Improving Online Ordering With Images
Looking for a sure-fire way to win the attention of Grubhub customers and improve their online ordering experience? Try adding a few images to your restaurant’s menu through the Grubhub for Restaurants platform. Including photos can increase sales of menu items by up to 30 percent – and it’s easy to see why.
From improving order accuracy to giving customers a better idea of what to expect, images can help deliver an online ordering experience that customers are hungry for.
Why great restaurant photography improves diners’ online ordering experience
Integrating images into your restaurant’s online presence greatly improves customer satisfaction.
Take a look at the three pain points that strong restaurant photography has helped resolve:
Greater menu familiarity
While new and exotic dishes are guaranteed to spark curiosity, they likely won’t be a top choice among customers who don’t know what’s in them. Eating is a full sensory experience, and photos can help give diners visual cues that can get their mouths watering. Clear up any confusion about dishes on your restaurant’s menu by including images wherever possible.
Quicker online ordering
Use images to show, not just tell, customers about your restaurant’s offering. Supplementing menu descriptions with appetizing images that can capture the hearts – and stomachs – of customers in just seconds will reduce the time it takes them to place an online order. The faster a customer adds meals to their cart, the less chance that they will change their minds and not place an order.
Higher order accuracy
In addition to providing customers a snapshot of what a dish might look like once it finally arrives, images also give back-of-house staff members a visual guide for putting orders together. By taking a few seconds to compare the image on your restaurant’s menu with the finished product, your staff can ensure no detail – big or small – is overlooked.
Where to feature your restaurant photos
There are many places where your restaurant’s brand will pop up online, and it’s important that strong photos are included in your digital presence. Brush up on our restaurant photography tips if you want to learn more about how to snap professional-grade photos. Take a look at where you can add photos to get more traction online:
Feature your dishes on your restaurant’s menu
Your restaurant’s online menu is the most important place to feature images of your food. When diners are scrolling through a list of dishes, a jumble of dish descriptions makes it hard for them to navigate your restaurant’s offerings. Restaurants that have already made the switch from fully text menus to photos on their online ordering platforms have seen their conversion rates increase by about 25% on average.
Your menu photos should showcase your food – capturing each dish at its prime. Close up photos of your dishes help capture your creation’s details, giving diners a look into what ingredients are cooked in. Plating is especially important when it comes to menu photos. Take your time arranging each dish and make sure the plate and background are clean. You want your diners’ focus to go straight toward the food.
Nando’s Peri-Peri has perfected their menu photos on Grubhub Marketplace. Highlighting their main dishes along with recommended side pairings helps diners envision what their order will look like.
When you partner with Grubhub, your restaurant can schedule a free photoshoot so you can get professional photos of your cuisine to feature in your digital presence. Already a Grubhub Marketplace partner? Schedule your free photoshoot today or reach out to your Account Advisor to learn more.
Highlight your offerings on your restaurant’s website
90% of customers research a restaurant online before visiting – that’s more than any other type of business. Your website serves as a virtual home base for your restaurant’s brand. It’s often the first place you can make a memorable impression on customers, so featuring irresistible images of your cuisine can motivate diners to place an order.
Your restaurant’s brand begins to form online as soon as a customer search for your cuisine. When a customer searches for your restaurant on Google, your restaurant’s Google Business profile will appear. This profile features basic information about your restaurant including its address, hours, website and ordering platform. Make sure you update your Google Business profile so that customers can easily find out more info about your restaurant.
What types of images should you include on your restaurant’s website? Photos of your food are great to place on your homepage and menu. Crisp images of your cuisine on top of white plates that will showcase the natural colors of your ingredients stand out. Since natural light can help do the same, consider conducting each of your photoshoots near windows. Take a look around your restaurant and snap some photos of your staff in action. It’s also important to include photos of your ambiance so that diners can get a feel of your overall dining experience.
Be selective about what photos you choose to feature. Too many photos can bog down a website’s load time and make it more difficult to navigate. Check out more tips on how to design a successful restaurant website.
