HOW TO MAKE YOUR RESTAURANT’S FOOD “TRAVEL WORTHY

from Restaurants Reimagined Volume 3: Packaging Resources For Success -PFS Springfield

PLAY IT SAFE - CREATIVE INDOOR DINING OPTIONS

By David P McGurn, CEC, CCACorporate Executive Chef

Performance Foodservice-Springfield

In a time when operators are once again forced to pivot in order to remain viable it is critical that we make sure our food is “Travel Worthy”.

The first step is to determine how your food gets into the hands and homes of a customer base that is leery of eating out, and perhaps entering your restaurant for takeout. Will it be a third-party delivery partner, or perhaps you will take on your own delivery eliminating third party fees? Possibly a push on take out or contactless curbside pickup? Whatever your decision, you must ask yourself “will my food hold up well packaged, as it makes its way to my customers? One of the most significant contributors to your “food to go” quality is the packaging. The right package may cost more but keeps food fresher, creates happy customers, and results in repeat business. Your PFG Area Manager can assist you in making that decision by showing you what is available in your area.

Takeout and Curbside Tips:

• Choose the right packaging • Keep hot and cold foods separate in containers but also in bags • Serve sauces and condiments packaged on the side • Brand your packaging! Even if it is just a logo’d sticker or stamp • Limit daily menus to your best sellers, add rotational specials that add variety but more importantly allow flexibility and utilization of excess inventory • Create “Family Size” versions of some of your menu items to appeal to families or groups - Bulk packed foods typically travel better, and stays hot or cold longer - Creates larger orders resulting in higher sales and increased profit • Feature your takeout and curbside on social media and your web page, create banners and links that will steer traffic towards your ordering platform • Create “safe spaces” for customers to enter and pick up take out, or add shelving to an open area for contactless pickup • “Safe spaces” outdoors for curbside should be clearly marked and serviced by workers wearing necessary PPE and clean gloves

Delivery:

• Choose the right delivery mechanism for your restaurant • Third party vs. in-house delivery, weigh the features and benefits of each • Determine your delivery radius with food quality in mind, greater distances can result in poor quality upon arrival - Quick service to customers - Maintains temperature - Keeps food safe • Create menus with items that travel well, food quality is paramount • Feature links on social media and on your webpage that directs customers to delivery partners

Travel Worthy Menu Ideas:

These tried and true favorites have proven to hold up well in to-go scenarios • BBQ-slow cooked meats may get soggy but that is not a bad thing, still savory and delicious, don’t forget the sides • Pizza/Calzone: thankfully pizza doesn’t know it’s a pandemic, it has always been a staple on takeout menus for pizza places and restaurants alike, same holds true for calzones, just leave the sauce on the side

• Subs hot and cold: similar to pizza, subs and sandwiches remain a popular option for takeout • Wings: serve wet loaded in your favorite sauce or with your favorite dry rub, just gently heat sauces before tossing with wings or serve on the side • Fried Chicken: the crispy breading on traditional fried chicken holds in the heat and moisture making this a solid performer in the takeout game • Tacos: I know…I know they do not travel well and get soggy quick, BUT, what if you deconstruct and include the components packed separately to create a fun activity for your customers when they get their tacos home • Burgers: as above burgers aren’t the best on long car rides but we can toast buns, serve condiments, vegetables and the like on the side, or even deconstruct burger, bun, toppings, pickles, etc, serve roasted fries or crispy smashed fingerlings for better results

• Pasta Dishes: pasta tossed with vegetable, proteins and sauces retain their heat, texture and appeal, make part of a family meal for a highly profitable option • Rice Dishes: items like paella, jambalaya, and fried rice make for great offerings but when packed tight can hold heat better than most • Bowls: jump on the bowl train by offering hot and cold bowls, use rice and other grains, pasta, or salad bases, top with your favorite ingredients, don’t be afraid of Poke!

• Grilled Meats and Vegetables: grilled items hold heat and moisture well when cooked properly, they reheat well, and they can be marinated to expand on flavor profiles • Braised Meats and or Stews: serving an item with its cooking juices is a sure-fire way to give takeout customers a quality dish that is flavorful and reheats well if necessary • Stews and small roasts: are ideal items for family size meals as well as individual portions • Salads: salads are a great takeout item as it allows customers to eat healthier, but also we can produce them during off-peak hours, relatively economically, and using the best seasonal ingredients, serve hot proteins and dressings on the side

• Desserts: many dessert options can be sold cold or at room temperature ensuring good quality, items like cookies, brownies, bars, pies, cakes, tarts and donuts are ideal, desserts also make fun interactive kits when you add sauces, dips, or a decorating component.

Staffing:

How do we keep our people working? With increased takeout, curbside, and delivery we may have less need for FOH team members such as bus persons, servers, and bartenders. That doesn’t mean we simply let them go, if we’ve learned one thing through this, our teams are critical to success and hard to replace. How do we keep them working?

CROSS-UTILIZE: ASK THEM TO TAKE ON OTHER ROLES AS NECESSARY

• Work the phones for takeout and expedite that part of service • Man the takeout window and manage pickups • Become delivery drivers • Liaise with third party delivery drivers to facilitate order accuracy and timeliness • Work in BOH prepping, cooking, or washing dishes • Perhaps team members have other talents such as accounting or managing, have them run sales reports, reconciliations, and order/inventory • Designate team member(s) to manage social media accounts

Make Your Efforts Stand Out:

• BRAND IT! We said it already but can’t stress enough the power of a subliminal message • POST IT! Ensure your efforts are getting to your customers by using your social media platforms to get the word out about all your doing • Add combos to menus including sides and beverages, as these items typically have a higher profit margin, they will result in added revenue • Remember, you do not deposit food cost into the bank you deposit sales, do not get hung up on high food cost items, focus more on high contribution items • Personalize every order, add a little something to tell your customers they are appreciated, maybe a couple free cookies, pieces of chocolate, a sample of a potential new menu item, or even a handwritten note • Include a small gift card based on purchase amount, $5 for every $50, etc., customers are sure to return

GENPAK CLOVER

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FOLDPAK- WESTROCK

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Pack/Size

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