Menu real estate is getting tighter. Chefs are simplifying and cutting down to one- or two-sided sheets for easy changes and reprinting. The days of long menu descriptions and multi-page menu books are gone, replaced by short ingredient lists, and sometimes without even a mention of the cooking method. But often, patrons and sales could benefit from knowing more about the dish they are considering on your menu. Here are some thoughts about writing a smarter menu that could help increase sales and profits.
Focus on Technique
Describing the preparation of a dish can transform a vague ingredient list into something truly enticing.
“Rather than simply giving a nod to farms and the breed, I find people like a little more information,” says John Fink, chef/owner of The Whole Beast in San Francisco. “’Slow-cooked to tenderness,’ ‘pull-apart tender’ or ‘brined and smoked’ instead of just ‘slow-cooked pork’ show that we’re hands on. The customer can tell that we’re not just putting it in the oven, firing and forgetting. I think people like to see that we’re taking extra steps.”
Fink offers this mouthwatering description of his Pig Taco Bar: The whole Heritage-breed hog slow-cooked to pull-apart tenderness, chopped up and served with seasonal slaw, salsa, guacamole, crème, Rancho Gordo beans and Rancho Gordo heirloom tortillas.
At Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans, executive chef and partner Rick Tramonto also emphasizes technique: Red snapper and pork belly a la plancha with white root vegetable purée, cabbage, Creole mustard and “Pork and Beans” -
braised pork shank, macque choux crepes, baked beans, root beer barbeque.
“I like to identify the rub, say if it’s cured or not cured, braised or cooked on a rotisserie,” says Tramonto.
Know How to Edit
Writing a menu is a balancing act, according to Fink. “You don’t want to get too wordy, otherwise you sound like you’re throwing everything but the kitchen sink in a dish,” he says.
It’s possible for people to get reader fatigue on menus. “I generally try to say what’s in the dish, pick out key ingredients and emphasize technique here and there,” says Fink. “The longer I’m in this business, the more I try to keep a smaller menu because it’s a lot easier to add than subtract, especially when making seasonal changes.”
Like Fink, many operators are crafting fresh seasonal menus so they want flexibility – they want menus than can be changed easily and reprinted without high costs. “Menu real estate is hard to come by,” says Tramonto, who tries to keep things descriptive without crowding the page.
“It’s easy to fall to either extreme,” he says, referring to a too-short, vague description or too-long one. “I like to fall somewhere in the middle to give customers enough information, but short enough to give an element of surprise.”
At Nightwood in Chicago, Executive Chef Jason Vincent also sees menu writing as a balancing act. “The menu is the best way to tell the guest what they’re getting and to be thoughtful about it, for instance, “cold pasta primavera” won’t sell nearly as well as “chilled pasta with smoked lamb, porcini, guanciale, fava beans, chive, aioli.”
Then again, you don’t want to give away the farm, literally. “We view menu-writing as more of an invitation for conversation rather than a list of ingredients,” says Vincent. Sometimes he’ll add the farm or origin of the ingredients, sometimes not. “We don’t want to make anyone feel stupid or come across as pompous - it can be very off-putting if we list too many farms in one sentence.”
Too often the menu focus is on the breed or origin of the animal when what would really sell the dish is a delicious description. What sounds better: a) “Slagel Family Farm pork chop with green garlic, fingerlings, and asparagus” or b) “seared pork Poterhouse Chop with buttery demi-glace, roasted fingerlings and green garlic-topped asparagus?” Option “b” allows customers who care about farm origin to engage their server in a conversation and it doesn’t put off people who aren’t “in the know.”
Day of the week also matters for Vincent when it comes to deciding on the extent of descriptors. During the week, he’ll add less descriptors to the menu to provide servers that opportunity for open conversation, for example “Crispy pig ears, house cultured butter, maple, habanero, cilantro.”
Guests gravitate towards the “crispy” description and the remaining ingredients generate a conversation between the server and guests. On Saturdays, more menu descriptors help speed up the ordering process when it’s busy.
Lighten It Up
While it’s easy to follow trends, setting yourself apart – even in menu writing – can distinguish you from competition. A little lightheartedness and comedy can mean the difference between a quick sell and a confusing description.
At Black & Blue in Easton, Pa., Chef Christian Gonzalez writes, “Porterhouse Chop, young garlic and cilantro pesto, ensalada criolla - yeah it’s good.” It’s a fun way to end the line and can set diners at ease. “We try to be easygoing with our menu descriptions and highlight the main product,” he says. “We find that it’s better for our customers to keep it simple and funny – that way they can ask questions and interact with our staff.”
Written Vs. Typed
For Fink, the chalkboard-style approach adds a little extra character and allows for more flexibility and cost savings than printing. For kid menus or specials, he’ll hand-write the menus on mini chalkboards set on easels. At winery parties, he writes the menu on the back of the wine menu. If he does print, Fink tries to keep it small, on postcard-size paper.
“I like the handwritten menus – it seems a lot more personable,” he says.
Back-of-house, Fink writes out working menus for the day or week, armed with an oversized sheet of butcher or parchment paper and a marker.
“It’s always readily available and big enough so people can read,” he says, noting that the flexibility keeps him sharp for the final write-out. Fink has even drawn sketches of the plate presentation on the paper for the team to understand his visualization. This helps servers learn the dishes, too. “They like to poke their heads in the kitchen and look at the paper menu to understand the dish more.” As a result they can fill in the gaps not handled by descriptive menu items.
Vincent uses the printed approach but in a handwritten style. Since Nightwood tweaks its menu daily, the team uses InDesign, a publishing and layout software, to create a handwritten looking template with words that can easily be changed one or two at a time without having to redo the entire format.
From appetite appeal to engaging descriptions, the menu is your most powerful selling tool – make sure it’s up to the challenge and don’t forget to menu train your servers! With a well-written menu and knowledgeable servers, you are sure to be successful!