A strong restaurant website won’t do much for your bottom line unless you have a clear avenue for diners to place an order. Elements of how to create a seamless online ordering system? Look no further than Direct.
Direct is a commission-free online ordering platform that allows customers to place orders right from your website. Direct makes menu management simple. When you update menu items or add photos on your Marketplace menu, your Direct menu will automatically update to reflect changes. You can bring your restaurant’s brand to life with Direct by easily customizing your site to match your brick and mortar location.
Check out how Naan N Curry used their Direct site to feature their food photography:
Connect with your diners on social media
Social media is a gold mine for foodies these days. Social media offers the perfect format to tell your restaurant’s story through images – putting your mouth watering food photography center stage. Creating a social media profile for your restaurant can get your food into the digital conversation, and strong food photography can help bring your account to the top.
When it comes to social media, strong photography is key. There’s no one size fits all for social media composition, and cookie cutter posts can blend into customers’ feeds. Mix up the recipe by trying out one of these formats:
- Food features are high resolution, close up images of your dishes. These posts are great for featuring a specific menu item.
- Food films are videos that feature your dishes. Videos tend to perform better on social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, so taking advantage of this feature to show your food in action can draw extra attention from diners.
- Interactive stories is the best way to directly prompt an action from a customer. On apps like Instagram and Facebook, you can post images to your story that will appear at the top of diners’ feeds. With this feature you can directly link to your online ordering website, ask interactive questions or run a contest.
- Behind the scenes photos and videos help your restaurant come to life. You can make a short video showing how your chef whips up a recipe or use a photo slideshow to showcase what your employees like to order.
- Reposts of your followers’ photos of your food can not only connect you with your customers, but also give you more unique content to work with, turning your diners into your PR team. Make sure you get permission from the original creator before you repost any content. You can also collaborate with local micro influencers to expand your reach.
Hashtags are key when it comes to getting your account more exposure. #Foodie has over 200 million posts on Instagram, and #LocalRestaurant has racked up over 300,0000 posts. You can also get in on the local conversation by using hashtags like #AustinFoodie or #NYCeats. Adding trending hashtags to your post allows them to enter different categories online, bringing your restaurant into people’s social media feeds.
Make your restaurant picture perfect with Grubhub by your side
Embellishing your restaurant’s online presence with eye-catching photography can greatly improve your digital brand. Adding them to your website, online menu and social media accounts get customers’ mouths watering, prompting them to place an order.
A picture is worth a thousand words, and a picture of your delectable food is worth the delivery fee for Grubhub’s over 30 million customers. That’s why Grubhub offers a free photoshoot for restaurant partners. Ready to get your mouth watering food in front of hungry diners? Partner with Grubhub today to start taking more orders now.
Food experts meet to judge New Zealand’s finest produce –
Michelin-star chef Pim Techamuanvivit is joining internationally renowned New Zealand chef Peter Gordon and 25 local food experts to judge the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards in Auckland this week.
More than 290 locally harvested, grown and made food and drink products will be assessed on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 February at Gordon’s restaurant, Homeland, known as The Food Embassy for Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands.
Born and raised in Bangkok, Pim (pictured above right), took a circuitous route through the world of food from blogging (her blog Chez Pim attracted more than 250,000 views a month), to make award winning jams.
In 2014 Pim opened her first restaurant, Kin Khao in San Francisco, receiving a Michelin star in 2015.
A few years later she opened Nari, her second San Francisco restaurant.
Nari quickly made it onto many Best Restaurant lists including those by the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and Esquire Magazine. In 2018, she took over Nahm at the Como Metropolitan in Bangkok as the executive chef. Nahm has retained a Michelin star every year since.
With her Kiwi partner, she also enjoys spending time in Auckland and the organizers of the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards are delighted she’s joining the judging panel to sniff, taste and assess food from Aotearoa this year.
