make your
restaurant
menu INSANELY
profitable Your restaurant marketing starts with a great menu.
MENU MARKETING MADE EASY!
How to
It all starts with your menu. This single marketing piece is as important as the food you serve, the people who take the orders and the people who cook the food. It needs to fit into your décor in a way that helps your guest find what they are looking for that’s easy to read and will help them make decisions that bring you the highest possible plate contribution.
Think of your menu
As A Business Building Device It is your single most important communication device outside of your people. And the restaurant business is unique in that when someone goes into a restaurant they are seldom there to browse. How many times have people come into your restaurant and said that they don’t want to eat, they’re just looking? When someone comes to your restaurant, they will buy. What they buy may not be established, but you know they will get something to eat and probably something to drink as well. So the potential in your restaurant is really based on how well you can present the items that offer a great experience for your guests and at the same time offer a solid return on investment.
Small PlatES Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche
Citrus poached shrimp in a chilled puree of roasted tomatoes with cornnuts and popcorn 6.75
Queso Fundido
Smoked cheese and poblano pepper fondue, grilled vegetable skewers, plantain chips and flatbread 8.50
Black Bean Soup
Spanish antipasto
Serrano ham, chorizo, manchego cheese, queso fresco, roasted vegetables and olives served with flatbread 8.50
ENtRéES Shrimp Cous-Cous
Sauteed shrimp, chorizo and Israeli cous-cous in a saffron tomato broth with olive relish 13.50
Swedish meatballs?...Yes! Swedish meatballs Pork and beef meatballs, potato puree and lingonberry jam 12.75
mahi mahi Soft tacos
Grilled mahi mahi, black beans, avocado and queso fresco with serrano-lime sour cream 7.50
Pork tenderloin Churrasco
Achiote rubbed pork tenderloin with soft chorizo polenta with roasted pineapple serrano chili salsa 15.50
Picadillo Empanadas
Pan Roasted Salmon
Cuban black bean soup, fried risotto balls and sofrito sour cream 4.50
Seasoned ground beef empanadas, olive relish and Venezuelan Aji dipping sauce 5.50
Pan roasted salmon filet, rice croquettes and piperade sauce 15.75
Chicken Posole Soup
Ham Croquettes
Sautéed beef tips over citrus black beans and fried potatoes with aji sauce 15.75
Marinated chicken breast, hominy, tomatoes and peppers in a chile broth 4.50
Steamed Clams
Clams cooked with saffron, tomatoes, white wine, chorizo and garlic 7.50
Pop!!as Bravas
Fried potatoes tossed in a spicy paprika tomato sauce served with aioli 4.75
Manchego cheese and ham croquettes with a quince dipping sauce 5.75
Venezuelan Beef tips and Beans Vegetable Paella
Fresh vegetables, saffron and sofrito cooked into arborio rice 12.50
anchovy & Pisto Bocadillos
Think Spanish bruschetta, only with more love added!! 6.50
Pop!! Fritters
Shrimp and black bean fritters served with chipotle sour cream and guasaca 6.25
SalaDS SalaDS
Pasta a
Linguini with sautéed spinach in a lemon garlic cream sauce 9.50
Pasta B
Wagon wheel pasta tossed with sausage, peppers and onions in a tomato basil sauce 9.50
Pizza 1
A green sauce pizza topped with mozzarella, grilled shrimp and chorizo 11.25
Pizza 2
Chunky tomato sauce, fire roasted red peppers, chargrilled white onions and homemade queso fresco 9.50
Warm Beet Salad
Arugula and spinach wilted in a bacon dressing and topped with roasted beets, bleu cheese and toasted walnuts 6.50
SaNDWICHES
Grilled Caesar and Flat Bread
Grilled romaine lettuce, caesar dressing served on garlic flatbread 7.25 POP! Favorite
thai Chicken-Satay Salad
Grilled chicken skewers, mixed greens, wontons, and cucumbers tossed with honey-lime vinaigrette and served with peanut sauce 10.50
Pork asado
Citrus BBQ soaked pulled pork with southwest slaw 9.50
Portobella Sandwich
Carne asada Salad
Lightly breaded portobella mushroom, black bean hummus and smoked paprika aioli 9.50
the Wedge
Panko-breaded walleye filet, mixed greens and southwestern tartar sauce 10.75
Spanish Salad
Chargrilled steak, caramelized onions topped with chimichurri, queso fresco and tomato 10.50
Marinated steak, mixed greens, croutons, egg, tomatoes, and bleu cheese tossed in our chimichurri vinaigrette 10.50 Iceberg lettuce, hearts of palm, hardboiled egg, cucumber, carrots, and tomatoes with 1001 Island dressing 6.00 Juicy tomatoes, spicy chorizo, bleu cheese and mixed greens tossed with our house dressing 6.50
Pop!ulure Sandwich
Palomilla Steak Sandwich
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Spanish Burger
Half pound of black angus grilled beef topped with manchego cheese, serrano ham, roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika aioli 10.50
DINNER
talk about Pop! Cheeseburger
Half pound of black angus grilled beef topped with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions 8.75
Chicken Sandwich
Achiote marinated chicken breast, Venezuelan guasaca, and pepper jack cheese 9.25
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
Maybe you’re on the fence about your menu and don’t know if you should redesign it or just take a few prices up and let it go for a while. And if you’re like many restaurant operators today, you’re probably trying to save money where you can. A conservative approach may seem like you’re doing yourself a favor, but you may actually be hurting your own growth and recovery.
4 ways to know
if you need a new menu? Take a moment to consider that your customers are always looking for something new. And keep in mind: what they really want is something they already know they love in a new form. This is great news for you because it makes your job a little easier. And sometimes all it takes is repackaging your best items with a better menu to get your customers to find something they haven’t tried in a while. Here are four points to consider when making a decision about your menu:
1. If your menu has not been developed by a professional designer you owe it to yourself to get it done now. A professional designer can really take your business to the next level and get your customers talking. And buzz is ultimately what you’re looking for.
2. How long has it been since your menu was looked at thoroughly? If it’s been over 2 years you’re about due. If it’s been more than 3 years, it’s essential that you not wait a moment longer. Keeping your menu up-to-date is as important as any other part of your business.
3. Has your menu been engineered recently? Ever? Did you know it’s worth between 2
and 10% to your gross
profits if it’s done correctly? When was the last time you had a raise? 4. Start the process correctly, and get a menu matrix done professionally. Getting a consultant to take a look at your business and offer an opinion can help you bring new energy and excitement to your business. You can do a complete test on the HotOperator web site at www.hotoperator.com
www.hotoperator.com
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
Menu Design-Engineering is the process of helping your guests find the best value on your menu. That doesn’t mean the cheapest items, or items with a low food cost. But rather the items that make the most financial sense for your restaurant that your customers will like and come back for again. This process, like all the great engineering processes, uses a combination of techniques developed to help you build your best menu for the least amount of money.
