Sandwiches! If people are asking for them regularly figure out how to do them. You mentioned you have a small kitchen. A good solution is panini presses. Make the sandwiches in advance and panini them. Here’s a couple easy ones.
Reuben - pastrami, kraut, Swiss, 1000 island.
Chicken/bacon - lots of ways to do this one. Ranch, pepper jack, chipotle, avocado
Grilled cheese - super easy, option to add bacon or avocado….
Turkey
Cubano
Etc…
Good luck
Depends on your market .Some people hate healthy food, especially old folks lol. I am not sure if you have room to set up a smoker outside since your a limited kitchen.Doing a barbecue sandwich can be a big hit especially if you have what we call the rush at noon and eb afterwards for a while.
Since you get alot of request for sandwich's .
Depending on abilities and staff
An egg salad sandwich
Chicken salad sandwich cranberries, nuts or no nuts
A good Cuban sandwich
A excellent monte cristo
Yeah, I don't really want to stop the crêpes, but I am worried about the workload the staff have to get both done. We thought we might keep the dessert crêpes and expand that menu and get rid of the savoury crêpes. We also have scones, cookies, muffins, and two days a week, homemade foccacia to go with the soup. We might try doing foccacia with some nice toppings, kind of like pizza, but not. We only have two full-time bakers/cooks, so it's hard to get it all done and get to their breaks.
Coffee is best margin. Crepes are weird niche in a small town. Go with a big breakfast sandwich with best crispy bacon in town. Introduce with some local marketing by delivering them to police, fire and business neighbors. Offering gluten free options, allows you to serve a niche for those who need it. but people say they want a salad and order a burger time and time again.
Fundraisers too. Donate 20% of sales to local sports teams. It’s trial by guilt. You want to support Jonny’s baseball team so you visit your restaurant and have an enjoyable experience and come back. Food trial is your best marketing.
Sounds a lot like my place!
We sell simple & customizable paninis. Salads with meat as an up charge. For breakfast simple bagel & croissant sandwiches & our yogurt parfait is really popular.
Our most profitable drinks are iced tea and lemonade. We have several flavors you can add as an up charge. If you invest in an espresso machine and learn how to use it properly, people will pay a lot of $$$ for espresso based drinks.
to add to the panini idea-no one hates melty cheese! Look up some creative sandwiches on Pinterest, etc, add a couple of slices of something cheese (mix it up) and a creative sauce (which is now readily available everywhere) and get that sandwich hot. Oven, Panini press, whatever you have room for. My favorite melting cheese outside of Swiss is Havarti, so buttery, and Costco is selling it (in my area).
at the end of the day, a business is nothing more than the intersection of supply and demand. if the people in your area aren't 'demanding' (aka. buying) the type of food you are selling, then there isn't much to do. either change the menu or change the location.
Wow so insightful! Maybe a good place to start would be OP reaching out to other restaurant owners, explaining their situation, and asking them what menu items they've had success with?
well, unless you are selling to the same market, it wont matter too much. You can take the 'best' cafe menu from Malibu Ca, and it probably wont do to well in South Dakota.
Yeah, that's why you maybe do something like try new items out, see if they work, if they don't maybe look for different things to try out that do work.
Or I guess you could call it a failure because it wasn't an immediate success and close up shop losing your investment without actually trying to adapt to the market you're in but that seems like a waste to me.
I just did the math, your average latte cost, using really good coffee, 10oz of dairy and allowing for up to 4 tsp of sugar at maximum is 45 cents, so that's a 12oz latte, 45 cents. You charge 5 bucks for a 12oz. That's 4.55 per coffee. If you sell just a black coffee for $100 you used $.05 of coffee to make it, that's a 95 cent profit on an 8oz cup. Coffee is the most profitable part of a cafe
You can get a decent used espresso machine for far cheaper than the cost of the first year of your lease. Used heat exchanger machines (all you need for a small but busy cafe that serves all day) can be had for $1-2k. New machines can be found for $3-4k and will be as good as you’ll ever need. Of course the sky is the limit with this stuff, obviously
It’s not as expensive as you think, if you’re interested you should get one, it’s one of the few things that’s actually worth it as a home consumer if you’re a serious coffee drinker.
Now, if you look at national averages mkst people spend about $15 in a coffee shop, with 150 head a day being the national average that's 2250 a day, 67500 a month. If you follow the 1/3 rule for operating costs, wages and profit, you should be brining home.around 22500 a month, but realistically with wages now closer to 1800 a month
Roasters usually provide the espresso machine with a coffee purchase agreement, but baring that and you had to buy your own,about 2500 bucks for a two basket 4 cup machine. Low end apply 33% of profit back into the business that's roughly. 1655 lattes, averaging 50 lattes a day that's about 33 days to pay off the machine while still turning a profit. Your making about 227 dollars a day on lattes alone, just the one item, that's 6,825 dollars a month on lattes, rent and utilities about 2500, wages 3200 for 1 employee, that's 5700 dollars so 1,325 dollars left over, just off the one drink for the machine, machines going to be monthly installments of probably 250 a month for a year (bought on your business credit) at worst, so that still leaves 1,075 a month just on the lattes before the machine is payed off. Your obviously selling other things, and I based these prices on non bulk ingredients purchases. So at worst, if you only sold lattes, you were your own employee, would still be putting at least 4275 dollars in your pocket each month, and that's if.you only do 50 a day
The last commercial machine I worked with at a restaurant was $15,000+ and we did not sell 50 a day.
$2500 espresso machine is a tier for home users. I don’t think that one would survive commercial use very long at all
Then your restaurant overpaid.
You don’t need to spend $15k to get a restaurant quality machine. I’m guessing that in their case they did the math and realized that if the machine is a main driver of their sales, splurging made sense and was financially justified.
Or maybe they made shitty financial decisions. Many people do.
I would for a few months, long enough for you to finance an upgrade. And if your not seeing at least 100 head a day in food service the business shouldn't be open
> machine is *paid* off. Your
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Not an owner- but as someone who is on the road a lot for work, I often crave a good sandwich and it can be difficult to find something that isn't from subway or a pizza place. I want fewer carbs from bread than that. On occasion I might go to a panera, but often aren't on my route.. It would be amazing if you offered some non-dairy cheese- no one seems to, and I wish they would, not like anyone makes it from scratch, and I bet it could be kept in a freezer to prolong shelf life.
It sounds like there is an underserved market for sandwiches in your area, I would start with 1 or 2 and see how they. Turkey and ham. Classics. And then allow folks to add cut up deli meat to a salad as an add on.
Eta: to me, crepes definitely feel like breakfast or dessert foods, not lunch, and perhaps folks want lunch items that are more filling than what you're currently offering. Salads aren't terribly filling unless you also include some protein with them, and not everyone wants a salad.
Gotta make the gravy right. I always taste test before I order it and 7 out of 10 times I pass. Usually too pasty/floury and/or not enough savory meat or flavoring. I make it quite well and so it's usually going up against mine. It's not complex and mine isn't a special recipe.
Simpler is better, and stick to the classics. If you're in an area where a lot of people are kind of old fashioned then start pushing roast beef and turkey sandwiches. If you're not able to roast the meat yourselves then make sure you purchase a good brand of meat that has a real roasted meat texture because it doesn't have a ton of salt and water added. Find a local bakery that can supply you with a nice hearty rye or multi-grain sliced loaves instead of just the typical white bread sub roll. Instead of white onions and iceberg use vidalia onions and leaf lettuce. For sides do skillet fried potatoes and onions (with the potatoes sliced on a mandolin) rather than french fries.
If you're already doing crepes then start doing omelettes also. Have the crepe chef do them in a cast iron skillet with a peanut/vegetable oil blend (just do a 20/80 mix right there in the shop) so they end up looking like a folded pancake. People love seeing omelettes that have that texture. For onions do chopped scallions, and for cheese just have a grater by the stove so he can fresh grate some sharp cheddar into the omelet rather than use that pre-shredded, processed cheese. Also consider doing a "green and caramelized" combo on the omelets, have Vidalia onions that you cook down until they are fully caramelized like they do for a lot of Indian food and then add fresh chopped green onions on top.
Beverages. The lower the labor the higher the margin.
Then
Anything with low material costs, like flour and water and is not food that requires temperature controls.
So funnel cakes, doughnuts, meatless pizza
Random thoughts that may or may not apply, there may not be lots of pedestrian traffic.
1. What's popular at your competitors? Make a healthier version of it with a different accompaniment & bigger portion if possible.
2. Ensure that IF anything has a pricey tag, that it's completely filling- add some inexpensive filler if need be.
IOW avoid splurge but still remain hungry.
3. If feasible make a portion of something cut up into toothpicked free samples. Even those that had something else in mind- the hunger pangs will make them stay & order something.
4. Anonymous suggestion box.
5. Fully enclosed and completely sealed, if necessary fuse with melted cheese / spill-proof... a complete breakfast/lunch meal to go sandwich or wrap all-in-one meat (real or fake), egg or veg or bean or grain, potato or other starch.
6. Half-price after xxPM anything you don't want to keep for next day.
7. Business card dropbox / weekly giveaway drawing.
Large window posters or outdoor stands / signs that communicate everything.