Cumin Spiced Wild Tahr Pies, Wild Venison Bressola, fresh crayfish, Jalapeno Kombucha and Organwurst Sausages, locally made ice cream, cheese, drinks and gluten-free products are among the New Zealand foods being judged.
Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners will be announced on Tuesday 21 March 2023 with category champions and special award winners announced at the Champions Party 2023 on Tuesday 18 April at the Glasshouse in Morningside, Auckland.
RANZ reports positive meeting with new PM outlining immediate priorities –
The Restaurant Association, along with other members of the business community, met with the new Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins yesterday morning for the first time to discuss the impact of flooding on North Island hospitality businesses.
Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand said the meeting, which lasted about an hour was “constructive and positive” and it was clear that the Prime Minister was aware of the many challenges faced by the business community, which was encouraging to see.
The Restaurant Association raised immediate priorities with the Prime Minister:
Business communications – Ensuring that the message around staying at home is followed by strong messages around when it is ok to come out again.
Clear communications around road closures and the length of time for repairs were also discussed as vital to getting businesses back up and running again.
Business support – cash flow in the hospitality industry is severely impacted by a downturn of customers or business closure. In the case of the floods 75 per cent of respondents to a Restaurant Association survey had experienced a downturn in revenue since the floods. For an industry still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic this presents further cash flow challenges.
Reviewing planned policies – there is enormous financial pressure on businesses at the moment and reviewing some of the upcoming regulatory changes would be welcomed by businesses. Parking the minimum wage increases set for this year would go some way to supporting businesses dealing with skyrocketing costs; delaying the Fair Pay Agreements process and other policy directing impacting businesses could assist with easing some of the pressure on these businesses.
International communications – ensuring our international communities understand that New Zealand is open for business. We need more messaging calling for workers showing how great it is to work here. We are currently facing a severe skills shortage and competing with other markets for workers.
Immigration policy – Being able to access the labor needed to run our business is imperative to ongoing stability in the industry.
Other issues discussed included interruptions to the supply chain causing shortages of food, insurance contracts not covering financial downturns or damage due to natural disasters along with exponential price increases.
“The rain continued throughout January which culminated with the floods that have come at the very worst time for hospitality businesses, many of whom are still trying to recover from the effects of the pandemic,” said Marisa Bidois.
“The summer months are traditionally a bumper time for hospo, particularly the Auckland Anniversary and Waitangi weekends.
“We’ve been taking calls all week from members looking for support and targeted communication to help them work through the situation and get back and running again.”
“I’m pleased to report that the prime minister was extremely open and receptive to our suggestions and I’m looking forward to working with him and his senior ministers on the important issues facing our industry,” concluded Bidois.
Barely open a year, Disney’s $5,000 Star Wars hotel slashes prices
Less than a year after opening to great fanfare, Disney World’s $5,000-a-stay Star Wars hotel is slashing rates in an attempt to increase bookings.
The Galactic Starcruiser, which opened on March 1, 2022, only has 100 rooms, but has consistently struggled to sell out. Disney billed the pricey hotel as an immersive journey where guests became part of the Star Wars story, interacting with costumed actors and being sent on missions. The cheapest two-night stays were initially priced at about $5,000 per couple and closer to $6,000 for a family of four; guests are required to book exactly two nights, as the storyline of the Starcruiser spans two days.
But from the start, many guests felt the experience seemed cheap for the sky-high prices and lofty expectations set by Disney. The Starcruiser is a luxury cruise ship in space, which means guest rooms are tiny and there are no windows to the outside world; some referred to the hotel as a “windowless bunker.” Others felt full-price cocktails in the hotel’s only bar, the lack of a pool and other fitness amenities standard in luxury hotels and blocked views of the dinner show were surprising given the cost.
Now, Disney is slashing rates to drum up more interest. Back in November, the company announced that discounts of up to 30% were being made available to Disney Vacation Club members. DVC, Disney’s timeshare program, regularly gets access to exclusive deals. But 30% off is a fairly rare sight for Disney’s hotel offerings.