Introducing
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But be careful of reviewing a matrix on your own, because while you may be an expert on your business, you probably don’t develop menu matrix reports very often, and so you can make fundamental mistakes that can cost you a great deal of money in the long run. Not the least of which is the misnomer that it is the goal of menu engineering to eliminate all the dogs on your menu.
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Once you have the menu matrix you can start to develop a plan for higher profits in your restaurant. Remember, the restaurant business is a pennies game, and these pennies when added up over weeks, months and years can add up to significant income.
Menu Engineering:
Plan For Your Profit Goals Setting real financial goals is the very best way to improve your business over time. What you’re looking for are items that show signs of life with regard to sales and contribution to margins, or plate contribution. The trick is to find items that have both solid sales and solid profits, and then build on those items to help bring a higher average check to your business over and over again. To do your Menu Matrix, you will need three things:
1. Theoretic Food Cost – this needs to be per plate of finished product out the door. Consider all the costs – primary ingredients, as well as any sauces or condiments, including sides and add-on items.
2. Velocities – this is easier with a Point of Sale (POS) system; without it you’ll have to count tickets. You have a focus group going on in your restaurant every day, and when you count up how many of each item you’ve sold, it’s the best way to understand the dynamics of your brand. If counting tickets, 1 to 3 weeks of sales are fine, if you have a POS system, use 1 to 3 months.
3. Selling Price – this is just the price you sold each item for, printed on your menu. Don’t be tempted to include price increases you intend to make while updating your menu. Just use the price you SOLD it for during this matrix period. If you would like help with your menu matrix, you can reach out to HotOperator®
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• 800-316-3198 ext 332
After completing a matrix, you now have a tool to help you better understand which items offer the best plate contribution and are the most popular sellers in your restaurant. Generally the items will be categorized into four groups.
Understanding a
Menu Matrix Stars Stars are your best items. They are both popular and profitable. There is brand energy here, and you can probably take the price up on these items a little. So if you’re wondering what to add to your menu, look at the stars on your menu and try to invent something interesting that will seem like a similar and natural extension of your best items.
What is plate contribution? Plate contribution refers to how much money you can take to the bank on any given item. While percentages are important, it’s more important to focus on dollars to the
Puzzles Puzzles are more profitable items that are not very popular. Sometimes, just taking the price down a little will help these items move more quickly, thus
bank.
becoming Stars. Other times they are just off-brand and need to be dropped.
As an example: an item with a selling
To decide which, there is a test you can use.
price of 9.99 and a 32% food cost will bring in 6.80. But a 15.99 selling price at 48% food cost will bring in 8.32, or another 1.50 to the bank. Focus on both food cost percentage and cash flow, but
First, think about the items and then think,
“Is this us?” If you
get a funny feeling in your gut, it’s probably time to drop the item. If you truly believe the item has potential in your restaurant, try dropping the price little.
keep in mind that sometimes what appears as a great item based on percentages may not be the item you want to direct your marketing focus.
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Plow Horses Sometimes referred to as Cash Cows, these items are not always as profitable, as we would like, but they are very popular. In fact, your best selling items are probably Plow Horses. In many cases you can probably take the price up a little on these items from time-to-time, but probably not enough to make them into Stars. That’s because, every time you take the price up on an item, you will lose a few customers. The best thing to do is leverage the brand power of these items by surrounding them with items that are more profitable. Use Cash Cows to attract your guests towards something new by surrounding each with Puzzles or Stars.
If you have not done a
Dogs
Menu Matrix, HotOperator®
Dogs are not as profitable, nor are they as popular as other items on your menu. This doesn’t mean that they are not valuable. It just means that if you have a choice, you would prefer to sell
suggests that you look at the velocities of each item and circle the items that move the fastest. Look at each item based on food cost to see which items make a healthy contribu-
something else. Before you drop these items, take a look at
tion to profit. Find a few in each category
them to decide if they offer value enough to keep, or if they are
that you would like to bring to customer
easy to make, and use items that you have in house anyway. If you
focus. These will be the highlighted items.
decide you need to reduce the total number of items on your menu, Dogs should be the first to go. After completing your Menu Matrix, you can see which items offer the best plate contribution (overall gross profit per plate) and are the most popular sellers.
Next review each submenu category for Stars, Puzzles, Plow Horses and Dogs. Select two Star items in each category. If you have more than two, pick the best. If you have only one, use that one. If you have none, identify an item that you would like to elevate to a Star from the Puzzles. You will want to treat these selections as Highlighted items. They are also the items that your waitstaff needs to suggest when someone asks, “What do you recommend?”
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Where a product is positioned on a menu has a big impact on how well it sells. Knowing this, we can help position products to sell faster or slower depending on your plate contribution, throughput, transaction speed or even food cost percentage.
Positioning When positioning your items on your menu, we recommend placing items with the best opportunity to make your best profit (items with significant dollar values) in the number 1, 2 and 3 positions. These categories may run over into other Advice about appetizers: place
categories, and that’s OK. Just make sure many of your best items are in
appetizers on the back cover,
the best locations.
or in a place that can be called
Different size menus have different viewing patterns. We have included the
out easily, but that does not
recommended positioning for a 2-page view and a 3-page view.
interfere with the natural flow of how people order food. Appetizers are incremental, so they do not need to cover the overhead in your restaurant.
Both a two-page and three-page view menus have the same number of visual stops for the customer, but in different locations. Examples are provided in illustrations.
2-page or double-spread eye movement
All they are responsible for is
Most Valuable Plates
Bench Warmers
adding income to the bottom
3
The Hickory Burger
line and raising the check
Real Cheddar cheese, thick-sliced, hickorysmoked bacon and zesty barbeque sauce accent this southern favorite 7.49
Cheese Mo-Ron Burger
Burger with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions 6.99 Without cheese 6.49
average.
Shrimp Dinner
Bases Loaded Burgers Mushroom and Swiss
Sautéed mushrooms and a slice of Swiss 7.49
Chili Burger
A Mo-Ron Burger topped with that famous Detroit chili, onions and mustard 7.49
Wraps Chicken Caesar Wrap
Grilled marinated chicken breast, fresh romaine and Parmesan cheese tossed in our creamy Caesar dressing and rolled into a flour tortilla 7.49
The Clubhouse Wrap
Sliced turkey and ham with chopped bacon, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo. Served with buttermilk ranch dressing 7.49
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Chicken fingers smothered in our Buffalo sauce, lettuce, diced celery and bleu cheese crumbles. Served with bleu cheese dressing 7.49
7
10-piece shrimp dinner served with french fries and coleslaw 12.99
Super Bowl Sirloin
Tender, juicy 8-ounce sirloin steak is covered in our secret seasoning 11.49 Add sautéed onions and mushrooms or béarnaise sauce for 1.79 each Or add both for 2.79
Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli
Tender and juicy sirloin is sautéed with mushrooms, onions and swiss cheese and served on a ciabatta bun 9.95
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Specially marinated chicken breast grilled to perfection and served on a fresh toasted bakery bun 7.49
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
4
Grilled chicken breast covered in our famous Buffalo sauce and topped with Swiss cheese 7.49
Dummy Dog
Hot dog smothered in mustard, onions and chili. Imported directly from Detroit. Take one bite…if you’re not satisfied we’ll pay for it 5.49
Reuben Sierra
Tender shaved corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on lightly grilled marble rye 7.49 Substitute turkey 7.49
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Rich marinara sauce over pasta and meatballs, topped with freshly grated Parmesan and a garlic bread stick plus choice of soup and salad 9.49
2
Oriental vegetables stir-fried in a teriyaki sesame sauce served over a bed of white rice. Steak, chicken or vegetarian available 9.99 Your choice of grilled steak or chicken fajitas served with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce and shredded Jack Cheddar cheese. Served with all-you-caneat tortillas 10.99
1
Walleye Szczerbiak
Our Walleye Szczerbiak is delicately breaded with bread crumbs and pan-seared in a light cream sauce 12.49
Each plate comes with your choice of soup or salad, potato and fresh steamed vegetable of the day.