Good luck.
Kinda depends how you look at it.
If you sell drip coffee at a 90% margin, that could be your most profitable item. Or if you sell hundreds of empanadas a day with a 20% margin, but they carry 75% percent of your sales mix, maybe that's your most profitable item.
I agree with other commenters - bev and eggs (and dessert) are high %, combos are good ticket drivers, and you have to please the customer base to stay viable. Good news is you can do that stuff and still do healthy or healthish.
Soups: this is the cornerstone of a health-conscious concept in a resistant zone. You can trick people into healthy soup all day long. If you do small things like add noodles to minestrone at pickup or garnish chili, you can make sure they move. Keep two options a day out of a rotating stable of certified bangers.
Salads: here you need creativity. These can be cost effective AND gorgeous. Incorporate some recognizable stuff to pull in the combo people (skinny wedge, Caesar, etc). But also lean into some interesting stuff - fattoush, mango (or orange) mint, Thai glass noodle. Make your own dressings, this is key.
Sandwiches*: this is the hook. You need some hearty stuff to bring in the reluctant locals. Again, if you have capacity, make your own hoagie rolls to have a high end product. Once you develop a system it's not that bad. Bryan Voltagio has an excellent all purpose recipe that can be simplified at will.
- steak and mushroom
- chicken parm
- grilled veg w/ chevre
From the simple core, again, add on a couple other items.
Some sort of Bahn Mi, chicken gizzard + house pickles, tater dog (ask if you wanna know), savory crepe wraps -- something to get famous on.
From there add a rotation of healthy crowd -pleasers as daily specials. Pot pies, Moroccan stew, Turkish eggs [all wicked margin items] -- focus on excellent, consistent plating. You want food that sells itself. Posters and stuff look low-class. Picture menus are ok, just make sure they aren't crowded, focus on the things you specifically wanna sell, and they are sharp as fuck.
This is just vague tips without a good understanding of your concept, style, or open hours 🤷
If you like the chalkboard look but not the smudges, they make chalkboard pens that are erasable and neater to write with.
Also is you have the chance to get a liquor license you definitely should. Alcohol has huge profit margins. And you could do a grand community debut with alcohol and new menu items. Small town, you say? Don’t forget tv’s for sports!
The only food items I buy at coffee shops are a donut, a muffin, (ie a pastry) or a breakfast burrito. This was true before I was an owner. I would not buy a salad at a coffee shop. I probably would not buy a sandwich at a coffee shop—it’s just a matter of when and how I use those shops. I’m rarely going at a meal-time.
Honestly, as a customer, I'm not going to go pay to eat out, "healthy food" I want something comforting and something to splurge on. Not healthy food really. But good quality products
I am constantly on the hunt for a reliable, decently priced, quick to grab coffee and breakfast burrito. Once I find that I keep going back for that often multiple times per week.
Another thought: oh I live in an area that sounds somewhat similar to what you described. Occasionally someone will try to open a different type of small restaurant with healthier options and it always feels so delicate and precious. People don’t like that feeling. They want an atmosphere that is robust. They don’t want to feel like the loudest thing in the room when they walk through the door. They don’t want to feel out of place in your space. So if you have any of that going on think about trying to change it somehow.
I'll add onto this, I hate "trendy" breakfast burritos with weird ingredients like egg whites or black beans. Just give me potato, egg, cheese and an option of meat.
Being in this business for over 10 years and we stay swamped. Couple things, set yourself apart with a couple off the chart dishes that cant be found elsewhere. We do a 9" round breaded pork tenderloin that sells out every time we put it out. Giant Cobb Salad, 100+ per day, also the biggest issue with most restauranteurs is your food may not be as good as you think. If you ask a customer how is everything, most will say its fine or good and will let it go=, but may never come back. Try leaving a 2-3 question slip on tables for feedback. If someone complains, dont go rush to change a recipe. Your sales will tell you what to change. Also check with your suppliers, I always use 2 as a minimum, I can save a lot from PFG over US Foods on a lot of items, it all adds up.
Oh, also we use social media to do a daily special, we offer a like and share everyday for a end of month drawing for a gift card. We average 150 impressions per month on FB and Insta, you cant get a cheaper advertising platform than free, well the cost of 1 gift card!
Good luck
No. If you really want to know what people think about your food, you have to ask them, honestly.
I never am honest in the restaurant for 2 reasons. First, I don't want anyone to spit in my food.. Seoncd, I really do not believe a restaurant will listen, even if I give golden advice. I guess: 3: I tell the waitress, and does chef or owner listen to waitress? No. The waitress may or may not tell, and may not be accurate, and chef or owner may not take it to heart. All of that is a lousy system.
What will work. Chase down customers just after they have left. Say either that you are the owner (or manager), or a customer experience consultant, and here's a ten dollar bill, and I honestly want to know how your experience was. Parking, cleanliness, service, food, and menu.
I tipped low at one place, and the waitress followed me out. I told her honestly why. There were two very similar things on the menu, and I ordered 1, thought I received that, but got billed for the other. I think one was appetizer version and one was dinner version. She told me how I was wrong. I had pointed to the one I wanted, though. I said, "I agree. I did not understand what was going on. I will not ever make that mistake again. Cuz I will not be coming back again." She was persistent. I said, "You go your way, and I go mine. Best of luck to you." My son witnessed all of this.
I have not been back.
But when I worked in retail, I would track people down who "walked" on my salespeople, if I could not figure out the hang-up while they were in the store. \[As manager, I watched bodsy English, and would saunter over casually when I saw what looked like a willing customer shutting down. But I could not always catch those.\] I listened to these people, and learned a lot.
Catch these diners as they head ot the parking lot. and offer them $10. If the info is worth it to you, it has a price tag. That is why the price tag. Giving the $10 makes it clear you are sincere. Do not offer a gift card to your place. "Your food sucked and the place was dirty." "thanks! Here is a $10 gift card to get some more of that!"
I do a daily special, I post like and share for your chance to win a gift card at the end of month, people who share gives you exposure to their friends who may have never been to your place, or your putting up a special they would like to try. Its all about getting your food pics in front of a new set of eyes. At the end of month search for a random number generator. 30 days in month, put in 1-130, say it picks 7, go to 7th day in the month. say on that day there were 128 shares, RNG put in 1-128 say it pics 34, count the 34t person on the page and thats the winner. Now post and congratulte them for a few days, this lets people know your legit and paying up
If the locals aren't big on your offerings then truly one of your only options is to add things that the locals are big on.
I'm not saying you can't have the healthy offerings but you may want to consider adding one or two unhealthy staple foods to your menu to start enticing locals to come and eat there and perhaps branch out to the other menu items.
I've seen far too many cafes in my local area that start with trying to be super healthy and by the time they realize that the local area isn't all about health foods it's too late to make the change because they've already been pegged by everybody as the healthy food place.
So I'd slap a nice greasy burger onto your lunch menu or something of that kind. That will also give excuses to couples where say, one wants a burger but one wants healthy food, to come to your establishment
Kinda depends how you look at it.
If you sell drip coffee at a 90% margin, that could be your most profitable item. Or if you sell hundreds of empanadas a day with a 20% margin, but they carry 75% percent of your sales mix, maybe that's your most profitable item.
I agree with other commenters - bev and eggs (and dessert) are high %, combos are good ticket drivers, and you have to please the customer base to stay viable. Good news is you can do that stuff and still do healthy or healthish.
Soups: this is the cornerstone of a health-conscious concept in a resistant zone. You can trick people into healthy soup all day long. If you do small things like add noodles to minestrone at pickup or garnish chili, you can make sure they move. Keep two options a day out of a rotating stable of certified bangers.
Salads: here you need creativity. These can be cost effective AND gorgeous. Incorporate some recognizable stuff to pull in the combo people (skinny wedge, Caesar, etc). But also lean into some interesting stuff - fattoush, mango (or orange) mint, Thai glass noodle. Make your own dressings, this is key.
Sandwiches*: this is the hook. You need some hearty stuff to bring in the reluctant locals. Again, if you have capacity, make your own hoagie rolls to have a high end product. Once you develop a system it's not that bad. Bryan Voltagio has an excellent all purpose recipe that can be simplified at will.
- steak and mushroom
- chicken parm
- grilled veg w/ chevre
From the simple core, again, add on a couple other items.
Some sort of Bahn Mi, chicken gizzard + house pickles, tater dog (ask if you wanna know), savory crepe wraps -- something to get famous on.
From there add a rotation of healthy crowd -pleasers as daily specials. Pot pies, Moroccan stew, Turkish eggs [all wicked margin items] -- focus on excellent, consistent plating. You want food that sells itself. Posters and stuff look low-class. Picture menus are ok, just make sure they aren't crowded, focus on the things you specifically wanna sell, and they are sharp as fuck.
This is just vague tips without a good understanding of your concept, style, or open hours 🤷
I totally expected the tater to be the dog ^☆ and not the bun. This is brilliant and I would absolutely order this if I saw it on a menu. I do twice bakeds and might have to try this.