Character Gaya performs as the first passengers experience the Galactic Starcruiser.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagThis month, Disney also announced it’s offering its first-ever Galactic Starcruiser discount to non-DVC members. Guests with a reservation for the Starcruiser can get a discount of up to $700 if they also book accommodations before or after at another participating Disney World hotel. The biggest discounts — $350 per night — are for packaging a Starcruiser stay with additional nights at the Beach Club, Grand Floridian or Yacht Club resorts. The offer is valid for stays between February 5 and September 30, although there are some blackout dates.
Considering Disney may have found there’s a limit on how many Star Wars fans can afford to shell out many thousands of dollars for a two-night stay — not to mention the cost of flights, park tickets and incidentals — it’s not clear what will become of the Galactic Starcruiser in the years to come. Fans have long suggested Disney turn the experience into a regular hotel with fewer interactive elements but cheaper rates.
As of Sunday, only Presidents’ Day weekend is fully booked until mid-May.
A First Order loyalist takes control of the ship from captain Riyola Keevan, right center, at the ship’s bridge as the first passengers experience the two-day Walt Disney World Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
How to create a plant-based menu
Have you noticed your customers gravitating toward plant-based dishes? You’re not the only one — going meat-free is a growing trend. In 2022, the plant-based food market was worth $10.9 billion, and Bloomberg estimates that plant-based food sales will increase by 500% by 2030.
Plant-based meals cater to two types of people: vegans and vegetarians. Vegans don’t eat any animal products; vegetarians typically avoid meat but eat eggs, dairy, fish, and sometimes poultry.
If you can expand or edit your restaurant’s menu to satisfy these customers, you can reach a wider market and boost your bottom line. Adding more plant-based dishes is also an effective way to become more sustainable.
How to create a plant-based menu for your restaurant
Given the rising popularity of meat-free diets, now’s a good time to add more plant-based options to your restaurant’s menu. You don’t need to rework the entire menu — simply add more options for vegans and vegetarians. In the process, you’ll attract new diners without alienating your existing customer base.
Don’t have time to develop new menu items? Look for ways to make substitutions or remove animal products from your existing dishes. That way, vegan and vegetarian diners can enjoy your most popular items, too.
Before you update your menu, take time to audit your current offerings. Check sales data to identify your highest- and lowest-performing dishes. Then, eliminate rarely ordered items to make room for new options. You’ll keep the menu in check and maintain a reasonable workload for your kitchen crew.
1. Find plant-based substitutes
Plant-based substitutes are a great way to make vegan menu items without adding more work to your cooks. All you need to do is find a suitable alternative for animal-based ingredients. Incorporating locally sourced food into your menu can also help you cater toward the plant-based crowd.
Some popular, vegan-friendly substitutes include:
- Portobello mushroom caps instead of chicken breasts
- Tofu as a substitute for chicken or beef
- Vegetable stock to replace chicken or beef stock
- Quinoa or vegetable patty instead of a beef burger
- Coconut oil or nut butter in place of dairy butter
- Vegan cheese as a substitute for dairy cheese
- Oat, rice, almond, soy or coconut milk for dairy milk
- Ground flaxseed, bananas, or applesauce to replace eggs
- Sorbet or coconut ice cream instead of dairy ice cream
Keep in mind that vegan substitutions don’t always work on a one-to-one ratio. You may need to adjust the amount to account for ingredients with different densities or consistencies.
2. Integrate plant-based options into traditional dishes
Adding vegan-friendly ingredients to an existing item is an easy way to provide more options for customers without recreating the entire dish. For example, you might consider offering meat as an add-on ingredient rather than an integral part of a menu item. Start with a basic green salad or a tomato-based pasta and enable diners to add chicken or salmon for an extra fee.
Integrating plant-based options into your main menu makes each dish more accessible to everyone, regardless of dietary preferences. Since these veggie-heavy items aren’t isolated in a “vegan” section, meat-eating customers are more likely to consider them.