Gourmet Pizzas Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Prime Time
Specially seasoned slow-roasted sliced prime rib is served with sautéed onions and mushrooms and covered in melted provolone cheese with a side of au jus and tangy, creamy horseradish sauce 9.99
Grilled chicken breast, sautéed red onions and bacon crumbles layered on top of creamy Alfredo sauce, baked with fresh Italian cheeses 11.95
Our juicy hamburger patty is covered with cheese and fried onions and grilled in sourdough 7.49
Chicken Parmesan
Two deep-fried chicken strips smothered in our homemade marinara and covered with provolone cheese 7.49
Walleye Sandwich
Light and flaky walleye is lightly breaded and served on a toasted bakery bun with lettuce, cheese and tartar sauce 9.99
All Bench Warmers are served with your choice of French fries or garlic mashed potatoes and a pickle spear. Add chili or cheese to fries for only .99, or add both for 1.49.
Pepperoni and Italian Sausage Pizza
5
Fresh Italian sausage and pepperoni layered over our rich garlic red sauce, baked with fresh Italian cheeses 11.95
Add a small dinner salad or small Caesar salad to any pizza for 1.99 each.
On The Green
Patty Melt
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Tender beef bottom round pot roast served with carrots and potatoes 10.95
Steak or Chicken Stir-Fry
Sizzling Fajitas
This mouthwatering Italian feature has pasta covered in our rich Alfredo sauce, topped with grilled chicken breast and broccoli 9.99 Substitute shrimp for 10.99
Dummys Melted Hoagies Steak Sandwich
Pot Roast
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
The all-time favorite: our very own grilled chicken Caesar salad with romaine hearts smothered in Caesar dressing and topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and croutons. Served with an oven-fresh bread stick and butter Half 6.99 Full 8.99 Steak or shrimp Caesar salad Half 7.99 Full 9.99
Oriental Chicken Salad
Oriental greens with teriyaki chicken strips, sliced almonds, rice noodles and Oriental dressing Half 6.99 Full 8.99
Ranch-Soaked Shrimp Salad
Crisp lettuce, sautéed shrimp, green peppers, diced celery and tomatoes soaked in homemade buttermilk ranch. Served with an oven-fresh bread stick Half 7.99 Full 8.99
Fajita Salad
6
South of the border style salad with spicy chicken breast, diced tomatoes, black olives, jalapeños and Jack Cheddar cheese topped with guacamole and sour cream and served in a fried taco bowl 8.99
Salad Dressing Choices
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch | Parmesan Peppercorn Ranch | Thousand Island French | Bleu Cheese | Light Italian | Caesar | Honey Mustard
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
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All Tave sh 100% are fre Angus Black
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TaVerns sPeCiaLTies
TaVerns seaFood
Taverns specialties are served with breadsticks, fresh sautéed vegetables and tobacco onions; plus homemade soup or salad; and your choice of baked potato, cheesy hash browns, red skin mashed potatoes or French fries.
Seafood entrees are served with Taverns’ fresh baked breadsticks and your choice of homemade soup or house salad, with choice of baked potato, cheesy hash browns, red skin mashed potatoes or French fries. Add seasoned waffle fries or Taverns American fries available for only .99 more!
Our burgers and chicken sandwiches are served with your choice of potato chips, French fries, coleslaw or fresh fruit. Seasoned waffle fries or Taverns American fries available for only .99 more!
3
Tanners rodeo Burger
Half pound burger smothered in our BBQ sauce and piled high with mushrooms, American cheese, bacon and sour cream then topped with a king-sized onion ring 8.99
spinach & artichoke Chicken
Grilled chicken breast topped with our homemade spinach and artichoke dip and Swiss cheese. Served on a ciabatta bun 8.49
Taverns n.Y. strip steak
Aged house 14-ounce New York strip steak charbroiled to perfection 21.99
Our beer-battered chicken breast is fried and topped with fresh shredded lettuce, tomato and cool ranch dressing 7.99
Turkey BLT sandwich
Try a glass of Terra d’Oro Syrah
Grilled chicken breast topped with basil pesto and mozzarella cheese. Served on a ciabatta bun garnished with lettuce and tomato 8.49
1
Prime rib
Half pound burger topped with Swiss and American cheese and sautéed onions. Served on our delicious marble rye bread 8.49
Seasoned, slow roasted, and served with au jus Calf cut – 12-ounce 15.99 • Bull cut – 18-ounce 19.99 Tanner cut – 24-ounce 22.99 • Roast cut – 36-ounce 39.99
rachel
Slow-roasted turkey, Swiss cheese and our fresh homemade coleslaw is grilled on our wild rice bread 7.49
TaVerns FaVoriTes
7
Taverns Beef Tips
Cajun blackened beef tips and mushrooms are topped with crumbled Maytag bleu cheese and broiled to perfection, and served with red skin mashed potatoes and fresh sautéed vegetables 14.99
Our beer-battered walleye is deep-fried and served on a toasted hoagie bun with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce 8.99 Add your favorite cheese for only .99.
All pasta dishes are served with your choice of soup or salad and a fresh baked breadstick.
Blackened Chicken alfredo
5
spaghetti Cacciatora
Our own Italian sausage, onions, peppers and mushrooms are topped with shredded mozzarella cheese and baked 12.99
Try a glass of Trinchero Family Cabernet
saLMon and shriMP sPeCiaLTY
Fresh Atlantic salmon and tiger shrimp are sautéed with Roma tomatoes, artichokes, black olives, garlic, shallots and Italian herbs and served on a bed of linguine in our light olive oil and white wine sauce 16.99
roasted rosemary garlic Chicken
Taverns Clubhouse
One half chicken marinated in fresh rosemary, garlic and lemon, then roasted and served with a rosemary pan jus, red skin mashed potatoes and fresh sautéed vegetables 11.99
Slow-roasted turkey, smoked bacon, ham, lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese and mayo are served on Texas toast 7.50
4
PasTas
All favorites are served with your choice of homemade soup or house salad.
walleye sandwich
wraPs
Grilled Atlantic salmon basted with a lemon-dilled butter sauce and served with vegetable of the day and choice of potato 16.99
A blend of sautéed peppers and onions in rich Cajun cream sauce tossed with linguine pasta and topped with blackened chicken 13.99
A juicy 6 ounce ribeye steak is seasoned and grilled to your liking. Served on Texas toast with a side of au jus 9.99
Corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing are grilled to perfection on marble rye bread 7.49
salmon in dilled Butter sauce
Try a glass of New Haven Sauvignon Blanc
CreaTe Your own surF and TurF!
riBeYe sTeak sandwiCh
reuben
Try a glass of The Show
Add shrimp just the way you like them: savory scampi, sweet coconut or beer-battered or a cluster of crab for only 6.99!