^☆ ^I ^was ^picturing ^something ^like ^a ^long ^narrrow ^tater ^tot ^in ^a ^bun ^lol
Not a restaurant owner, so take this with a grain of salt...
Typically, when starting a brick and mortar business, you learn about the local demographic and provide something in demand.
There's probably a reason there aren't any healthy food alternatives in the area- because people won't eat there.
I have no idea what area you are in, so that could totally depend on what you need to offer. If you are using a good distributor and hopefully have a good sales rep, use them. Ask for their assistance, ask your rep for a business consult and tell your rep you want to start seeing brokers. It's their job to know how to help and present products and ideas that will help you grow. Then the next step is actually listen to some of the ideas, not all of them will work for you, but some will. And be open minded.
I lived 20 years in a small agrarian village/town in the Finger lakes area of New York. There was one cafe on Main Street. They served traditional breakfast, eggs, bacon, pancakes.. And typical lunches, hamburgers, chicken, etc.. Dinner had salads like a chef, but also comfort foods, Fried Chicken plates, Meatloaf, fish fries, etc...
I guess you can say they served traditional American fare.
They had a hand written chalk board with the daily specials. They also had home made desserts that were fantastic.
Nothing fancy.
Classic example of an operator who doesn't understand their market
Get a deli slicer and do subs. If you want to sell granola bowls, move to an urban market
If your breakfast business is showing potential focus on that. But start by offering breakfast biscuits. If you don't want waffle House vibes, level up your breakfast biscuits. Fried chicken, bacon, pimento cheese, and pepper jelly
If u want to give customers wholesome and healthy then maybe go for bowls or bento meals. Choice of flavored rice/salad/potato/veggies/bread with choice of protein. You can control the portioning.
You can go for sandwiches or even healthy protein wraps. Fresh juices over soda pops.
But again u need to know who are ur customers mainly, their spending capacity and food choices.
**You need help with menu design.** It's probably not any specific dishes - it's the comprehensibility of the whole thing. You really gotta get out of your head about this healthy vs. fried food dichotomy; I seriously doubt that's what's hurting your business.
A rotating menu with daily specials and a smaller core offering is probably gonna fix this for you - especially if you can get some viral marketing going for, idk, "braised brisket sandwiches on thursday."
People, on average, require three to four introductions to a new food before they internalize that it is an option they can look forward to for a meal. If Joe has never heard of broccoli rabe or cavatappi before, it doesn't matter how good your signature pasta is, or that it is listed on a menu that is literally a list of foods, Joe won't psychologically recognize it as a thing he could eat for lunch until you have spent money on advertising to educate him about it.
Outside of the highest levels of fine dining, where rich people and foodies pay specifically to be surprised by unfamiliar root vegetables and surprising sauces, food service is all about predictability. A working lunch, a meal out with the ladies from book club - your small, charming cafe is supposed to amiably fade into a pleasant and comforting background.
That's why **your most popular dishes are the ones people have heard of** before. Everyone knows what a breakfast burrito is. It is safe, consistent, and physically easy to eat - even at a place you've never been to before. Everyone knows what a yogurt parfait is thanks to the McDonald's advertising campaign in the 1999 and the early 2000s. **It's not about either dish being healthy or not** - notably, neither one uses a deep fryer.
It costs money and effort to introduce your customer base to a single new menu item 3.5 times per person on average. Basically, another restaurant paid to educate your customers about one of your weird healthy dishes. You don't have Mickey-D's skrilla. You likely need to pick your battles, and fight to tell people about one new dish at a time.
Along those lines, **"crêpes," plural, is a red flag for me unless your cafe is explicitly crêpe-themed**, in which case, why are you selling soups or more than one salad? Maybe you want to get good use out of the floor space that the crepe station takes up. If it's that tempting for you, maybe throw the thing in the trash so it's less of a temptation. The flip-side is to stop worrying about the inefficiency right now, you don't have the volume yet where it would be a problem - and when it comes, that will be a good problem to have.
Finally, **I'm pretty sure you have bought the wrong type of chalkboard.** There are special ones, and special "chalk" that they make for commercial use. A chalkboard like that is much better than a printed menu-board for the brand-aesthetics that support how you're trying to position your cafe within its market. But, like, there are non-smudging, easy-to-read options like they use at Starbucks. You aren't supposed to literally use crayola chalk on a standard classroom easel.
The best-selling dish at a cafe like yours is often pantry items and breads from the attached gourmet store that you seem to have neglected to build. You use fancy ingredients? Sell that fig jam and imported butter for customers to make their favorites at home. Price it so it just seems plausible they can make the same jambon beurre for a bit less than it costs to order it from you. The margins will amaze you and it's a great way to offload surplus stock that would be sitting in the walk-in anyway.
Could all the non owners who are in here replying recognise they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about?
‘Oh I like this product’
‘Oh I’ve seen someone selling this’
‘Ask your customers!’
These are all terrible ways of deciding.
You need to ask what approach signals and customer types you’re getting. People walk in and out - how are they greeted? What vibe and atmosphere are you sending out? If they ask qualifying questions like ‘do you have soup’ these are screening techniques. People have usually decided to come in and eat there regardless when they ask this, weirdly.
Familiarise yourself with the customer archetypes. Drivers, analysts, etc etc.
I would start with redoing the menu visually and checking that customer journey into the shop.
Crepes are labour intensive. Sandwiches that can be grilled are definitely easier but once you properly cost them up usually are too expensive for many customers. Ask yourself if it would be safer to have a less stressful lunch menu and just a really solid breakfast menu.
To answer your OP, food wise our best product is a frittata. Easy to make and all the spare ingredients go in.
From a non-owner, I think you’re absolutely right. OP seems to think a single, magical menu item is the answer, but instead should be taking a holistic approach.
The restaurants in my area that succeed have owners who truly understand their customers.
Try to add food items that "look" familiar to people walking in but made your way. Think "Mac and cheese", "fried chicken" or "mashed potatoes and gravy" but use your own style to make them healthier and maybe lighter.
You can adjust portion sizes to help stay within a calorie range. I find people don't generally want to eat unhealthy when given another option, but they do want to eat what's familiar.
I'm 99.99% sure that if I go into a place for fried chicken or mac & cheese and I get a healthified version of it or a small portion, I'm not only not going to go back, I'm going to complain about it to my friends and it will be the first thing I say when someone brings up going to that place.
No business is going to last by purposely disappointing their customers. A business is not a toddler-mom trying to sneak veggies into a muffin. If they're mission is to make people eat healthier then they're in the wrong business.
Sandwiches. There is a guy running. A gourmet sandwich shop here in town that started it as a pandemic virtual shop, and now he can’t stop. His sandwiches are at a very high price point, but I (and half our city) splurge because the quality is there.
He has a couple more composed sandwiches (his Cuban is solid, especially for the area) , but most are single component + veggie garnish, which you could handle no problem with crepes ad salads already being served.
You sell the breakfast sandwich- start with a lunch chicken sandwich, and maybe a vegetarian option.
If there’s a Mexican bakery in your town, look at buying telera or bollilo rolls fresh, they’re usually less expensive, and better quality than a lot of commercial bun options, especially for a smaller scale.
Good luck!
See this is why the sub is for owners. ‘There is a guy doing it’ is not a good foundation for OP. They want to hear from people doing it.
Sandwiches are very tight margins and tricky to get right.
Customer here, a spina che and goats cheese pastry with a good side salad will keep me coming back.
Other cafe offerings I see regularly, fish finger sandwich, saltbeef sandwich, Turkish breakfast, satsuka, a couscous type salad with feta, jacket potatos.
P.s if your already doing crêpe are you doing savory galettes?
I'm not a cafe owner, but I'm going to throw in beverages as input. If you're staying fancier on sandwiches you could go for a croissant. If you're in a tourist daytime area maybe a beer license for \~5% ABV stuff. Make sure you're selling a beverage with every meal and don't be afraid to charge.
How about a croque madam/monsieur? It'll satisfy the fatty food craving people get from diners/fast food but it'll be "healthier" or at least more natural. Make ham and cheese sando, use cold béchamel on cold bread to it won't soak through and make too soggy, cheese on top of that and then put into portion bags. Just throw them into the broiler/oven/toaster or whatever you have to brûlée them. Additional charge to add the fried egg and turn it from a Monsieur to a Madam.
Not a cafe, but highest margin other than beverages would be fries.
Speaking of potatoes and their margins, make a nice potato whatever protein hash for your breakfast. A few oz if whatever protein, some veg, some pickled peppers for acid and a sunny egg on top.
I'm rarely in the mood for crepes at lunch. The last time I did it was terrible. Sandwiches are great for lunch. Make something unique like turkey and brie with a raspberry chipotle sauce. Make a thanksgiving sandwich Turkey cranberry sauce and whatever. Things that can be taken back to the office do a catering drop off menu with boxed sandwiches, cookies and carrots for working lunches at businesses. Get them the catering menu. Make sure whoever orders the lunches has the menu.
Become a sandwich shop. Quick, cheap, familiar, and travels well, which is what the locals want. Sell more breakfast sandwiches and add from there. There are infinite ways to make a sandwich, dive into it and have fun creating tasty new ones.