3. Get creative with presentation
Vegan and vegetarian dishes aren’t limited to salads and steamed veggies. Get creative and you can make plant-based options feel like a treat. Dress up veggies with breading to add a bit of crunch, or go crazy with the spices to add a Cajun or Thai kick.
Don’t forget about sauces, dips, and marinades — serve deep-fried cauliflower bites with a rich Buffalo sauce, and try garlic-infused pita triangles with a selection of hummus flavors. Unexpected flavor profiles and tasty textures will delight your vegan diners and entice meat-eaters to try a veggie-based dish.
Captivating menu descriptions are critical; the right word choices can increase demand for non-meat items. Make sure to describe the texture and flavor and indicate that the dish is meat free. You can use words such as:
- Plant-based
- Veggies
- Vegans/vegetarians
- Plant proteins
Help your plant-eating diners identify appropriate items at a glance by placing a “V” or a plant symbol next to meat-free options. Just make sure to include a key, particularly if you have both vegan and vegetarian dishes.
4. Listen to customer feedback
If you’re a meat eater, it can be difficult to figure out which dishes your vegan diners will enjoy. Instead of guessing, ask for customer feedback. Print out a short survey and place it on each table, poll your followers on social media, and send a digital survey to your email list.
Consider testing new meal ideas using a rotating plant-based menu. An ever-changing lineup gives your chef the opportunity to experiment with new dishes, and you’ll have the chance to see how customers respond to different items.
What are examples of plant-based meals?
Not sure where to start? Find inspiration in a few of the top 2022 food trends:
- California rolls
- caesar salad
- Hash browns
- Edamame
- Onion rings
When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with vegan classics. Dishes such as eggplant Parmesan, veggie burritos, black bean burgers, roasted vegetable sandwiches, and minestrone soup are sure to please both plant-based and meat-eating customers.
Plant-based dishes are also predicted to make a splash in 2023. One of the top plant-based ingredients diners are looking for is non-dairy milk. Here are the top milk alternatives that were ordered on Grubhub in 2022:
- Oat Milk
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Soy Milk
- Cashew Milk
Reach more customers with plant-based dishes
As plant-based diets become more popular, restaurants with vegan and vegetarian options are in high demand. In fact, in 2022, vegan dishes were some of the most popular delivery items ordered on Grubhub. Services like Grubhub make it easier to reach plant-focused diners — restaurants like PS Kitchen have used the platform to expand their reach and increase sales. With beautiful, vibrant photos that showcase the natural colors and textures of the vegetables, you can do the same. Ready to reach more plant-based diners? Join Grubhub today.
How to get your restaurant ready for football’s biggest night
With the nation’s biggest pro football event just weeks away on February 12th, it’s time to draw up a game day menu for this year’s festivities. After all, football’s biggest night could make an even bigger impact on your restaurant’s bottom line.
Of the $14.6 billion spent by fans during last year’s game, 79% went toward food and beverages. ¹ A significant part of that spending goes toward restaurant delivery orders — on Grubhub, this January day was one of the most popular days for delivery in 2022 Gear up for game day with these fan favorites as well as a few tips on how to handle the rush of orders that are sure to come your way.
3 tips to win football’s biggest night
As you look forward to the ultimate championship football game, it’s important to come prepared with a plan. Create a solid game day strategy in advance and you can execute it effortlessly when football Sunday rolls around.
1. Create a winning menu
When you’re preparing your delivery menu for the biggest football game of the year, focus on food that’s easy to eat in front of the TV. Start with classic meals that you can eat with your hands: nachos, tacos, soft pretzels, pizza, wings and burgers, for example. You can also help your customers take their tortilla chips to the next level with a selection of delicious dips. Spinach and artichoke dip, beer cheese, Buffalo chicken and guacamole are always crowd favourites.
Fans love to snack when they’re gathering to watch the game, so it doesn’t hurt to be a little indulgent when you’re designing a menu for football’s biggest night. Don’t forget to add a few healthy options, too, especially if your typical menu is centered on fresh, health-conscious dishes. Consider lighter fare such as your chef’s special winter salad, baked chicken fingers, or a gorgeous crudité platter with house-made hummus or dill dip.