Grilled chicken breast, sautéed onions and green peppers are topped with Pepper Jack cheese and served on a toasted hoagie bun 8.25
Our pulled pork simmered in a light barley beer and then finished with our BBQ sauce and served on a home-style bun 7.99
shrimp – Your way
Six shrimp prepared the way you want them! Choose from scampi, coconut or beer-battered. Served with vegetable of the day and choice of potato 16.99
Add seasoned waffle fries or Taverns American fries available for only .99 more. Add fresh mushrooms and onions for only 1.99 more.
Taverns Pepperjack ray
Pulled Pork
Fish and Chips
A 6-ounce house-cut tenderloin filet wrapped in bacon. This one will melt in your mouth 24.99
Patty Melt
Try a glass of Trinchero Family Merlot
Our new wraps are served with your choice of coleslaw, French fries or chips. Seasoned waffle fries or Taverns American fries available for only .99 more!
Our ribs are hand-rubbed with our chef’s blend of spices, then mesquite smoked in house and finished on the grill with our signature BBQ sauce and served with your choice of potato. Half rack 12.99 Full rack 16.99 Rack & a half 20.99
California Club
Oven-roasted turkey, smoked ham, bacon, Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and our honey mustard sauce wrapped in a fresh tortilla 8.99
Basil Pesto Linguine
Tender blackened chicken breast is served on a bed of linguine pasta and tossed in our homemade creamy basil pesto sauce 13.99
sizzling Fajitas
Your choice of marinated chicken, beef or shrimp are served with a bed of roasted peppers and onions along with all the fixings and soft warm tortillas. Beef or chicken 12.99 Shrimp 14.99 Beef & chicken combo 12.99 Shrimp & beef or shrimp & chicken combo 14.99
MesquiTe sMoked BaBY BaCk riBs
smoked Beef Brisket
Our delicious in-house smoked beef brisket with lettuce, tomato and our great BBQ sauce wrapped in a fresh, warm tortilla 8.99
6
Baked rigatoni
Rigatoni tossed in our Bolognese sauce, covered with shredded mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection 12.99
Cheese Filled raviolos
Try a glass of Trinchero Family Cabernet
Raviolos stuffed with five Italian cheeses – ricotta, mozzerella, Parmesan, sharp provolone and asiago – accompanied with diced ham, peas and our garlic cream sauce 12.99
station style Cajun Pork Chop
A 12-ounce porterhouse-cut pork chop is marinated in light Cajun seasoning and charbroiled to a juicy perfection. Served with red skin mashed potatoes and fresh sautéed vegetables 12.99
Buffalo Chicken
Chicken tenderloins tossed in our dynamite sauce, with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion and Colby Jack cheese wrapped in a fresh, warm tortilla 8.99
Meatloaf dinner
Smoked bacon, crisp lettuce, tomato and mayo are wrapped in a fresh tortilla 8.49
BLT
A hearty helping of Taverns’ homemade meatloaf smothered in pan gravy and accompanied by red skin mashed potatoes 9.99
southwestern
Tavern’s London Broil
shrimp and Crab Linguine
Tiger shrimp, fresh crabmeat and aged parmesan cheese are tossed with linguine in a light cream sauce 16.99
Try a glass of Menageatrois White
Ten ounces of marinated sirloin in red wine, herbs and spices, grilled and finished with a Cabernet mushroom sauce and served with your choice of potato 12.99
All-white chicken marinated in our special chipotle marinade with fresh shredded lettuce and pico de gallo wrapped in a fresh, warm tortilla 8.99
Position 1: This area should contain your best entrées and your mental anchor point (see next page for description). This area needs to be highlighted completely to hold your guests as long as you can.
Position 2: Your best entrées will probably take up much of this space, too. Include at least one highlight here for best results.
Position 3: Put other entrées here, or your best sandwiches if you’re out of entrées. Use a highlight or two in this general area.
Position 4: Wraps, salads, soup and other add-on items like sides can go
here, unless you have more sandwiches or other entrées.
Position 5: This area works best for some entrée salads, desserts, beverages, etc.
Position 6: A great place to put your less interesting items or con-
tinue your beverages or dinner salads, etc.
Position 7: Sandwiches will probably be filling this space. Make sure you leave some highlights here to stop your guest on a better value for you.
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Try a glass of BV Coastal Pinot Grigio
Four beer-battered cod filets fried to a golden brown and served with French fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce 11.99
Petite Tenderloin Filet
sPeCiaLTY sandwiChes Shaved prime rib of beef piled high on a toasted hoagie bun and served with au jus for dipping 9.99 Add peppers and onions for only .50. Add your favorite cheese for only .99.
Here’s the meat! One of the best cuts you can get, this king of the steaks is the best of two worlds, hosting both a tenderloin and New York strip 28.99
Taverns own whiskey ribeye
Our specialty sandwiches are served with your choice of potato chips, French fries, coleslaw or fresh fruit. Seasoned waffle fries or Taverns American fries available for an additional .99.
Prime rib dip
The 22-ounce Porterhouse
Weighing in at a full pound, this ribeye is charbroiled and topped with our own whiskey sauce 17.99
Tavern’s Pesto Chicken
Toppings - Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, American, Swiss, Mozzarella, blue cheese, chili, bacon, BBQ sauce, chili peppers, tomato, lettuce, mushrooms, jalapeño, sour cream or tobacco onions 6.99 Each additional topping .25
2
Canadian walleye one of three ways – sautéed in seasoned butter, beer battered or broiled. Served with vegetable of the day and your choice of potato 15.99
“The beauty comes with age.” This 10-ounce choice flat iron steak is charbroiled to perfection 16.99
Oven-roasted turkey topped with Colby cheese, chipotle garlic mayo, served on seasoned flat bread 6.99
BYo Burger or Chicken sandwich
Fresh Canadian waLLeYe
The Beauty
Crispy Chicken
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
Thai Peanut Linguini
Chicken tenders sautéed in our spicy Thai peanut sauce with fresh red and green peppers and toasted peanuts 12.99
We use only trans fat free oil!