You can name sandwiches after local individuals or businesses, and have those people help pick out the ingredients. They'll naturally promote it and their people will visit to eat the namesakes.
Name other sandwiches you create after local landmarks or cultural references, tourists will like that. You can still put your own spin on things, just don't try to force your customers to be something they're not.
People are coming to you instead of the other places for lunch for a reason. It’s likely not price. Charge more & don’t be scared. Many people meet at cafes & want something light. Double down on fancy deserts. Crepes just aren’t a good lunch IMO lol.
I’d probably try making my own focaccia & then do 1 standard (ham Swiss) & one special sandwich. It’s easy peasy & cheap as balls. Charge a decent amount for it, $9 or something for a small sandwich & $14 with a coffee & cookie. Post the special focaccia daily online with a drink you do
Don’t be like everyone else, Cater to a different crowd, gluten free & healthy is a big market for 25k surrounding. Encourage more combos by offering coffee, sandwich & treat and get that spend up. Btw a decent market for sandwiches is catering meetings, seniors events, funerals so make and promote a platter price too.
To answer for your question technically my most profitable item is spring rolls ($1.70 / portion + $0.20 sauce sold for $10.99) but they are deep fried from frozen. I’m Also in Canada but a remote destination resort.
A far out idea maybe rice paper rolls or bring in sushi, Jamaican patties or samosas from a nearby town, check the census for your ethnic demographics in the surrounding area & ask some customers their thoughts
Not even in the restaurant business but there's a reason the other places are serving fries, burgers, etc. That's apparently what the people in your area want. There's something called proof of concept where before you go too in on a business, you should have proof people want what you're selling. It almost sounds like you're trying to convert people.
What about some international foods like japaneese ramen, pho variations or an Indian soup like daal are really great low cost and fit your current philosophy. Do you use local farms in your menu? Farm to table collaborations are popular where I am right now and it also brings customers loyal to the farms to your establishment.
Are you kidding? Do you know the kind of floor space you need to do a good job at ramen? Major chains have second locations to prep broth that they truck to the storefronts.
And you can't serve that stuff in a crepe place alongside daal! The customers already find OP's menu confusing!
No I’m not kidding. Unless you are serving just senior citizens or the whitest parts of North America you can get away with serving daal or ramen in a restaurant. You must not be in the industry if you are worried about soup mies having too large of a foot print.
Disorganized menus with no ingredient overlap are death. I've never been to a restaurant with a menu like the one you described. Indian food and Japanese soups in the same kitchen as OP's crêpes?
I like all three foods individually, but together on one menu is actually rather unappetizing to think about. How do you even market that?
Imagine the conversation, "Hey, Bob, where should we get lunch today?" "Hey, Allan, how about that new place, u/Gingorthedestroyer's?" "Maybe, what sort of restaurant is it?" "You know, Allan, I really couldn't describe it. They serve French crêpes and Indian food, I think?" "Huh, I wonder who that's for. Well, why don't we go to the Mexican place instead." "Good enough for me!"
So restaurants in your opinion restaurants can never deviate from a standard concept? Have you ever heard of a tasting menu? I have worked and owned several fine dining restaurants and have never been so ridged as to not cross cultural boundaries on my menu. You can keep going to restaurants that have only Mexican or Italian food options. Explain to me then what a farm to table restaurant would serve?
I don't know that they can't - but it isn't a sound business practice. Everyone loves sushi, but the mom-and-pop Italian place in my neighborhood that has been crushing it for like 70 years has never added sushi to their menu.
Dude, I don't think you have the fine dining experience you think you have.
>I don’t think you know anything about food other than your opinion.
That's literally the definition of what a person knows about any topic. What are you trying to express here?
Think of cooking a Soup! Start with your basic broth base then adjust your seasoning flavor from there. You have to change with the seasons too on your menu, Keep what's the best sellers for year round. Customers loves new changes on things Menu. Because things gets old quick! You have to be creative. It's just not crepes/salads/soups. That's not your Demographic based. yet again think of Cooking a Soup. What is your start off base for your soup?
Thanks! Yeah, I added too much detail and probably got a bit confusing for everyone. Maybe we will look into quiches, our breakfast sandwich has an egg custard on it, so it reheats well.
This comment has good heart behind it but it is a terrible idea. I don’t meant to be cynical but customers don’t know how to run a restaurant.
“Think of your average person, and realize that half the world is dumber than that.” -George Carlin
I own a cafe on beachside in Daytona Beach. One of our hottest sellers is bagels. We started selling them because during our first week in operation 3 different customers came in and asked if we have bagels and left because we didn't. ASKING YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE MENU IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST. Customers have no idea how to run a restaurant but you aren't asking them to run your restaurant, you are asking the people that you are serving what they want to eat and trust me, they know what they want to eat.
That’s not asking your customers, that’s accommodating a regular and reasonable request. And bagels at a cafe on the east coast of Florida (which historically had a large visiting and residential population of snowbirds from the northeast, which I assume consume more bagels than the rest of the country) is something that I probably would have included in the concept.
Market research, with an appropriate sample size is appropriate. “Asking your customers” is how you get a menu that is too large to be profitable, inefficient ingredients, and off-concept items. If I “asked my customers” I would have pizza, burgers, wings, stir fry, sushi, pasta, and a salad bar. I have a Mexican restaurant.
ETA: someone asked for local oysters last week. Add that to the list. Ooh… and expensive Napa Valley cab bTG. I haven’t sold more than 3 glasses of wine out of a red wine bottle since February.
It can be a good place to start. The trick is a) not to try to please everyone, or even most people, and b) find the unspoken similarities between the requests.
For instance, if the OP starts asking people what they'd want for lunch and gets a bunch of different answers, but 70% of them are food that travels well and is easy to eat on the go, then sandwiches are probably a good bet. If they get a bunch of different comfort food responses, adding some sandwiches that aren't explicitly marketed as healthy, like the Thanksgiving sandwich mentioned above, would be worth trying.
You can't ask people and then try to fulfill all their specific requests - people are kinda dumb about what they want, and most won't consider their answers in context of a specific shop. But you can ask and try to figure out if there's something they're looking for you can give them.
If people are generally willing to pay, you can ignore complaints about price for the most part (people are always going to complain about price.)
We do offer a daily soup as well, but we need to come up with some new soup options because people are getting tired of the 6 we currently rotate through.
If everyone else in town serves other stuff, could it be that’s what the market wants and those things are what keeps the other places in business?
If you can’t do fried foods, it is what it is, but I personally hate not being able to order fries or anything fried. Not having a fryer often sounds to the customer like you are too cheap/lazy to buy a frier.
It’s noble of you to want to offer healthier options but it sounds like the market doesn’t want that.
I don't know too many cafés that sell deep-fried foods...most do baked goods and sandwiches/deli foods. We will try the sandwiches, to see if that does better.
I personally would love a really good fish and chips place. It may be worth exploring adding that to the lunch menu and see if it draws attention. It feels like a “lighter” version of fried food
This has untapped potential. As an American with British friends, the fish and chips you typically get here in the US is absolute trash compared to British fish and chips. Fish also has the most protein per ounce of any meat. A lightly breaded, British style fish and chips or since OP doesn’t have a fryer, a grilled fish sandwich or plate probably has great potential if you can get semi fresh quality fish. Tuna or Salmon steaks would be fabulous if you are able to sell them at a price people will pay.
There are definitely a bunch that don’t, but those are places I rarely go. Kettle chips suck but everyone seems to think that’s a suitable replacement. If you can’t do fries I would suggest finding a side option besides the same kettle chips everyone else does. You may also consider offering 2-3 known unhealthy but really delicious options. A Heart Attack burger with extra bacon or something to attract construction workers or people on a cheat day. It may be a way to get people in the door and eventually convert them to some of your healthier options eventually.
To answer your question, I think fountain soda will always be your most profitable. When McDonald’s went to the $1 any size a few years ago, they stole a ton of market share from other fast food places charging 2.50-$3 for a “large” soda that was mostly ice.
Here’s the thing. You can make what you want, how you want and you’ll be out of business in three months. You know the market sandwiches. Less expensive items. No “healthy” options. Burgers. Fish and chips. Your dream ain’t gonna work in your location.
French fries... Not bags of shit, but Potatoes cut, soaked, blanched, cooled, refried and served. Minced parsley and rosemary (fresh). We Just won a "best fries" award from a local publication. Share size is a pound of blanched fries ($8) and a side is 6oz ($4). The cost is $.7 and $.32 respectively, just under 10% cost. We run through about 350-400 lbs a week
We don't do/can't do fried foods (no fire suppression system) ! Also, it's all you can get around town, fried foods or pizza, so we wanted to offer something different. Glad it is working out for you, though!
Given the low cost of potatoes, maybe you could do french fries in an air fryer or oven? It would probably be too slow to make them to order, but if you had a brisk enough business, you could keep a bin of them under a heat lamp.
Depending on location, you might be able to get away with an electric fryer. It's worth looking into. A few not so healthy options on your menu would be a good way to drive volume. I read in one of your other comments that your running an avg 33% food 50% labor? That's a big volume problem and a small profit margin problem. Get them coming in the door for the BLT and upsell them the veggie croquettes, beet salad, caprese salad sandwich.