Alcohol delivery is also a popular offering during the big football game. Provide your customers with a safe way to enjoy a beer or cocktail by stocking your menu with drinks. Bottled or canned drinks are easy to transport; you can spice up your usual alcohol options with a special seasonal brew.
No matter what you include on your game-day menu, exclusivity is key — when certain dishes are only available on game day, it gives customers extra incentive to order. With Grubhub, it’s a breeze to make your special menu available for delivery during specific times. That way, you can promote the football-friendly menu as a limited-time offering for the big day. This feature helps your kitchen staff prepare for the rush of orders and ensures the menu automatically returns to normal when the game is over.
2. Score specials
Football’s biggest night is a popular time for restaurant delivery, so competition for orders can be steep. After you design a football Sunday menu, it’s also important to think of ways to help your restaurant stand out from the crowd. One option is to offer irresistible game-day specials. Everyone loves a good deal, especially when they’re ordering for a crowd. If you can provide football-friendly meals and a way for diners to save money, you can create an advantage over restaurants that are charging full price.
When customers are ordering delivery, it’s usually because they want to save time. Make their lives even easier by offering game-day packages — create a bundle of dishes and offer them for a fixed price. You might include a variety of appetizers or create a full meal package with an entrée, snacks, and dessert. It’s an easy way to feed a crowd, so customers can organize an impressive football viewing party with minimal effort. Make the package even more appealing by including serving platters, utensils and napkins.
- Advance ordering discounts: Offer a discount for people who place game-day orders in advance. Customers can relax knowing their menu is ready to go, and the extra notice gives your kitchen crew time to plan and prepare certain items before the big day. It also streamlines the ordering process so you can ensure the storeroom is fully stocked.
- Free or discounted items with purchase: Encourage customers to order more by offering a discount on a second item. You can provide a lower price on a dessert with the purchase of a wing platter or create a deal where diners get three dips for the price of two.
- Dollar amount perks: When customers spend a certain amount of money, offer a special perk. Provide free delivery for orders over $100, for example, or send a free dessert when a customer spends $50. Or, consider offering a 10% discount on all orders over $150.
- Football food discounts: Choose a few game snacks and create a limited-time discount. If your wings are popular with diners, offer a selection of wings for 15% off on game day. Another option is to give 10% off your usual super-sized appetizer platter.
Once you select a game-day special, make sure to promote it. You can also get the word out to new and existing customers using the Smart Promotions and Loyalty tools through Grubhub marketing.
3. Go mobile
If your restaurant’s ordering system depends on phone calls or a web-only option, it’s time to set up a mobile ordering system. Customers love the convenience of ordering from an app, especially if it’s one they already use. This is particularly true for millennials — nearly 40% of millennials have ordered delivery or takeout using their smartphones.²
To capture these tech-savvy diners during the most-watched football game of the year, it’s helpful to find a partner such as Grubhub. You can set up your restaurant’s menu within the Grubhub system so it’s available on the website and via the mobile ordering app. When a diner decides to order food for a party or a last-minute game-day gathering, your restaurant will appear as an option. The top-notch ordering experience can build exposure among new customers, increasing the chances that your restaurant will be a go-to for football-game festivities and everyday ordering.
While you’re thinking about mobile menus, consider other ways to reach customers while they’re scrolling on their phones. Promote your special football menu on your social media profiles and send it out to your email list. You can even include a link to your Grubhub menu so diners can order right away.
To give customers even more opportunities to order from your restaurant, expand your web presence with Grubhub Direct. This service enables you to create a branded ordering website that you can link directly from your emails and social media profiles; you can even integrate it into your existing website. Orders through a Direct website are commission-free, so you keep more of the profit. Plus, when you make an update to your Grubhub menu, it automatically updates your ordering website.
