filters could | | | | reproduced under normal restaurant environment. I |
| be used in any menu development situation. I have | | | | will offer two important tips in this area. To begin, |
| used them with enormous success every since. The | | | | test under normal conditions. If you run a multi-unit |
| four filter that any successful menu change must | | | | company don't test exclusively in your best |
| past through are: 1) The Brand Filter, 2) The | | | | performing units, and then, wonder why all your |
| Culinary Innovation Filter, 3) The Operations Filter, | | | | average units struggle upon final roll-out. Likewise, |
| and 4) The Financial Filter | | | | below average units can derail a potentially good |
| The Brand Filter exists to ensure that there is | | | | menu. |
| absolutely perfect alignment between the brand | | | | Secondly, be certain to conduct test during peak |
| strategy and the menu strategy. In dysfunctional | | | | periods. Test conducted during non-peak period can |
| companies the brand vision and the menu vision is | | | | fail to highlight basic problems with equipment, general |
| often at odds. In the worst examples, neither is | | | | capacity or other resource. In any case, it is |
| aligned with market opportunities. I have seen | | | | self-defeating to create a new menu that can be |
| restaurant companies, large and small, wander into | | | | consistently produced for guests at a high level of |
| the menu wilderness because the brand and menu | | | | quality. |