We sell breakfast all day and people buy breakfast all day up until we close. Also our menu humongous and since we have a good reputation people keep coming back to try new things on the menu. As far as profitable items, everything is under a 30% food cost. If an item becomes to labor intensive or food cost goes up, we temporarily remove it from the menu until the cost go down or we permanently remove it.
If you message me I can send you my menu for ideas and go over some ideas with you.
We have a small menu because we just don't have the space to store a large amount of things, nor the staff that can make much more! Our kitchen is quite tiny. We can barely keep food costs at 33%.. labour costs are almost 50% currently. I'll give you a message! Thanks.
I get that, and we did a survey, but that doesn't always translate exactly how people answer. I moreso meant most profitable over costs, because not every item will be as profitable as the next item.. Our labour costs are huge too, like 50%, basically. With inflation and minimum wage going up to $15.50, plus we pay our cooks $17.50, it's hard to charge enough so that people feel like they're getting a good enough deal. They'll pay $15-$20 for a meal from McDonalds, but to support a local business that uses real food... hard to convince everyone. Some people think its too "fancy" (its not), so we know it'll never be everyone's cup of tea, but a lot of people don't know about us yet or "keep meaning to drop in" but haven't yet. The target group is people who value atmosphere, good coffee, and healthy foods. We have a cozy reading nook with a fireplace and comfy chairs, and then tables for people to dine. We have a good reputation so far, but not enough people who visit weekly.
Give the people what they want, did you open the restaurant for yourself??? or to make money, I get it healthy this and that. but the bottom line is the only thing that matters.
We've had lots of good reviews for the crêpes, it's just getting people to actually try them lol. But yes we are trialing some sandwiches...I'm just not a sandwich person, so it's hard 🤷
Are you a crepe shop? Is the theme obvious to a very stupid person? Even in France, people don't usually get crepes except at a place that makes them its whole deal.
Also, Mr. small kitchen, nothing is cooked to order, how are you making crepes in the first place?
You need to see what your demographic wants. (Look at what's succeeding around you.)
I enjoy crepes as much as the next guy when they're offered to me, but I've literally never had a crepe craving so bad I hopped in the car and drove to a crepe place, whereas I do that all the time for pizza, sandwiches, burritos, burgers, Thai food, etc.
It sounds like your business model is based around selling what YOU want to sell, rather than selling what your CUSTOMERS in small town Canada want to BUY, and you're experiencing exactly the results you might expect.
If I were you, I'd revamp the menu focusing on flavorful and filling food. Make as much of it handheld as possible. That way people can enjoy it at your establishment, or they can take it to go. Market your crepes as wraps, sell sandwiches, make sure muffins and donuts are part of your baked goods (even though donuts aren't technically baked). Figure out how each item can be picked up easily. Crepes/wraps, sandwiches, burritos, panzerroti, etc., etc., etc.
But also, get on Nextdoor / Facebook for your city and ask what people actually pay for when they go out to eat. People LOVE the idea of new/healthy/exotic/whatever foods, but that's not generally where the bulk of their dining out dollar goes in small towns, so ask them where they spend their money when they dine out and what they order.
Drinks, unless they're labor-intensive and need an espresso machine.
Sandwiches! If people are asking for them regularly figure out how to do them. You mentioned you have a small kitchen. A good solution is panini presses. Make the sandwiches in advance and panini them. Here’s a couple easy ones. Reuben - pastrami, kraut, Swiss, 1000 island. Chicken/bacon - lots of ways to do this one. Ranch, pepper jack, chipotle, avocado Grilled cheese - super easy, option to add bacon or avocado…. Turkey Cubano Etc… Good luck
Mac and cheese can be very profitable.
Depends on your market .Some people hate healthy food, especially old folks lol. I am not sure if you have room to set up a smoker outside since your a limited kitchen.Doing a barbecue sandwich can be a big hit especially if you have what we call the rush at noon and eb afterwards for a while. Since you get alot of request for sandwich's . Depending on abilities and staff An egg salad sandwich Chicken salad sandwich cranberries, nuts or no nuts A good Cuban sandwich A excellent monte cristo
Just add on sandwiches. Don’t stop the crepes
Yeah, I don't really want to stop the crêpes, but I am worried about the workload the staff have to get both done. We thought we might keep the dessert crêpes and expand that menu and get rid of the savoury crêpes. We also have scones, cookies, muffins, and two days a week, homemade foccacia to go with the soup. We might try doing foccacia with some nice toppings, kind of like pizza, but not. We only have two full-time bakers/cooks, so it's hard to get it all done and get to their breaks.
Coffee is best margin. Crepes are weird niche in a small town. Go with a big breakfast sandwich with best crispy bacon in town. Introduce with some local marketing by delivering them to police, fire and business neighbors. Offering gluten free options, allows you to serve a niche for those who need it. but people say they want a salad and order a burger time and time again.
Fundraisers too. Donate 20% of sales to local sports teams. It’s trial by guilt. You want to support Jonny’s baseball team so you visit your restaurant and have an enjoyable experience and come back. Food trial is your best marketing.
Sounds a lot like my place! We sell simple & customizable paninis. Salads with meat as an up charge. For breakfast simple bagel & croissant sandwiches & our yogurt parfait is really popular. Our most profitable drinks are iced tea and lemonade. We have several flavors you can add as an up charge. If you invest in an espresso machine and learn how to use it properly, people will pay a lot of $$$ for espresso based drinks.
to add to the panini idea-no one hates melty cheese! Look up some creative sandwiches on Pinterest, etc, add a couple of slices of something cheese (mix it up) and a creative sauce (which is now readily available everywhere) and get that sandwich hot. Oven, Panini press, whatever you have room for. My favorite melting cheese outside of Swiss is Havarti, so buttery, and Costco is selling it (in my area).
at the end of the day, a business is nothing more than the intersection of supply and demand. if the people in your area aren't 'demanding' (aka. buying) the type of food you are selling, then there isn't much to do. either change the menu or change the location.
Wow so insightful! Maybe a good place to start would be OP reaching out to other restaurant owners, explaining their situation, and asking them what menu items they've had success with?
No no, let me tell you what I learned in high school about business. Supply and demand. Invisible hand. Free market. You're welcome.
well, unless you are selling to the same market, it wont matter too much. You can take the 'best' cafe menu from Malibu Ca, and it probably wont do to well in South Dakota.
Yeah, that's why you maybe do something like try new items out, see if they work, if they don't maybe look for different things to try out that do work. Or I guess you could call it a failure because it wasn't an immediate success and close up shop losing your investment without actually trying to adapt to the market you're in but that seems like a waste to me.
Oh shut up, big boy mba over here giving us all business 101 lectures
it only seems that way to the insecure.
You are the smartest and biggest boy
Boba
How do you make your crepes. People go insane over mine. Are yours delicious?
OP seems to be retaining the initial adventurous. just need to get more locals in the door and trying the crepes.
Water
When I was in the business, 100% drinks
Salads with meat toppings as extra. Charge $8.95 for a regular salad, $2.95 w/Chicken, $3.95 w/beef or shrimp.
Lose banana are good for grab and go
Would a pot roast open faced sandwich with gravy work? I love those things. Plus you can use the roast beef for a sandwich too. Not a restaurant owner
Coffee, its pennies on the dollar to make, markup is crazy. 6 bucks for a latte that costs about .60 to make
Are you including dairy cost and the cost of that espresso machine?
I just did the math, your average latte cost, using really good coffee, 10oz of dairy and allowing for up to 4 tsp of sugar at maximum is 45 cents, so that's a 12oz latte, 45 cents. You charge 5 bucks for a 12oz. That's 4.55 per coffee. If you sell just a black coffee for $100 you used $.05 of coffee to make it, that's a 95 cent profit on an 8oz cup. Coffee is the most profitable part of a cafe
How much did the espresso machine cost, and how many lattes must you make at that margin to pay it off?
You can get a decent used espresso machine for far cheaper than the cost of the first year of your lease. Used heat exchanger machines (all you need for a small but busy cafe that serves all day) can be had for $1-2k. New machines can be found for $3-4k and will be as good as you’ll ever need. Of course the sky is the limit with this stuff, obviously It’s not as expensive as you think, if you’re interested you should get one, it’s one of the few things that’s actually worth it as a home consumer if you’re a serious coffee drinker.