Feed hungry fans with Grubhub Delivery
The biggest night of football is fun for fans, but it’s also a lucrative opportunity for your restaurant. By creating a game plan and loading up your delivery menu with delicious snacks, you can increase revenue and keep hungry diners happy. If you’re ready to reach new customers and expand your business, sign up for Grubhub delivery today.
¹National Retail Federation: Super Bowl Spending Survey
²Oracle — Millennials and Hospitality: The Redefinition of Service
How to Incorporate Locally Sourced Food Into Your Menu
More and more diners care about a restaurant’s sustainability practices. According to the 2020 National Restaurant Association Industry Report, 76% of adults said they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers locally sourced food. If your restaurant doesn’t tap into the locally sourced food movement, you may be missing out on potential customers.
Continue reading to discover ways to integrate locally sourced ingredients into your restaurant’s menu.
What are locally sourced goods?
Locally sourced goods typically refer to food, ingredients or other consumable products that are sourced, purchased or procured within a specific radius distance from where they will be used. This definition varies depending on what people consider local, but to consumers, the label “locally sourced” means that the ingredients are healthier and fresher than other products purchased from farther away.
The push for local food and farm-to-table restaurants has grown in recent years due in part to the desire to support local growers and farmers. Buying from those in your community boosts the economy, creates more jobs and helps support produce growers.
Where can you get locally sourced ingredients?
Buying locally sourced food and ingredients can seem daunting at first, but there are many resources available to help connect you to local farmers and suppliers. Visit your local farmers market to meet farmers or network with farm-to-table restaurants in your area to learn which local suppliers they’ve had success with in the past.
Once you’ve found local farmers and suppliers to work with, focus on establishing a meaningful relationship with them. Small gestures, such as thanking your suppliers and keeping them updated on any changes within your restaurant, can go a long way toward showing suppliers that you value them as a business partner.
The more time you invest in building these relationships, the greater chance you’ll have to receive the ingredients you need. You may even enjoy some unexpected benefits such as the first pick of produce or discounts for your continued loyalty.
Even with close relationships built with farmers, there may still be some difficulties you have to overcome when purchasing locally.
How inflation affects local food prices
When inflation rises, so do food prices. Because it costs more to farm during times of high inflation, farmers must raise their produce prices to balance their return on investment. That means that food inflation may affect whether or not your restaurant can afford to purchase locally.
Even with the topic of food inflation being prevalent, it’s still possible to include locally sourced food in your entrées.
Tips for incorporating locally sourced food into your menu
You don’t have to replace every single item on your menu with locally sourced items or break the bank to include local goods. Here are some ideas for adding ingredients that will boost your local economy:
Start slow and set realistic goals
Sourcing local ingredients can be higher-cost due to working with small suppliers, which means switching your menu overnight to feature these ingredients can be costly. Help ease your restaurant’s transition by setting reachable goals, such as purchasing a small amount of locally sourced ingredients or only buying locally sourced food that is close in cost to your traditional ingredients.
It might also make sense for you to test run incorporating locally sourced ingredients into your menu. Consider featuring a special on your menu or even hosting a weekly local foods night that offers a special entrée made entirely from local ingredients.
Offering locally sourced food for sale as a retail model in your restaurant is also a great way to introduce the concept to your customer base. When indoor dining was shut down in New York during the height of the pandemic, The Council Cafe transformed its storefront restaurant into a local market featuring locally produced bread from Naira Bread in New York.
The Council Cafe’s market supported other local businesses and made locally sourced food accessible to their customer base.
Use locally-sourced food to fuel your seasonal menu items
Sticker shock is often enough to keep many restaurant owners from incorporating locally sourced ingredients into their menus, but it doesn’t have to be costly. By purchasing in-season produce, you can include local ingredients that are both more affordable and of higher quality.
Lighthouse, a farm-to-table restaurant in New York City, has found success in leveraging locally sourced ingredients in its seasonal dishes. The staff even put organic food waste to work by using vegetable and fruit scraps to make compost for their herb garden, which is used to create in-house spice mixes.
While buying locally sourced food can seem expensive at first, being strategic with your menu and using in-season ingredients can help reduce the cost of locally sourced food.