Try a glass of The Show Cabernet
SpeCialtieS
Highlighting
All specialties come with your choice of green beans or grilled corn on the cob and your choice of herb-mashed pota homemade mac and cheese or potato pancakes unless noted. Add a bowl of soup or dinner salad for only 2
! As noted earlier, many of your Star will be your highlighted items. Itemitems Schnitzel New Pork cutlet is lightly breaded and fried and served A couple of tips about highlighting: with your choice of two sides 11.99
pasta
eller! Hot S Fish & Chips Pub-style battered cod served with homem or cocktail sauce, fries and coleslaw
Omelettes
Herb & Garlic Stuffed Chicken Breast 1. Select a background works type, A chicken color breast that stuffed with with creamblack cheese infused with herbs
Mothers’ Meatloaf
When you have a hankering for home co and garlic, rolled in Japanese breadcrumbs and pan fried 10.99 our meatloaf is drenched in beer gravy wit All (except the low carbherb-mashed omelette) served with choice of grits, Al (black is easier to read if printed with the potatoes and roasted corn
Cajun pasta
choice of toast or biscuit. Low carb omelettes do not come wit
Shrimp, Andouille sausage, smoked onions and peppers with Finger dinner defeat theChicken purpose of ordering low-carb, now right background color). sun-dried tomato in a red pepper and garlic cream sauce is Five breaded chicken fingers with fries, Fettuccine Alfredo Spaghetti & Meat Sauce Ham and Cheese Omelette Low and your choice of dipping sauce Ca 1 served a bed of pork cavatelli 10.99 Al dente fettuccine tossed with our creamy Our savory blendover of beef, veal and in our pasta with garlic toastSmoked ham with your choice! of cheese folded Mushroom Alfredo sauce and sprinkled with black homemade red sauce over spaghetti noodles 11.95 m e t 2.pepper The highlight color should be lighter than I into a three egg omelette choice of m ular 7.49 Chicken 12.95 Shrimp 15.95 Scallops 14.95 Contorno 6.95
Contorno 7.45
Coconut Skewers
Pop
Blackened or Fried Group
A Growlers favorite! Whole gulf shrimp coated with season B-Y-O Omelette A grouper filet rolled in our Cajun Denver the background, and the type canbreading be a little Malibu coconut and served with wild rice, pan-seared or fried with artichoke heart Pick any two items for your omelette 7.49 Smoked h Tricolored Cheese Tortellini sesame green beans and piña colada dipping sauce 11.99 cheese fol Ring-shaped pasta with cheese, peas and Western bolder, too.mushrooms Also, you can tell ma!sauce better story turkey Medallions Penne Primavera in traditionalItered 11.95 Onions, peppers, tomatoes Thick and ham 7.99 Mexica ew Crab Cake dinner sliced turkey medallions served Our flavorful Alfredo sauce with grilled zucchini, Contorno 7.45 NNeck Little Clams Seafood BellaVista yellow squash, portabella mushrooms, sun-dried For theinrest crab cake lover in you! Generous portion of our choice of two sidesSausage 9.95 w on these items than the of the menu. The more you tell...the more you sell. Sautéed olive oil with fresh garlic and your choice Cheese Omelette Seafoodand medley including: tomatoes roasted garlic salmon, shrimp, clams made cakes 15.99 plus two sides 11.99 peppers to of redin-house or white wine sauce crab over linguine and mussels olive oil15.95 and crushed garlic served Chicken 12.95inShrimp Tenderloin 15.95
Dal Mare – Seafood
over linguine Contorno 6.95 21.99
3.
Farfalle al Salmon
Grilled Norwegian Salmon
pasta with salmon and tomato sauce Salmon Livornese Put someBowtie kind of ofbox around with a touch cream 13.95 it. Make sure that Fresh filet of salmon marinated and grilled with black Contorno Filet 8.45of Norwegian salmon marinated and grilled
olives, capers, white wine, garlic and fresh marinar a over linguine 17.99 longer on the Spaghetti & Meatballs
Some people just like cheese and eggs – choose your favorite cheese and we’ll fold it into a three egg omyou can hold the 6.79 attention of your guests elette
Soup, Stew & SaladS
with garden seasonal vegetables in a lemon olive highlighted oil herb sauceitems. over linguine 17.99
Veggie Delight Omelette
Tomato, onion, peppers, mushrooms, spinach and
sour cream
Popeye
Spinach, S
Ham O
Mediterranean Two hand-formed, extra large beef, soups, stews and salads are all made fresh. Salad dressing choices are: Homemade Honey Beer M Rapini LinguineShrimp withGrowlers Clam Sauce Mussels Swiss cheese 7.49 Smoked h veal and pork meatballs topped with House Ranch, Bleu Cheese, Sautéed with rabe,ofgarlic Fresh herbs, wine shrimp and garlic inbroccoli your choice a and Caesar, Southwestern, Lite Ranch, French, Lite French, Thousand Island or It Sautéed in olive oil with homemade red sauce 12.95 white wine served over linguine 19.99 creamy white or marinara sauce, over linguine 13.95 crushed garlic, choice of Contorno 7.95 Contorno 8.45 red or white wine sauce
mental Anchoring
pot Roast
The Alfie Skillet Churchill Cobb Salad
Home fries chopped pepper Large chunks of slow roasted sirloin and home-cut vegetables in A bed of mixed mixedwith greens toppedonions, with bleu, C and ham. Covered with melted che hearty gravy served with a beer and Cheddar roll 6.99 Monterey Jack cheeses, ham, Cheddar turkey, cucu Served choice of toast 8.99 onions, tomato andwith hard-boiled egg. Ser Pasta and Entree Dishes Mental anchoring is a concept using a standout paragraph that incorporates higherServed with homemade Artisan Bread and your choice of a mixed The peppers onion are already mixed we are not yourand choice of dressing andin,asoHot Pretz Blt Salad salad or cup of soup. Substitute vegetable of the day for 1.29 more. Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, croutons and chunks of pricesapplewood-smoked to minimize the impact of tossed higherinpriced items on the menu. Grilled Chicken Salad bacon are ranch dressing Mixed salad greens, purple cabbage, shredd and served with a Hot Pretzel 7.99. A time when your customers are most likely to spend more money in your res- green pepper rings, red o cherry tomatoes, Wouldn’t it be fun to order your meal in Italian, in any regular topping for 1.79 or any gourmet topping for 2.29 more. Italy croutons and grilled chicken served with y Build-a-Caesar Italy? Take our traveling Add language seminar and find Plain Stromboli Steak Stromboli Romaine lettuce tossedbuy in our authentic, out. Our trip includes travel to Italy, where you will taurant the sauce dayisand they their house. homemade, The thinking is: “I’ve just spent of dressing and a Hot Pretzel 8.9 Simply sauce with cheese 7.99 Steak, fried is onions, anchovy-based dressing and topped with imported Asiago be taught the Italian language and the finer art of cheese 8.99 Italian Italian dining. In ItalyStromboli your guide and instructor cheese and croutons and served with a Hot Pretzel 7.99 BBQ Chicken Salad Italian cured ham, pepperoni, sauce BellaVista hundreds of thousands of dollars, whatsalmon do I care what I spend in aand restaurant?” will teachand youcheese the etiquette Moist tender grilled chicken rolled in BBQ With blackened chicken 9.49 With grilled 12.99 Calzone 8.99 basics of Italian