Many restaurants serve pre-packaged and canned goods as part of their dishes, this is a practice that can destroy your business.  Most owners point to the time saved and convenience of these items but they are doing much more harm than good.  Pre-packaged items are typically lower quality than freshly made ones and they lack originality.  While there are certain cases you can get away with using one of these items it is a best practice to avoid them whenever possible.  When people go out to a restaurant they expect quality products and it’s easy to tell when something hasn’t been freshly made.  Crafting the majority of your ingredients in house can increase restaurant quality and revenue and deliver a much higher quality product overall.  This is also a strong marketing point and will draw in customers with discerning tastes.  Here we’ve outlined some menu items that are well worth the time to create in house.

Sausage

There are entire restaurants that are built around house made sausage and they are proving to be very successful.  Anyone can cook up a store bought sausage but taking the process in house allows for creativity and originality.  It’s relatively inexpensive to get the equipment needed to make your own sausage.  The cost will be in the time it takes to learn the craft, develop recipes and actually construct your links.  Creating your own sausage in house gives your menu versatility since your recipes are only limited to your imagination.

Cheese

If you’ve ever had a freshly made mozzarella ball you are well aware of the superiority it has over its packaged counterpart.  Cheese making is a skill and it can take some time to learn.  There are several cheeses such as ricotta and queso fresco that are relatively easy to make in your kitchen and don’t require aging.  Fresh cheeses provide a special touch to dishes and can even be sold on their own.  Cheese making does not require a lot of equipment but will require the proper ingredients and lots of trial and error.

Pickles

This may seem like a small thing but Americans as a whole consume over 2.5 million pounds of pickles each year.  Whether it is on a cheeseburger or on the side of a sandwich order, house made pickles can add uniqueness to otherwise ordinary dishes.  Pickles are extremely inexpensive to make and doing it on your own can save you a lot of money on an item that is essentially given away.  There are also revenue opportunities by offering appetizers such as fried pickles, which are very popular in Irish pubs and restaurants.

Condiments

Making your own condiments give depth and flavor to your dishes that pre-packaged products simply can’t match.  Having several different types of mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard gives you a chance to craft condiments that are specifically suited to their application.  This is a small touch that can separate you from your competition as these will be items that patrons can’t find anywhere else.  Do some experimentation with different flavors and develop a variety to offer. 

Sauces and Gravy

When a customer comes into a restaurant they are expecting to get something they may not be able to create on their own.  Using canned and jarred sauces can actually diminish the quality of the underlying product.  Complex sauces are all the rage in today’s fine dining world and taking a page from that book is a good idea for independent restaurant owners.  House made sauces can become your signature and people will flock to your restaurant just to try them.

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