The Rising Popularity of Snacks and Small Bites
The modern human is forever on the go, with caffeinated drinks and small, easily consumable portions of food now their staple diet. A meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, is far from the daily ritual of pleasurable consumption that it used to be, and it is becoming much less common for the modern diner to sit down and enjoy a full meal until dinnertime. Instead, throughout the day, they opt for small snacks which meet their criteria and sustain them through until the next snack. Incorporating this rising, modern custom into your lunch menu can help you boost your locations reputation, local recognition and increase your overall sales.
Menu Balance – Hearty VS Light
With the new year here many people are following through on dieting resolutions and actively hunting for light items. Light doesn’t just mean healthy, it also denotes snacks and small plates which have a bit of zip and freshness to them; not weighing heavy on the eaters stomach, who probably has to go back to work.
That said, many people are hungry and searching for the most bang for their buck. Catering to these people, you can populate the other part of your “Small Plates” or “Snacks” menu section with carb-filled food to wrestle down the hunger of even the most hunger stricken of snackers.
The general theme of your venue, where your venue is situated and what type of consumers are commonly found in your area for lunch, will dictate how you weight your menu; just remember, that whatever you do you should probably include both of these elements in your menu plan.
Speed of Service
People coming in for lunch, whether they be eating a meal or a small snack, are often on a time crunch. This means that speed of service is paramount to them having a good experience. The speed of service element means that your severs greet them promptly, and are in tune with their guests needs. It also means designing “snack” and “small bites” menus with quick to produce dishes to ensure that they land in front of the customer quickly. If you can ensure speed of service satisfaction is almost guaranteed for those customers on a time crunch and you will see them return again and again for your food and your service.
Happy Hour Push
Snacks aren’t just becoming the replacement for lunches, the beauty of snacks is that they’re eaten at all times of the day! Happy hour is often solely focused on drink specials, however, including some of your “small bites” or food items on your happy hour menu can push people to order them. Why might they order them? If they snacked for lunch and didn’t have a proper meal they’ll be hungry but trying to hold off eating until dinner. If you’re only offering something small to offset peoples cravings then they’re more likely to nibble, knowing they’ll still be able to eat their dinner.
Offering and advertising small snacks on your menu and your advertising boards can increase your lunch sales and drive more customers to your restaurant. In turn this can also help increase your dinner sales as, now these customers have tried and enjoyed your location, they’ll be more inclined to return for a different meal period and try your offerings. Remember to keep a well balanced “small bites” menu focused on speed of service and you’ll be onto a winner regarding lunchtime sales.