dining, as well as the language of love. Twenty-four hour Ricotta and mozzarella 8.99 over salad greens, red onions, Cheddar cheese of sauce a side ncake or bacon advance notice isadd needed. $22,949.00 This is the feeling youSalad want toSouthwest create in your andhouse-made tossed in a combination Alfie’s pancakes andof Fre Growlers an egg to any pa smoked .49 for Addcustomers. small or large only 1.49 ly 1.19 on for and BBQ Served a Hot Pretz A sun-dried tomato tortilla bowl is filled with shredded French toast fluffysauce. you can put a with candle in them a 9 1.9 ly on for 2 eggs lettuce, diced tomatoes, scallions, Monterey JackOr and Maserati GranTurismo Trip the most difficult item forapple you Raspberry Salad Cheddar cheese, and served with your choice Now, of grilled Travel to Italy with Nunzio and Candace yourside personal guides. Landing in Modena to pick up your very own Just Pancakes Chocolate onasthe Fresh apples served over salad greens topped w chicken, white chili or spicy beef and comes with Maserati GranTurismo and spend the next 5 days traveling from Northern Italy to Southern Italy eating great meals, 2 fluffy pancakes cherry 3.79 tomatoes, bleu cheese crumbles Rich milk cho and topp dressing on the side seeing the sights and driving one of the most exclusive automobiles in theSouthwestern world. Subject to dates and availability. 50% 8.99 to sell in your restaurant is the most Baked 1.95 Penne or Bowtie Pasta pancakes topp depositPotato at time of order $199,000.00. Importing automobile at the end of the trip is the responsibility of purchaser. sweet raspberry vinaigrette. Served with a ho Just More Pancakes ller! sauce 2.45 Served with white cream 4.99 ot Se or red BuFFalo CHiCken Salad H 3 fluffy pancakes 4.99 Grilled Zucchini & expensive item. Here is the perfect Moist chicken tenders Homemade SoupFrench of the Td Garlic Mashed Potatoes 2.45 are deep-fried and tossed in wing Yellow Squash 2.45 Pancakes sauce and nestled on a bed of mixed salad greensBlueberry and Cup 2.95 Bowl 3.95 Thick sliced b way to get a lift inhomemade sales in your Find a with way Monterey to promote something onwith yourwhipped menu cream that 4.99 2 Jack blueberry pancakes ranchrestaurant. dressing. Topped toast batter an Garlic and Oil Spinach and Tomato cheese, scallions, cherry tomatoes and bleu cheese crumbles. One blueberry pancake 3.29 white Chicken Chili Topped with mozzarella 14" 10.49 16" 12.99 Fresh spinach, tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella Served with Pretzel 8.99for 6-8 people or just tripling A blendthe of Northern 12.99 16” 14.99 sells for $300.00 14” or more. This could beaaHot trip, a dinner most beans, succulent chicke Bianco Cheese Contorno—a smaller portion of pasta sauce16" to complement your entrée. Jack cheese and jalapeños Cup 3.95 Bo With fresh tomatoes, garlic and oil 14"and 11.99 13.99 Chicken BellaVista Indicates aChicken CIBO house specialty.expensive item on Grilled BellaVista seasoned chicken withwill brushetta your menu. All ofbreast these have a similar effect: giving your guests the ability over linguine 13.99
salutare! Stromboli/Calzone
From the Grid
sul lato
White Gourmet Pizza
Grilled include and diced chicken breast, Entrées a vegetable and a broccoli, side dish roasted where appropriate. tomatoes, roasted red peppers and balsamic drizzle pepper and mozzarella cheese 14” 12.99 16” 14.99
Split Plate/Extra Plate char
14" 14.99 16" 16.99
to imagine spending more Artichoke money with you. It works every time, so don’t be tempted to leave it Tomato, mushroom, spinach Chicken and garlic Artichoke hearts, diced chicken breast, spinach, garlic and With mozzarella 14" 12.99 16" 14.99
Buffalo Chicken
cheese 14" 13.99 16" 15.99 off. And if it’s wellmozzarella written, it will not only be effective, it will also give your guests something to
Spicy diced Buffalo chicken breast, mozzarella and blue cheese 14" 14.99 16" 16.99 talk about.
Margherita
Broccoli and tomato
Fresh broccoli florets, tomato, ricotta and mozzarella 14" 12.99 16" 14.99
Red Gourmet Pizza
meat supreme w w w . h o t o p eClassic r sauce, a t Italian o rsausage, . c pepperoni, om Pizza
BellaVista sauce with garlic, olive oil, sliced fresh mozzarella and fresh basil 14" 12.99 16" 14.99
Veggie Supreme
Pizza sauce, mushrooms, red and green peppers, chopped red onions and mozzarella cheese 14" 12.99 16" 14.99
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
green peppers, red onions and mozzarella cheese 14" 16.99 16" 18.99
Marinara Pizza
Plum tomatoe puree with garlic and grated cheese, drizled with fresh basil and olive oil 14” 12.99 16” 14.99
numbers and Pricing your menu
-mashed potatoes, wild rice, lad for only 2.99!
If you want a menu item to move more quickly, take the price down a little.
hips
d with homemade tartar nd coleslaw 11.99
If an item is very popular (it’s selling well), it may be able to take a slight price increase.
eatloaf
g for home cooking... eer gravy with a side of roasted corn 10.99
Make sure you don’t price yourself out of the market. Do some simple math to figure out
er dinner
how that compares with what they are likely to spend at similar restaurants. If your overall
what a party of two and four are likely to spend for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and see
rs with fries, coleslaw ping sauce 10.49
number is too high, you’re not likely to get them back.
ied Grouper
Cajun seasonings and tichoke hearts 11.49.
Under 5.00 there are just a few price points that have an effect
dallions
on consumer behavior. They are .99,
allions served with ides 9.95
1.29, 1.49, 1.79, 1.99
and so on up to 4.99. Each incremental shift will have an impact on movement, so make sure the item is moving well enough before taking the price up to the next level. If an item is moving
oney Beer Mustard, d Island or Italian.
5.49
5.99 6.99
6.49
8.99
10.49
7.499.49 8.49
10.99 11.99
11.49
too slowly, you may consider taking the price down a level.
bb Salad
with bleu, Cheddar and , turkey, cucumber, red iled egg. Served with d a Hot Pretzel 8.99
etc…
Over 5.00 there are fewer price points: 5.49, 5.99 and so on. If you are a more upscale or fine dining restaurant, you will probably be better off with whole
en Salad
bbage, shredded carrots, r rings, red onion rings, served with your choice ot Pretzel 8.99
numbers. If you utilize this pricing method, do not use decimal points. The added zeros just remind your guests what they are spending.
n Salad
rolled in BBQ sauce served eddar cheese and applewood mbination of ranch dressing th a Hot Pretzel 8.99
rry Salad
other tips
eens topped with red onions, bles and topped with a light, ved with a hot pretzel 8.99
p of the day
wl 3.95
en Chili
culent chicken, Monterey Cup 3.95 Bowl 4.95
• Never use dollar signs; it subconsciously makes your guest nervous. • Don’t use “Market Price.” It just seems expensive, and it’s a missed opportunity to mental anchor. If it’s an item like the catch of the day that changes often, just offer catch of the day and don’t mention price at all. • Tuck the prices into the paragraph. It makes it harder for your guests to shop you on price.