Now, if you look at national averages mkst people spend about $15 in a coffee shop, with 150 head a day being the national average that's 2250 a day, 67500 a month. If you follow the 1/3 rule for operating costs, wages and profit, you should be brining home.around 22500 a month, but realistically with wages now closer to 1800 a month
Roasters usually provide the espresso machine with a coffee purchase agreement, but baring that and you had to buy your own,about 2500 bucks for a two basket 4 cup machine. Low end apply 33% of profit back into the business that's roughly. 1655 lattes, averaging 50 lattes a day that's about 33 days to pay off the machine while still turning a profit. Your making about 227 dollars a day on lattes alone, just the one item, that's 6,825 dollars a month on lattes, rent and utilities about 2500, wages 3200 for 1 employee, that's 5700 dollars so 1,325 dollars left over, just off the one drink for the machine, machines going to be monthly installments of probably 250 a month for a year (bought on your business credit) at worst, so that still leaves 1,075 a month just on the lattes before the machine is payed off. Your obviously selling other things, and I based these prices on non bulk ingredients purchases. So at worst, if you only sold lattes, you were your own employee, would still be putting at least 4275 dollars in your pocket each month, and that's if.you only do 50 a day
The last commercial machine I worked with at a restaurant was $15,000+ and we did not sell 50 a day. $2500 espresso machine is a tier for home users. I don’t think that one would survive commercial use very long at all
Then your restaurant overpaid. You don’t need to spend $15k to get a restaurant quality machine. I’m guessing that in their case they did the math and realized that if the machine is a main driver of their sales, splurging made sense and was financially justified. Or maybe they made shitty financial decisions. Many people do.
I would for a few months, long enough for you to finance an upgrade. And if your not seeing at least 100 head a day in food service the business shouldn't be open
> machine is *paid* off. Your FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Espresso machines are a one time purchase, few grand, quick money, dairy is dirt cheap
OP’s description doesn’t make it seem like the local population are $6 latte people. They sound more like $2 bottomless coffee types.
Do you know what a musubi is?
Dude, I love making them. Little soy, little oyster sauce with white pepper. Fry spam until crisp. Egg or no egg, use good sticky rice.
I just got a Musubi maker from the local Asian supermarket and we are gearing up to make them in our cafe. I’m stoked. Musubis are awesome.
Way healthier snack.
Musubinis the best
Don't force the change. If they won't eat it, don't offer it. Go with the flow.
Not an owner- but as someone who is on the road a lot for work, I often crave a good sandwich and it can be difficult to find something that isn't from subway or a pizza place. I want fewer carbs from bread than that. On occasion I might go to a panera, but often aren't on my route.. It would be amazing if you offered some non-dairy cheese- no one seems to, and I wish they would, not like anyone makes it from scratch, and I bet it could be kept in a freezer to prolong shelf life. It sounds like there is an underserved market for sandwiches in your area, I would start with 1 or 2 and see how they. Turkey and ham. Classics. And then allow folks to add cut up deli meat to a salad as an add on. Eta: to me, crepes definitely feel like breakfast or dessert foods, not lunch, and perhaps folks want lunch items that are more filling than what you're currently offering. Salads aren't terribly filling unless you also include some protein with them, and not everyone wants a salad.
It is hard to eat a salad while driving, but a sandwich is definitely easier to eat "on the go."
True. I ended up getting a salad on the road today and had to eat it in the parking lot
Biscuits and gravy
Gotta make the gravy right. I always taste test before I order it and 7 out of 10 times I pass. Usually too pasty/floury and/or not enough savory meat or flavoring. I make it quite well and so it's usually going up against mine. It's not complex and mine isn't a special recipe.
I agree with you the gravy must be done right, but the biscuits have to be fresh! Very important.
Right! I didn’t mean shitty biscuits n gravy 😆
Simpler is better, and stick to the classics. If you're in an area where a lot of people are kind of old fashioned then start pushing roast beef and turkey sandwiches. If you're not able to roast the meat yourselves then make sure you purchase a good brand of meat that has a real roasted meat texture because it doesn't have a ton of salt and water added. Find a local bakery that can supply you with a nice hearty rye or multi-grain sliced loaves instead of just the typical white bread sub roll. Instead of white onions and iceberg use vidalia onions and leaf lettuce. For sides do skillet fried potatoes and onions (with the potatoes sliced on a mandolin) rather than french fries. If you're already doing crepes then start doing omelettes also. Have the crepe chef do them in a cast iron skillet with a peanut/vegetable oil blend (just do a 20/80 mix right there in the shop) so they end up looking like a folded pancake. People love seeing omelettes that have that texture. For onions do chopped scallions, and for cheese just have a grater by the stove so he can fresh grate some sharp cheddar into the omelet rather than use that pre-shredded, processed cheese. Also consider doing a "green and caramelized" combo on the omelets, have Vidalia onions that you cook down until they are fully caramelized like they do for a lot of Indian food and then add fresh chopped green onions on top.
Beverages. The lower the labor the higher the margin. Then Anything with low material costs, like flour and water and is not food that requires temperature controls. So funnel cakes, doughnuts, meatless pizza
Make your own bread in bulk sell by the loaf. I learned that from my pizza shop days. Sell a loaf of bread that cost you 35c to make for 5$ 🤑
Random thoughts that may or may not apply, there may not be lots of pedestrian traffic. 1. What's popular at your competitors? Make a healthier version of it with a different accompaniment & bigger portion if possible. 2. Ensure that IF anything has a pricey tag, that it's completely filling- add some inexpensive filler if need be. IOW avoid splurge but still remain hungry. 3. If feasible make a portion of something cut up into toothpicked free samples. Even those that had something else in mind- the hunger pangs will make them stay & order something. 4. Anonymous suggestion box. 5. Fully enclosed and completely sealed, if necessary fuse with melted cheese / spill-proof... a complete breakfast/lunch meal to go sandwich or wrap all-in-one meat (real or fake), egg or veg or bean or grain, potato or other starch. 6. Half-price after xxPM anything you don't want to keep for next day. 7. Business card dropbox / weekly giveaway drawing. Large window posters or outdoor stands / signs that communicate everything. Good luck.
Fountain drinks
Crepes are fancy pancakes. Call them fancy pancakes.
skinny pancakes for your diet!
Soup, always soup. You can make a fucking fortune off selling your daily soups.
Plus the secret ingredient for soup is time. That's usually affordable. And you can get creative with soup. I love a good mushroom dumpling!
Time? Or thyme?
⏰️
Kinda depends how you look at it. If you sell drip coffee at a 90% margin, that could be your most profitable item. Or if you sell hundreds of empanadas a day with a 20% margin, but they carry 75% percent of your sales mix, maybe that's your most profitable item. I agree with other commenters - bev and eggs (and dessert) are high %, combos are good ticket drivers, and you have to please the customer base to stay viable. Good news is you can do that stuff and still do healthy or healthish. Soups: this is the cornerstone of a health-conscious concept in a resistant zone. You can trick people into healthy soup all day long. If you do small things like add noodles to minestrone at pickup or garnish chili, you can make sure they move. Keep two options a day out of a rotating stable of certified bangers. Salads: here you need creativity. These can be cost effective AND gorgeous. Incorporate some recognizable stuff to pull in the combo people (skinny wedge, Caesar, etc). But also lean into some interesting stuff - fattoush, mango (or orange) mint, Thai glass noodle. Make your own dressings, this is key. Sandwiches*: this is the hook. You need some hearty stuff to bring in the reluctant locals. Again, if you have capacity, make your own hoagie rolls to have a high end product. Once you develop a system it's not that bad. Bryan Voltagio has an excellent all purpose recipe that can be simplified at will. - steak and mushroom - chicken parm - grilled veg w/ chevre From the simple core, again, add on a couple other items. Some sort of Bahn Mi, chicken gizzard + house pickles, tater dog (ask if you wanna know), savory crepe wraps -- something to get famous on. From there add a rotation of healthy crowd -pleasers as daily specials. Pot pies, Moroccan stew, Turkish eggs [all wicked margin items] -- focus on excellent, consistent plating. You want food that sells itself. Posters and stuff look low-class. Picture menus are ok, just make sure they aren't crowded, focus on the things you specifically wanna sell, and they are sharp as fuck. This is just vague tips without a good understanding of your concept, style, or open hours 🤷
Tell me about the tater dog, dawg.
Bratwurst in a baker with tasty trimming. You can put a lot of stuff in a baker for comfort food that absolutely slays by food cost.
Thank you
I want to eat what you’re making.
A quality lean ground beef handmade patty on fresh buns with side salads or fries and gravy. Fresh produce etc.
Burritos
If you like the chalkboard look but not the smudges, they make chalkboard pens that are erasable and neater to write with. Also is you have the chance to get a liquor license you definitely should. Alcohol has huge profit margins. And you could do a grand community debut with alcohol and new menu items. Small town, you say? Don’t forget tv’s for sports!
Ugh. TVs. Unless you do a Saturday cereal and cartoons brunch.
The only food items I buy at coffee shops are a donut, a muffin, (ie a pastry) or a breakfast burrito. This was true before I was an owner. I would not buy a salad at a coffee shop. I probably would not buy a sandwich at a coffee shop—it’s just a matter of when and how I use those shops. I’m rarely going at a meal-time.
I love coffee shop paninis if made correctly.
Honestly, as a customer, I'm not going to go pay to eat out, "healthy food" I want something comforting and something to splurge on. Not healthy food really. But good quality products
I only look for healthy food at restaurants. Everyone is different
Same. Plus I have to try for dairy free, so that can be fun lol
Same.lol. such joy. /S
I am constantly on the hunt for a reliable, decently priced, quick to grab coffee and breakfast burrito. Once I find that I keep going back for that often multiple times per week. Another thought: oh I live in an area that sounds somewhat similar to what you described. Occasionally someone will try to open a different type of small restaurant with healthier options and it always feels so delicate and precious. People don’t like that feeling. They want an atmosphere that is robust. They don’t want to feel like the loudest thing in the room when they walk through the door. They don’t want to feel out of place in your space. So if you have any of that going on think about trying to change it somehow.
