The biggest differentiator you can have at your restaurant is your menu. Finding ways to offer unique items is what will encourage people to frequent your restaurant and even go out of their way to visit.  Here we offer three ways to make your restaurant menu stand out.

Garden

Having a garden on premises has an abundance of benefits to your restaurant. It can help you save on food costs, have access to fresh vegetables and herbs and provide a wonderful aesthetic feel to your outdoor spaces. It can also protect you from spikes in prices or the lack of availability of certain products from your suppliers. Fresh ingredients taste better and knowing exactly where their food is coming from can be a comfort to customers. It also gives you an opportunity to experiment with different ingredients and dishes without increasing your food costs. This will contribute to your menu remaining fresh and unique.

Vegan

Everyone from fast food restaurants to fine dining is starting to incorporate vegan options into their menu. While only a small percentage of the population adheres to a vegan diet, there are many others that seek out healthy lunch and dinner options when dining out. Take some time to cultivate your menu. Let your kitchen staff experiment and use their creativity. Use surveys when you launch a new dish to see how your customers feel about your selection. Leverage daily specials to get people to try them out. This will ensure your menu becomes refined and fits the preferences of your customer base.

Beverages

Thinking outside the box with your beverage menu can help to increase your average sales.  Allowing your staff and customers to contribute to the creation of unique drinks will make your menu stand out and encourage both employee and customer loyalty. Using fresh fruits and exotic juices will make your beverage menu more appealing. Since profit margins tend to be fairly high for beverages, this can increase profits dramatically. Consumers will frequent certain restaurants simply because they have a beverage that can’t be found elsewhere. This helps to build customer loyalty and can keep sales consistent even through down periods.