How to change a menu for a restaurant?

Question

My husband and I have recently bought an existing restaurant that has been in business for 15 years. The former owners retired and moved to Florida and the restaurant is now in our hands. I was going over the menu and noticed that there are some things I'd like to change so I'd like to know what I need to do in order to change the menu and make the menu look nice. The menu is the original menu from when the restaurant opened and I'm going to be presenting a new look.

Upon buying the restaurant we closed it for three weeks while we are doing renovations to the building and to the restaurant. We own the building as well and once we re-open we'd like it to take off and succeed. This is the second week the restaurant has been closed and the renovations are going well, we have completely updated the kitchen and dining areas, but they won't be ready for another week or so.

I'm very motivated to get this restaurant rocking, my husband has put me in charge of the business, he is a Lawyer and I have a degree in Business Management and I think my degree will work well with our new business.

Answer 1

The first thing you need to do is to discuss with the previous owners for their most popular meals and their regular customers and for now you are going to need to keep them on the menu just to get started with a few regular customers for their word of mouth as advertising.



Next invite some of them and by word of mouth and window promo's with "Something olde & Something new".



Now I can't be much help as I don't know the style you want to focus on, but you or your husband must know and love foods and have an ability to discuss food with your customers. It is all very well to be able to run a business but without that food knowledge you are going to have to rely on the chef for the creativity and a new menu.



You can only discuss the concept with the chef of what you do and if you are going to be creating a totally new menu you are chucking away all of the 'goodwill' you paid for'

It is of no use to intoduce something that your cliental are not going to want to go there for if there is the samething across the road



I just hope you have put as much thought into that as the concept of owning and running the business.

Dune



Good luck

Answer 2

Kinda depends on how successful the old menu was. If this restaurant has loyal customers, you really don't want to offend them by removing why they come there. Try to determine the least popular menu items, and alter them. The worst thing an existing successful place can do is change its vision, and become something its not....quickest way to lose diners.



Trust your chef to develop new menu ideas, or change your chef, these are the food professionals. Lawyers and business management types usually aren't good at creating a menu of tasty food people desire. Many restaurants have opened and closed trying to force customers to dine on leaks, escargot and dandelion leaves.



As for the look of the place, you can make many changes without disrupting existing diners...but this should have been done during the original closure. If you close again to make dining room changes, you risk totally alienating diners who show-up, yet you're closed ... a second time. People don't have patience for restaurants in flux, closed "all" the time, or making radical staff or menu changes.

Answer 3

One thing you might remember is that the clientele of the previous owner will be checking the place out. What did they like to eat? You have all the records. Perhaps you don't change the entire menu unless to want to change the entire customer base.



In addition, this is the perfect opportunity to start anything you want. The "locavore" situation is quite popular right now. Highlight any ingredients you serve that come from within a 50 or 100 miles radius of the restaurant. Presumable you have a wait-staff. Make sure they are well educated in any areas that will help with customer satisfaction.



Finally, as your business management prof. stressed, "the customer is always right". Listen closely to them and be prepared to change things as soon as you feel a trend appearing. Not enough fish on the menu, too dark in that corner, why aren't you open for breakfast, etc.



For the first month, be present, work over-time and fully address everything the customers talk about. Even if it's to say NO, but . . .

Answer 4

The flexibility of menu feature equipped the future restaurant Digital Menu that allows managers to change the categories on menu instantly . It can easily update the menu by removing the unavailable food and drinks and adding new items on the menu based on seasons. Thus, changing or updating things on the menu has become easy and instant through Digital flexible feature.

Answer 5

As a former chef who has written and reworked many menus, it is best to sit down with your chef/kitchen manager and go over the issues and things he/she sees as being in need of change, if it is the original menu you may still be able to work with the Printer to rework it, update the prices and add or subtract things to you liking, an older menu likely needs to be updated with newer more modern dishes, likely to the pricing is out of whack, sitting down a figuring a food cost of 30% and labour cost of between 28-32% on the items and a markup of no more than 35%, you should be able to streamline things so your making money from the start.

Answer 6

And you got the recipes too, right? I would leave some of the classic meals there or switch them out for those old farts that love the place and keep coming back. Try some new ideas for your specials. So basically leave some old and some new things.



I don't know what your restaurant is, but try to have some price fixe deals, so hot right now. And for fish please try to get some fresh stuff at the market daily because I hate how cheap some places are now and only offer frozen stuff OR it's the same (tilapia) at every place nowadays.

Answer 7

The fact that you are asking the question on Yahoo causes me great concern for your potential success in the most difficult business to own and operate. Hire a good consultant who has owned restaurants. I may be available.

Answer 8

the sky is the limit. You can go to any printing place to get idea's. I would suggest going over a new menu with your chef/cook since he/she may have ideas as well...good luck on your restaurant..should be fun.