Streamlining menus was an absolute necessity in 2020. The abrupt shift to off-premises dining and app-based ordering required operators to edit menus so they could easily be perused on a phone screen. Add staffing shortages and rising ingredient prices, and shorter menus naturally followed. A Nestle survey found that 58% of operators decided to limit their offerings. 
What now? Is the pendulum swinging back toward more menu selection? Or should restaurants stick to the basics and keep options limited? We’ll look at both sides of the debate.
The Case for Keeping a Streamlined Menu
Mobile ordering is here to stay.
A recent survey by Paytronix found that 92% of vaccinated dining customers intend to keep ordering food online. "Digital ordering is now a key part of the customer experience and that means restaurants need to make it a priority within their own operations," Andrew Robbins, Paytronix Systems CEO, said in the press release.
Not only that, but customers have become accustomed to using tabletop QR codes to bring up restaurant menus on their phones. That means it’s important to keep menus mobile-accessible: organized by section, text-centric, and concise.
Shorter menus mean faster service.
Many quick-service restaurants slimmed down their menus in 2020. One notable example: McDonald’s stopped offering all-day breakfast. As a result, Restaurant Business reports, the chain “trimmed its drive-thru service times by 15 seconds, an eternity for a convenience-driven concept.”
Returning to menu basics can boost profitability.
Fewer ingredients + less food waste + less prep time = more profits. Menu consultant and celebrity chef Kathy Casey once gave us some solid-gold advice on simplifying cocktail programs. Use a “speedscratch” approach to reduce the complexity and increase consistency, she said, because a drink with four ingredients can taste just as good as one with 11. A simplicity-focused refresh of a cocktail program often raises beverage sales by 20 percent, Casey said.
The Case for Adding Items to Your Menu
Customers are hungry for new flavors.
After a year of the same-old, same-old, diners are seeking something different. However, Menu Matters President Maeve Webster warns, “we cannot mistake that pent-up demand for the new or boredom with food consumers have been eating on repeat since the beginning of the pandemic as a sudden openness to extreme experimentation. That level of culinary exploration will not return until 2022.” Limited-time offerings (LTOs) can be a safe way to test the waters without committing to permanent menu expansion.
Appetizers are appetizing again.
The Nestle report on restaurant menu trends highlights significant growth in starters like antipasto/charcuterie-style boards, meatballs and sliders. Operators can examine their menus to see which ingredients can be repurposed for these sharable plates. Could the house-made roasted garlic puree be served with a bread appetizer? Could the chimichurri you serve with steak also add zing to a cheese board?
Beverages are big.
If you’re looking for a single, simple way to expand your menu this year, look to the beverage section. In drinks, "we expect to see operators release LTOs featuring bold beverages, layering flavors and textures that deliver an elevated beverage experience that is not easily replicated at home," Marie-Claude Laprade, vice president of foodservice strategy and customer marketing for Rich Products Corp, told Fast Casual.
Customers are craving creative, complex drinks, such as decadent milkshakes, fresh juice blends, craft cocktails and blended beverages. Hamilton Beach Commercial equipment makes it easy to add these to your menu:
- High-performance blenders that deliver flawless smoothies and shakes
- Bar blenders with Wave~Action® for super-smooth frozen drinks
- Commercial juicers that maximize juice output and flavor
As the restaurant industry comes roaring back, Hamilton Beach Commercial is here to help you grow. Explore our full line of intelligently designed foodservice and hospitality equipment solutions.