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• 800-316-3198 ext 332
a word about new items People like to try new things. Mixing it up a little is a great way to get more traffic. These can be items that are offered as features, or they can be items that are offered in and out in a few days or weeks. Remember, people will risk their appetizer, but never their entrée. The thinking is: “I like to try new things, but I don’t want to go away hungry.” So appetizers
are a great
way to experiment. If the item sells well as an appetizer over time, then perhaps making it into an entrée will make sense. If you’re wondering if you should offer an item or not, follow a simple brand test: “Is this us?” If you ask that question of an item honestly, your gut will tell you. If it feels funny, or if you have to pause for the answer, take a pass. If it fits right away, then move forward.
what should go on the back cover? It’s really the best place for appetizers and beverages on the menu. Your servers should offer the menu with this page up. That way, your guests will have the best opportunity to order appetizers, and you will have
Appetizing Appetizers Sylvia’s Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup
For over 22 years, customers have enjoyed Mom’s recipe, brimming with fresh vegetables, beef and flavorful broth. Served with crackers or homemade corn breadchoice of 3.49
Home-Style Onion Rings
Tender crisp onions dipped in
a light batter 2.99
Cheese Sticks
Creamy sticks of mozzarella cheese, and served with zesty marinara lightly breaded sauce 4.99
maintained the inside of your menu for the
on a separate dessert menu or use dessert
Portabello Mushr
ooms Portabello mushroom slices breaded in a Parmesan cheese crumb coating with a hint of Gorgonzola. Served with a side of zesty marinara sauce 4.99
The Hearth Burge
fresh hand-pattied ground beef.
r This one is big enough and juicy enough to carry our name! A full pound of USDA pure beef is topped with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and mayo 5.99
r Crisp strips of hardwood-smoked bacon atop a fresh patty topped with Swiss cheese and served with French fries 4.79
Choose from either charbroile d or diner-style grilled 3.49 with French fries
Choose from either charbroile d or diner-style grilled 2.79 with French fries
Cheeseburger
Millie’s Feature
trays for even higher sales.
Broccoli Cheddar
Nuggets Broccoli florets and real Wisconsin Cheddar cheese are lightly breaded and fried golden brown 4.99
Just Burgers
All of our burgers are made from
center-of- the-plate items. Desserts work best
Fried Pickle Spears
A taste sensation! Dill pickle spears are breaded then fried and served with buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping 4.99
4.49
Mom and Millie used to eat lunch and enjoy this long-time customer together fresh hand-pattied beef between favorite of two grilled rye with onion rings, Swiss slices of cheese, grilled onions and mayo 4.49
Bacon Cheeseburge Hamburger
3.79
Double-Decker Deluxe
Twice As Big, Twice As Good Two freshly ground patties from choice Tennessee beef with melted cheese and lettuce, onion, mayonnaise, pickle and tomato. Served on a toasted bun with French fries 4.99
Many restaurant operators are finding that they get a nice lift in appetizer sales by placing
Sides
Beverages
Tossed Salad 3.99
them on the front cover of the menu.
Hot Chocolate & Marshm
allows 1.59
Vegetable of the Day 1.99
Coffee - Regular or Decaf
Idaho Baked Potato 1.99 French Fried Potatoes 1.99 Fluffy Whipped Mashed Potatoes
1.99
Tater Tots 1.99 Loaded French Fries Top your fries with crispy bacon, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese 2.99
1.29
Milk or Chocolate Milk (No Large 2.99 Medium 1.99 SmallRefills) 1.49 Fresh Brewed Iced Tea or Hot Tea 1.59 Ice Cold Soda (Free Refills) 1.59
Loaded Baked Potato Top your baked potato with crispy bacon, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese 2.99 ©2007 HotOperator
www.hotoperator.com
• 800-316-3198 ext 332
driving customer count Today’s consumers are very focused on bargains. They treasure hunt. And they trade up for things they really want, and trade down for things that don’t matter as much. This gives you opportunities and also some challenges. Your guests are likely to shop your menu the same way they do for anything else. Your job is to offer
items that
can be added on to the meal to help raise the check total. But still make sure your overall price at the end of the meal seems like a good value. Here are some ideas that may help:
1. Add up some potential breakfast, lunch or dinner tickets and view what your guests see at the end of the meal. At lunch, unless you are a white table cloth restaurant, you’ll want the totals
to stay within a reasonable margin
of other operations in your area.
2. Make sure the added items have a real value and are good enough to get your guests to come back. It’s the little things that can make all the difference.
3. T ry offering endless potatoes. Most customers won’t even ask for more, but knowing they could is always a nice gesture.
4. O ffer a couple of desserts and a couple of appetizers with an everyday
low price, like
items that can be sold for under $3.00 and still drive a profit to the bottom line.
5. P ay close attention to your kids’ meals. Unless you are a bar or nightclub, many parents go to restaurants that cater to children.
6. Floating appetizers: When it gets busy, try having your host or hostess take around a platter of appetizers for waiting guests and guests seated at tables to sample. This will do a couple of things for your restaurant. First, your guests will appreciate the opportunity to try something in your restaurant. Second, they will hope you are busy so they can experience something free while they wait.
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why sell appetizers and desserts? It’s incremental. All you need to do is take the food cost out and the rest will go directly into your pocket. You can deny your desire to sell dessert, but you cannot fight the fact that when your guest is in your restaurant, you’ll want to maximize your opportunity to increase your profit and sales. Desserts and appetizers do both. Plus, they can leave a very wonderful lasting impression. About the only time you won’t want to offer appetizers and desserts is when you have a wait.
appetizer tips • Use enticing, mouthwatering words in your descriptions. that can be purchased as incremental items. a southern tradition for over• Offer 35items years • Between 6 and 7 items seem to work best, so if you have more or less
APPETIZERS
than that, you may want to add or subtract items to help grow
New! Southern Fried Green Beans
the appetizer business.
A basket of green beans lightly battered and fried to a flavorful finish. Served with creamy ranch dressing 6.99
New! Boom Boom Shrimp
Fried Green Tomatoes
Basket-O-Pickle Chips
Hand breaded fresh green tomato slices are flash-fried and topped with Creole crawfish sauce 6.99
Basket-O-Cheese Sticks
8 breaded and fried mozzarella sticks served with marinara sauce 6.99
Fried Crab Claws
A Southern favorite! 1/3 pound of freshly breaded Gulf crab claws. Makes a great side! 10.99
Local Favorite! THe ONION FLOwer
Super sized sweet Spanish onion cut into a bloom, then dipped in breading and fried 5.99
• I tems such as crab cakes or quesadillas are often eaten
Tender, crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy, spicy sauce 6.99
as a substitute for an entrée. You may want to move them and place them as entrées instead and take the
Lightly breaded fried dill pickle chips served with ranch dressing 4.99
price up a little.