Seek out sustainable seafood from local fishermen
According to the World Wildlife Foundation, fishing is one of the largest contributors to the decrease in ocean wildlife populations. While the actual act of fishing is not terrible for the environment, overfishing — which is when fish are removed from the water faster than the species can replenish — is detrimental to our oceans.
Taking the extra step to seek out sustainable seafood options from local fishmongers is not only the right move for the environment but can also help your restaurant reach new diners. According to the Marine Stewardship Council, 70% of North American shoppers would like to hear more from restaurants about the sustainability of their fish and seafood products.
Fish, a sustainable seafood restaurant based in Sausalito, California, has become a success by creating inventive dishes that feature seasonally caught fish. By purchasing directly from local fishers, Fish can confidently communicate to their customers the exact path the seafood took from the water to their plate.
Attract more customers with a locally sourced menu
Tapping into the local food movement is a great way to grow your customer base and positively impact the environment. You may also be surprised by the health benefits that your customers experience from higher-quality food. According to Virtua Health, fruits and vegetables start to lose their nutrients within 24 hours of being picked, so the fresher your restaurant’s food is, the better it will be for those enjoying it.
Using locally sourced ingredients does not need to be an expensive or time-consuming task for your restaurant. Start by developing relationships with local farmers and fishers, creating seasonal dishes and setting realistic sustainability goals for your restaurant model.
Are you interested in learning more restaurant sustainability tips? Check out 10 restaurant sustainability tips that can help you reduce food waste and improve your restaurant’s profit margins.
Grubhub customers are hungry for restaurants that feature fresh ingredients and sustainable practices. Sign up to become a Grubhub restaurant partner today and be introduced to 33+ million diners who are looking for their next delicious meal.
Demand is high – No supply –
Opportunity in the outer suburbs
By Gerrick Numan
The inner suburbs, the ‘cool’ areas, have a lot of restaurants, cafes and bars. The demand is high but so is supply. That doesn’t mean another one won’t work, it just means there are opportunities elsewhere.
In some under-serviced outer suburbs, the demand is high and there’s no supply.
People are there, with money, looking to eat out but they have nowhere to go. If your concept is right, your chances of success are higher in the outer suburbs.
Just look at Peach’s Hot Chicken. We designed a venue for them in Panmure, Auckland, an area better known for pawn shops than dining, and they’ve had crazy queues out the door every single night.
Now they’re moving to a venue twice the size down the road. An excellent concept plus low competition has meant a much more profitable restaurant than if they had opened in the inner suburbs.
We’ve done the same for Sumthin Dumplin in Botany and many others.
Rent
Not only is competition lower in the suburbs, so are the rents.
A shop that costs you $80k per year in rent in an inner suburb, can cost $25k in the outer suburbs. That’s $55k in your pocket, immediately. The old real estate saying that you ‘make your money when you buy’ applies to leasing a space for a hospitality business too.
In an industry where margins are slim, lower rents can make a huge difference.
If you do $15k in sales per week, the lower rent means a drop in your annual rent percentage from 10% to 3% – an additional 7% of profit.
Postpandemic
There is less demand for retail spaces. So you will have increased negotiating power with landlords. This could mean a long rent free period or a significant capital contribution from landlords.
You will also be in a good place to negotiate a ‘sale friendly’ lease
Ie a lease that will be attractive to future buyers of your venue (multiple rights of renewal, annual rental increases capped at CPI, no demolition clauses). Get in touch with me any time if you want me to explain these ideas.
There is potential in failed venues.
The financial and emotional impacts of a failed concept on operators are nothing to be taken lightly. But at some point these venues and their unused fit outs and equipment will need to be used again. This can be an excellent opportunity to open a venue, without the massive expense and risk that comes from setting up a kitchen from scratch.
Where to from here?
If you need any help assessing a site, or tweaking your concept, get in touch with me anytime and let’s figure out a way to keep moving forward. www.mille.co.nz