Just what is menu magic? Simply
put the balance of consumer valued menu items and the intersection of how much
time, talent, and treasure it takes to put the meal on the plate according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA
based Foodservice Solutions®.
In
case you did not know, King-Casey is
a restaurant and foodservice business improvement firm that provides strategic
menu optimization advice and a range of services to help clients manage overall
food and beverage offerings, affecting their positioning, reputation and
business growth. Below are some of their valued insights for driving menu
magic.
“Knowing
your menu complexity scores can have a huge impact on your convenience store’s
bottom line.
If
you're not familiar with menu complexity scores, they represent a rating for
each item on your menu in terms of its complexity. Each product's rating is
based on key factors that play an important role in how profitable your
business is.
The
Seven Key Factors
A
menu item complexity score is an overall rating assigned to an individual menu
item.
The
individual item's complexity score is determined by rating the product on seven
key factors required to create that menu item. Those seven factors are:
1.
Assembly Average. The amount of time it takes, in
either seconds or minutes, to assemble the product and package it.
2.
Cook Average. The amount of time in minutes it
takes to cook or heat the product.
3.
Cook Assembly Rating. A rating scale from 1-7 (1 being
easy and 7 being difficult) is assigned to the product.
4.
Total Number of Prep Recipes Used. For instance, noodle
soup requires broth plus noodles to be prepped, resulting in two prep recipes.
5.
Number of Unique Prep Recipes Used. For instance,
teriyaki chicken and edamame are only used in the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl. Hence,
this menu item would have two unique prep recipes.
6.
Number of Unique Ingredients. This factor applies
to ingredients only used in one item that doesn't require any prep. An example
would be mozzarella cheese used only in lasagna.
7.
Number of Stations Needed to Produce the Item. This could include a
sandwich station, panini grill, soup warmer, microwave, etc.
Once
these seven key factor ratings have been completed for a menu item, the rating
numbers should be added up to form an overall complexity score for that
individual item.
This
exercise should be conducted for every item on your menu. Once menu complexity
scores have been determined for each of your menu items, it's the time to put
these scores to use.
How
Menu Complexity Scores Can Be Used
High
selling and/or high profitability items with low to medium complexity scores
should be given high priority. They should be proactively marketed and
merchandised to customers in all your menu communications (i.e., mobile app,
website, menuboard and P2P messaging).
Low
selling and/or low profitability items with medium to high scores should be
downplayed with customers. In addition, they should be analyzed for
simplification opportunities. For example, explore more efficient preparation
techniques or cooking equipment.
If
simplification is not feasible, they should be considered for elimination from
your menu. Note that a menu TURF Analysis (Total Unduplicated Reach and
Frequency) can determine the risk associated with deleting items from your
menu. In simple terms, TURF is a research instrument that determines the
shortest list of menu items to satisfy the vast majority of customers.
The
Benefits
Multiple
benefits can be gained from knowing your menu complexity scores. These include:
·
The
ability to manage your staff and make sure you're not over or understaffing the
kitchen. Keep in mind, labor efficiencies have an immediate impact on your
bottom line.
·
Reducing
cost of goods by optimizing ingredient usage and avoiding waste.
·
Identifying
problems with menu execution and helping ensure that customers receive
consistently high-quality meals every time they come to your store.
·
Increasing
customer frequency and repeat business to help you stay competitive in the
marketplace.
By
having menu complexity information at your fingertips, you can be sure that
you're always making the best decisions possible to increase your profitability
and bottom line.” Thank you King-Casey.
Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a
Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or
call our Grocerant Guru®. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche.
Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or
253-759-7869
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