Basket-O-Shrooms
Hand breaded button mushrooms, fried golden outside, white and steamy inside served with your choice of sauce 4.99
use appetizers to feature new ideas in your operation
Chilled Boiled Shrimp
We cook ‘em, you peel ‘em. 1/2 pound of cold boiled shrimp 7.99
Appetizer Sampler
Chicken tenders, pickle chips, cheese sticks and ‘shrooms 10.99
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Milkshakes dessert tips Milkshakes
Served with the can – your choice: chocolate, vanilla or strawberry 4.79 Malts 4.99
Deluxe Milkshakes
Your choice: fresh banana, pineapp le or special hand dipped flavor 4.99
Creamsicle Shake 4.79 Mocha Java Shake 4.79
Ice Cream MelFries&Fa rite s ake! AvoMi lksh Nothing Is Better Than
Sundae Fountain DelightsService Breyers
YUMMel e Dish of Ice Crea ! sForPetit m the
have a separate dessert menu to sell more desserts
Buster Brownie
lite appetite 2.59
Mels Dish of Ice Crea m Choic
Mels Sundae
e of two flavors, serve d with fresh cookies 3.69
MelFries
Our vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. Your choic e of marshmallow, straw berries, pineapple, caramel, chocolate or hot fudge syrup 6.59
Pie a La Mode
Hot apple, cherry or
Doc’s Ban
Curly MelFries 4.49 Gravy MelFries
Our seasoned MelFries topped with our brown gravy 4.29
Cheese MelFries
With cheddar and Jack cheese 5.89
Garlic MelFries 4.69
Hot brownie serve d with featuring ice cream topped with vanilla hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry 6.59
berry 3.69
ana Split Chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream Gourm topped with et MelFri chocolate, es strawberry and pinea pple sauces, whipped creamMelFries with choppe , nuts andcovered d cherry on a whole bana bacon, melted Jack and cheddar na 6.99
Banana Royal Sund ae
ice cream
Two scoops of vanill a ice cream, hot fudge, sliced banana, whipped cream and nuts with a cherry on top 4.99
Praline Sundae
Black and White
Two scoops of pralin e ice cream, caramel syrup, sliced banana, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry 4.99
Vanilla and chocolate ice cream layered in marshmal low and rich chocolate fudge with nuts, whipped cream and a cherry 6.59
cheesesFres h-Ba , diced kedonions, green Pies Appl e, cherr y, orsour topped berry with by the6.89 cream slice 3.29
Chili MelFries
Black and Tan
With cheddar and Jack cheese and chopped onions 6.39
Vanilla and praline crunch ice cream layered in rich caramel and chocolate with nuts, whipped cream and a cherry 6.59
Private Reserve Seasoned MelFries 3.79 Sweet Potato MelFries 4.89
Kiddy Sundae
A single scoop of vanill a ice cream, choice of syrup , whipped cream nuts and a cherr y 2.99
Beverages
www.originalmelsdiner.c
om
Root Beer Float
Root beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream 4.29
Black Cow
Cola with a scoop of vanilla ice cream 4.29
Dessert is more difficult to sell, but offers an excellent way to grow your business. To sell more dessert, you will need two things:
1. Place a small dessert menu on each table and leave them there unless you are very busy and need to pull them to turn tables faster.
2. When you can, have your servers present desserts on a tray. Guests seeing the desserts on trays will have a harder time resisting the temptation.
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Min ata MiS
i de SSe r t
A meal is always more fulfillin g when followed by desse rt. Manila offers some well loved Filipino favorites. Add ice cream to any dessert for an additi onal 1 Hal o-H alo bra zo de Mer ced eS Shaved ice layered with candied Soft meringue is hand rolled tropical fruit, coconut and more, around rich custard 4¾ topped with vanilla ice cream , lecH e Flan ube and leche flan 4¼ creamy and smooth with caS Sava cak e a perfect texture and sweet Made of freshly grated cassa ness 4 va, taal vol can o cak coconut and three types e of milk 4 Dark chocolate cake flowin Frie d ban ana g with molten chocolate and Sweet asian bananas ashes of powdered sugar delicately pan fried with 4½ Please allow 15 minutes sugar (limited availability) 4 turo n Maj a Sweet asian bananas crispe creamy coconut and vanilla d in a spring roll wrapper, served dessert topped with grated with vanilla ice cream and shave caramelized coconut 4 d chocolate 4¼
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Cherry Cow
Cherry cola with a scoop of vanilla ice cream 4.29
advice on food photography It’s true, great photography can enhance choices for your patrons and entice them to buy items in the photographs. It can also have the opposite effect. Poor photography can make an item sell slower and can even drive your customers away. So if you decide to use photographs in your advertising and menu, do it well. Get a professional photographer to help you. We would recommend one who specializes in food photography. Keep in mind that to do this right costs money. And while you may be tempted to do it yourself, remember the down side...poor quality photography can drive guests away. If you can’t afford to do it well, the next best option is to skip it altogether, or use photography from food manufacturers. If you are using their products, they may have photography available for use in menus, advertisements, etc. About the only down side to all of this is the products may not be plated the way you serve them. So you end up promoting items the manufacturer wants to
great photography can enhance a menu item
promote and not necessarily what works best for your business. There are also a number of stock photo options. But again, the photos you find may not be representative of what you actually sell in your restaurant. In those cases, you will either need to buy plates that look like the photos, or crop in tight enough so your food looks like the picture when it reaches the table. You do not want your guests to be surprised when they see the food because they thought it would look more like the photos.
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getting your menu designed Good design is good business. And never for a moment think otherwise. Your guests are being bombarded with images from other restaurants, advertisements and media sources, all of which are being compared to your image. If your design isn’t as nice or nicer than those other images, your customers will think less of your business. An inexpensive way to get your menu designed is to either know someone, or find someone, who is talented at design and have him or her do it as a trade out, or as a favor. Keep in mind, it’s like contracting for a house. Once you hire a designer to develop your menu, you then become responsible for the process. Plus, you will have to make critical decisions about the engineering process along the way. The best way to design your menu is to work with a professional designer, preferably one with menu engineering experience, and rely on him or her to interpret your engineering and design the menu for you. This will probably cost a couple thousand dollars, but it will also
bring you better profits and more respect for your brand.
getting it printed Again, the most inexpensive way to get your project printed is to know someone in the business and have him or her do if for cost, or as a trade out. Depending on the size of the project, expect the printing to cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Printing quality varies greatly, and the more color you have, the harder it is to print well. Make sure you choose a quality print company and ask to see samples of their work. If you choose to use café covers, you will also have to collate them (you know, stuff the pages into the covers). Put the pages into your menu with an insert to stiffen the menu. Without it, your menus will not last as long, and will appear cheap.
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HotOperator速 the nations leading authority for menu engineering and design, can take your basic information and transform your menu into a cutting edge marketing power tool.
Call now for more info! 800-316-3198 or visit
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