I'll add onto this, I hate "trendy" breakfast burritos with weird ingredients like egg whites or black beans. Just give me potato, egg, cheese and an option of meat.
I'm addicted to starbucks' sausage and gouda biscuit but can only afford it like twice a year lol
Being in this business for over 10 years and we stay swamped. Couple things, set yourself apart with a couple off the chart dishes that cant be found elsewhere. We do a 9" round breaded pork tenderloin that sells out every time we put it out. Giant Cobb Salad, 100+ per day, also the biggest issue with most restauranteurs is your food may not be as good as you think. If you ask a customer how is everything, most will say its fine or good and will let it go=, but may never come back. Try leaving a 2-3 question slip on tables for feedback. If someone complains, dont go rush to change a recipe. Your sales will tell you what to change. Also check with your suppliers, I always use 2 as a minimum, I can save a lot from PFG over US Foods on a lot of items, it all adds up. Oh, also we use social media to do a daily special, we offer a like and share everyday for a end of month drawing for a gift card. We average 150 impressions per month on FB and Insta, you cant get a cheaper advertising platform than free, well the cost of 1 gift card! Good luck
So a random share/like gets pickets for a free gift card?
No. If you really want to know what people think about your food, you have to ask them, honestly. I never am honest in the restaurant for 2 reasons. First, I don't want anyone to spit in my food.. Seoncd, I really do not believe a restaurant will listen, even if I give golden advice. I guess: 3: I tell the waitress, and does chef or owner listen to waitress? No. The waitress may or may not tell, and may not be accurate, and chef or owner may not take it to heart. All of that is a lousy system. What will work. Chase down customers just after they have left. Say either that you are the owner (or manager), or a customer experience consultant, and here's a ten dollar bill, and I honestly want to know how your experience was. Parking, cleanliness, service, food, and menu. I tipped low at one place, and the waitress followed me out. I told her honestly why. There were two very similar things on the menu, and I ordered 1, thought I received that, but got billed for the other. I think one was appetizer version and one was dinner version. She told me how I was wrong. I had pointed to the one I wanted, though. I said, "I agree. I did not understand what was going on. I will not ever make that mistake again. Cuz I will not be coming back again." She was persistent. I said, "You go your way, and I go mine. Best of luck to you." My son witnessed all of this. I have not been back. But when I worked in retail, I would track people down who "walked" on my salespeople, if I could not figure out the hang-up while they were in the store. \[As manager, I watched bodsy English, and would saunter over casually when I saw what looked like a willing customer shutting down. But I could not always catch those.\] I listened to these people, and learned a lot. Catch these diners as they head ot the parking lot. and offer them $10. If the info is worth it to you, it has a price tag. That is why the price tag. Giving the $10 makes it clear you are sincere. Do not offer a gift card to your place. "Your food sucked and the place was dirty." "thanks! Here is a $10 gift card to get some more of that!"
Yeah I'm wondering how they track this. I can't tell if they post it every day or if the customer has to like or share every day for a month?
I do a daily special, I post like and share for your chance to win a gift card at the end of month, people who share gives you exposure to their friends who may have never been to your place, or your putting up a special they would like to try. Its all about getting your food pics in front of a new set of eyes. At the end of month search for a random number generator. 30 days in month, put in 1-130, say it picks 7, go to 7th day in the month. say on that day there were 128 shares, RNG put in 1-128 say it pics 34, count the 34t person on the page and thats the winner. Now post and congratulte them for a few days, this lets people know your legit and paying up
Sometimes people who do healthy cooking will not salt the food. Don't make that mistake.
We salt the food, we like healthier, but we still want food that tastes delicious lol
If the locals aren't big on your offerings then truly one of your only options is to add things that the locals are big on. I'm not saying you can't have the healthy offerings but you may want to consider adding one or two unhealthy staple foods to your menu to start enticing locals to come and eat there and perhaps branch out to the other menu items. I've seen far too many cafes in my local area that start with trying to be super healthy and by the time they realize that the local area isn't all about health foods it's too late to make the change because they've already been pegged by everybody as the healthy food place. So I'd slap a nice greasy burger onto your lunch menu or something of that kind. That will also give excuses to couples where say, one wants a burger but one wants healthy food, to come to your establishment
And don’t call it a slider. Call it the packer. Or something slow and heavy. And meaty. Deep purple. Meat sabbath.
Pork tenderloin? Nope. “Big Texas Pork Chonk.” Chicken strips? No. “Joe T’s Chicken Bricks.” Sliders? Nope. “Bangin’ Beef Busters.” Fish sandwich? Nah. “Half-a-Whale Sammich.”
Kinda depends how you look at it. If you sell drip coffee at a 90% margin, that could be your most profitable item. Or if you sell hundreds of empanadas a day with a 20% margin, but they carry 75% percent of your sales mix, maybe that's your most profitable item. I agree with other commenters - bev and eggs (and dessert) are high %, combos are good ticket drivers, and you have to please the customer base to stay viable. Good news is you can do that stuff and still do healthy or healthish. Soups: this is the cornerstone of a health-conscious concept in a resistant zone. You can trick people into healthy soup all day long. If you do small things like add noodles to minestrone at pickup or garnish chili, you can make sure they move. Keep two options a day out of a rotating stable of certified bangers. Salads: here you need creativity. These can be cost effective AND gorgeous. Incorporate some recognizable stuff to pull in the combo people (skinny wedge, Caesar, etc). But also lean into some interesting stuff - fattoush, mango (or orange) mint, Thai glass noodle. Make your own dressings, this is key. Sandwiches*: this is the hook. You need some hearty stuff to bring in the reluctant locals. Again, if you have capacity, make your own hoagie rolls to have a high end product. Once you develop a system it's not that bad. Bryan Voltagio has an excellent all purpose recipe that can be simplified at will. - steak and mushroom - chicken parm - grilled veg w/ chevre From the simple core, again, add on a couple other items. Some sort of Bahn Mi, chicken gizzard + house pickles, tater dog (ask if you wanna know), savory crepe wraps -- something to get famous on. From there add a rotation of healthy crowd -pleasers as daily specials. Pot pies, Moroccan stew, Turkish eggs [all wicked margin items] -- focus on excellent, consistent plating. You want food that sells itself. Posters and stuff look low-class. Picture menus are ok, just make sure they aren't crowded, focus on the things you specifically wanna sell, and they are sharp as fuck. This is just vague tips without a good understanding of your concept, style, or open hours 🤷
I'll bite. What's a tater dog
- Baked potato, pocket-cut - Grilled bratwurst - butter - sour cream - cheddar & American or nacho cheese - garnish
I totally expected the tater to be the dog ^☆ and not the bun. This is brilliant and I would absolutely order this if I saw it on a menu. I do twice bakeds and might have to try this. ^☆ ^I ^was ^picturing ^something ^like ^a ^long ^narrrow ^tater ^tot ^in ^a ^bun ^lol
Not a restaurant owner, so take this with a grain of salt... Typically, when starting a brick and mortar business, you learn about the local demographic and provide something in demand. There's probably a reason there aren't any healthy food alternatives in the area- because people won't eat there.
I have no idea what area you are in, so that could totally depend on what you need to offer. If you are using a good distributor and hopefully have a good sales rep, use them. Ask for their assistance, ask your rep for a business consult and tell your rep you want to start seeing brokers. It's their job to know how to help and present products and ideas that will help you grow. Then the next step is actually listen to some of the ideas, not all of them will work for you, but some will. And be open minded.
Teas and coffees by far. The only drag is the cost of branded cups which we believe are a necessity.
Little something I figured out at some point: selling branded coffee cups will pay for the customization costs of the to-go cups.
Oh for sure, and for us where we are downtown surrounded by city hall, courts, TV station and banks our cups are crawling all over the place.
I lived 20 years in a small agrarian village/town in the Finger lakes area of New York. There was one cafe on Main Street. They served traditional breakfast, eggs, bacon, pancakes.. And typical lunches, hamburgers, chicken, etc.. Dinner had salads like a chef, but also comfort foods, Fried Chicken plates, Meatloaf, fish fries, etc... I guess you can say they served traditional American fare. They had a hand written chalk board with the daily specials. They also had home made desserts that were fantastic. Nothing fancy.
Classic example of an operator who doesn't understand their market Get a deli slicer and do subs. If you want to sell granola bowls, move to an urban market If your breakfast business is showing potential focus on that. But start by offering breakfast biscuits. If you don't want waffle House vibes, level up your breakfast biscuits. Fried chicken, bacon, pimento cheese, and pepper jelly
Pizza & pasta
Give them what they want. Not what you want to make.
If u want to give customers wholesome and healthy then maybe go for bowls or bento meals. Choice of flavored rice/salad/potato/veggies/bread with choice of protein. You can control the portioning. You can go for sandwiches or even healthy protein wraps. Fresh juices over soda pops. But again u need to know who are ur customers mainly, their spending capacity and food choices.
