Some folks may think that “Special” means that you’re trying to get rid of something, or the food is cheap. Featured Items or Featured Meals sounds like an attraction, so if by chance your guest is one to feel negative about the word ‘special’, you’ll be safer with ‘features’.
Testing new items and using the abundance that you have as leftovers are both ways that you can use to sell specials. Using leftovers may be a good way to help control food costs, but specials should mainly be used as a way to introduce new, higher profit, products. You can easily raise your profits quickly just by adding a new product and at relatively little cost.
Presentation is so important to your guest. Even the value that they place on what they get is important. If the guest sees it as good, it will probably be good to them. Be creative working with your menu! Change it up. Let your guest actually ‘see’ a better value. Change the portion sizes some. Keep a list of specials that can easily be run with the ingredients you have in your restaurant. Cost them out so that when you need to change things a bit, you can pull from the list. Evaluate all that you do and see how it goes. You and your guests will both benefit.
Click here for specials/features guidelines that you should follow.
