January 03, 2022
Want to boost customer traffic and secure higher ticket prices overall? Consider presenting menu bundles that customers can’t wait to buy. The beauty of bundling menu items is that you control the price points and options, and consumers get a great deal on your exceptional food. Plus, offering meal packages can incentivize guests to purchase more than one item, meaning you can improve profit.
How Do You Create a Restaurant Deal Consumers Can’t Turn Down?
The concept of a menu bundle is simple: offer two or more individual menu items as a package deal, with a slight discount. How you choose to bundle is entirely up to you. Some restaurants might offer a salad, entree, and dessert. Others might throw a beverage into the mix. Think about your current menu, what items are your customer’s favorites and strategize ways to design your package deal. Also, consider your overall goals. Are you looking to introduce consumers to specialty items or want to increase your lunchtime crowd?
Develop a successful meal deal by focusing on a few key elements:
Show the value of the package deal:
Put together a package deal that is straightforward in its value. For example, a la carte pricing for a classic milkshake, your famous sweet potato fries, and a house-made burger might total $14.99. However, a meal bundle with all three could be $11.99. That is a demonstrated value that customers could easily recognize.
Make the combinations interesting:
Think about your brand as you construct your meal packages. Choose items that speak to your authenticity. You might choose to combine two of your most popular dishes. Conversely, you might pick one of your most loved entrees and pair it with something unexpected to encourage your customers to explore exciting items.
Think about the discount amount:
While you want to entice new customers with a value, be careful not to discount your meal deals too severely. Too many price breaks could make you look like a “bargain” restaurant, which in turn could encourage customers to only go for the lowest-priced item. Strike a balance between value and substance.
How To Keep Food Costs in Check
As restaurant owners know, keeping food costs low is the key to preserving gains. Luckily, you can design an effective bundled menu campaign while maintaining your revenue stream with some pre-planning.
Price before you promote:
Don’t dive into meal packages until you have crunched all the numbers. Look at your portion sizes and see if scaling back makes sense. Maybe your roast chicken entree goes from 8oz to 5oz per plate when it comes with a salad and dessert.
Consider beverages as part of the deal:
Beverage profits margins are one of the savvy ways bars and restaurants increase revenue. Adding a glass of merlot with your popular steak dinner, or a local IPA with a signature burger are just a couple of ways to entice customers without affecting food pricing.
Work with your bulk food store:
If you have an established relationship with your restaurant supplier, talk to them about products and proteins that can help maximize food costs. Certain meats like pork shoulder and whole chickens are cost-effective options that work for a variety of menus.
How Do Meal Bundles Benefit Restaurant Owners?
It’s clear that meal deals benefit the customer, but what’s in it for owners?
- You can choose to highlight higher-profit items. Meal deals that double down on favorable food costs mean that you are maximizing profits.
- Customers order more. The advantage of a meal deal is that guests are more likely to “splurge” if they feel it’s a good value, meaning higher ticket prices.
- Kitchen efficiency increases. Knowing that most patrons will go for your menu bundle allows the kitchen to prep more accurately. Plus, it allows for more precise food purchases, which cuts down on food waste. Surprisingly, 4 to 10 percent of food purchased by restaurants is never consumed by customers.
The right meals at reasonable price points will help keep your establishment packed with patrons all day long!
Shop Bulk Wholesale Food and Beverages at US Foods CHEF’STORE
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