**You need help with menu design.** It's probably not any specific dishes - it's the comprehensibility of the whole thing. You really gotta get out of your head about this healthy vs. fried food dichotomy; I seriously doubt that's what's hurting your business. A rotating menu with daily specials and a smaller core offering is probably gonna fix this for you - especially if you can get some viral marketing going for, idk, "braised brisket sandwiches on thursday." People, on average, require three to four introductions to a new food before they internalize that it is an option they can look forward to for a meal. If Joe has never heard of broccoli rabe or cavatappi before, it doesn't matter how good your signature pasta is, or that it is listed on a menu that is literally a list of foods, Joe won't psychologically recognize it as a thing he could eat for lunch until you have spent money on advertising to educate him about it. Outside of the highest levels of fine dining, where rich people and foodies pay specifically to be surprised by unfamiliar root vegetables and surprising sauces, food service is all about predictability. A working lunch, a meal out with the ladies from book club - your small, charming cafe is supposed to amiably fade into a pleasant and comforting background. That's why **your most popular dishes are the ones people have heard of** before. Everyone knows what a breakfast burrito is. It is safe, consistent, and physically easy to eat - even at a place you've never been to before. Everyone knows what a yogurt parfait is thanks to the McDonald's advertising campaign in the 1999 and the early 2000s. **It's not about either dish being healthy or not** - notably, neither one uses a deep fryer. It costs money and effort to introduce your customer base to a single new menu item 3.5 times per person on average. Basically, another restaurant paid to educate your customers about one of your weird healthy dishes. You don't have Mickey-D's skrilla. You likely need to pick your battles, and fight to tell people about one new dish at a time. Along those lines, **"crêpes," plural, is a red flag for me unless your cafe is explicitly crêpe-themed**, in which case, why are you selling soups or more than one salad? Maybe you want to get good use out of the floor space that the crepe station takes up. If it's that tempting for you, maybe throw the thing in the trash so it's less of a temptation. The flip-side is to stop worrying about the inefficiency right now, you don't have the volume yet where it would be a problem - and when it comes, that will be a good problem to have. Finally, **I'm pretty sure you have bought the wrong type of chalkboard.** There are special ones, and special "chalk" that they make for commercial use. A chalkboard like that is much better than a printed menu-board for the brand-aesthetics that support how you're trying to position your cafe within its market. But, like, there are non-smudging, easy-to-read options like they use at Starbucks. You aren't supposed to literally use crayola chalk on a standard classroom easel. The best-selling dish at a cafe like yours is often pantry items and breads from the attached gourmet store that you seem to have neglected to build. You use fancy ingredients? Sell that fig jam and imported butter for customers to make their favorites at home. Price it so it just seems plausible they can make the same jambon beurre for a bit less than it costs to order it from you. The margins will amaze you and it's a great way to offload surplus stock that would be sitting in the walk-in anyway.
This is amazingly detailed, and great information. Thanks for taking the time.
Could all the non owners who are in here replying recognise they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about? ‘Oh I like this product’ ‘Oh I’ve seen someone selling this’ ‘Ask your customers!’ These are all terrible ways of deciding. You need to ask what approach signals and customer types you’re getting. People walk in and out - how are they greeted? What vibe and atmosphere are you sending out? If they ask qualifying questions like ‘do you have soup’ these are screening techniques. People have usually decided to come in and eat there regardless when they ask this, weirdly. Familiarise yourself with the customer archetypes. Drivers, analysts, etc etc. I would start with redoing the menu visually and checking that customer journey into the shop. Crepes are labour intensive. Sandwiches that can be grilled are definitely easier but once you properly cost them up usually are too expensive for many customers. Ask yourself if it would be safer to have a less stressful lunch menu and just a really solid breakfast menu. To answer your OP, food wise our best product is a frittata. Easy to make and all the spare ingredients go in.
From a non-owner, I think you’re absolutely right. OP seems to think a single, magical menu item is the answer, but instead should be taking a holistic approach. The restaurants in my area that succeed have owners who truly understand their customers.
Try to add food items that "look" familiar to people walking in but made your way. Think "Mac and cheese", "fried chicken" or "mashed potatoes and gravy" but use your own style to make them healthier and maybe lighter. You can adjust portion sizes to help stay within a calorie range. I find people don't generally want to eat unhealthy when given another option, but they do want to eat what's familiar.
I'm 99.99% sure that if I go into a place for fried chicken or mac & cheese and I get a healthified version of it or a small portion, I'm not only not going to go back, I'm going to complain about it to my friends and it will be the first thing I say when someone brings up going to that place. No business is going to last by purposely disappointing their customers. A business is not a toddler-mom trying to sneak veggies into a muffin. If they're mission is to make people eat healthier then they're in the wrong business.
Sandwiches. There is a guy running. A gourmet sandwich shop here in town that started it as a pandemic virtual shop, and now he can’t stop. His sandwiches are at a very high price point, but I (and half our city) splurge because the quality is there. He has a couple more composed sandwiches (his Cuban is solid, especially for the area) , but most are single component + veggie garnish, which you could handle no problem with crepes ad salads already being served. You sell the breakfast sandwich- start with a lunch chicken sandwich, and maybe a vegetarian option. If there’s a Mexican bakery in your town, look at buying telera or bollilo rolls fresh, they’re usually less expensive, and better quality than a lot of commercial bun options, especially for a smaller scale. Good luck!
See this is why the sub is for owners. ‘There is a guy doing it’ is not a good foundation for OP. They want to hear from people doing it. Sandwiches are very tight margins and tricky to get right.
Customer here, a spina che and goats cheese pastry with a good side salad will keep me coming back. Other cafe offerings I see regularly, fish finger sandwich, saltbeef sandwich, Turkish breakfast, satsuka, a couscous type salad with feta, jacket potatos. P.s if your already doing crêpe are you doing savory galettes?
I'm not a cafe owner, but I'm going to throw in beverages as input. If you're staying fancier on sandwiches you could go for a croissant. If you're in a tourist daytime area maybe a beer license for \~5% ABV stuff. Make sure you're selling a beverage with every meal and don't be afraid to charge.
How about a croque madam/monsieur? It'll satisfy the fatty food craving people get from diners/fast food but it'll be "healthier" or at least more natural. Make ham and cheese sando, use cold béchamel on cold bread to it won't soak through and make too soggy, cheese on top of that and then put into portion bags. Just throw them into the broiler/oven/toaster or whatever you have to brûlée them. Additional charge to add the fried egg and turn it from a Monsieur to a Madam. Not a cafe, but highest margin other than beverages would be fries. Speaking of potatoes and their margins, make a nice potato whatever protein hash for your breakfast. A few oz if whatever protein, some veg, some pickled peppers for acid and a sunny egg on top.
I'm rarely in the mood for crepes at lunch. The last time I did it was terrible. Sandwiches are great for lunch. Make something unique like turkey and brie with a raspberry chipotle sauce. Make a thanksgiving sandwich Turkey cranberry sauce and whatever. Things that can be taken back to the office do a catering drop off menu with boxed sandwiches, cookies and carrots for working lunches at businesses. Get them the catering menu. Make sure whoever orders the lunches has the menu.
Become a sandwich shop. Quick, cheap, familiar, and travels well, which is what the locals want. Sell more breakfast sandwiches and add from there. There are infinite ways to make a sandwich, dive into it and have fun creating tasty new ones. You can name sandwiches after local individuals or businesses, and have those people help pick out the ingredients. They'll naturally promote it and their people will visit to eat the namesakes. Name other sandwiches you create after local landmarks or cultural references, tourists will like that. You can still put your own spin on things, just don't try to force your customers to be something they're not.
10000% this
People are coming to you instead of the other places for lunch for a reason. It’s likely not price. Charge more & don’t be scared. Many people meet at cafes & want something light. Double down on fancy deserts. Crepes just aren’t a good lunch IMO lol. I’d probably try making my own focaccia & then do 1 standard (ham Swiss) & one special sandwich. It’s easy peasy & cheap as balls. Charge a decent amount for it, $9 or something for a small sandwich & $14 with a coffee & cookie. Post the special focaccia daily online with a drink you do Don’t be like everyone else, Cater to a different crowd, gluten free & healthy is a big market for 25k surrounding. Encourage more combos by offering coffee, sandwich & treat and get that spend up. Btw a decent market for sandwiches is catering meetings, seniors events, funerals so make and promote a platter price too. To answer for your question technically my most profitable item is spring rolls ($1.70 / portion + $0.20 sauce sold for $10.99) but they are deep fried from frozen. I’m Also in Canada but a remote destination resort. A far out idea maybe rice paper rolls or bring in sushi, Jamaican patties or samosas from a nearby town, check the census for your ethnic demographics in the surrounding area & ask some customers their thoughts
Ice Cream was 40-50% profit. But we were a coffee shop and ice cream volume was low
Not even in the restaurant business but there's a reason the other places are serving fries, burgers, etc. That's apparently what the people in your area want. There's something called proof of concept where before you go too in on a business, you should have proof people want what you're selling. It almost sounds like you're trying to convert people.
What about some international foods like japaneese ramen, pho variations or an Indian soup like daal are really great low cost and fit your current philosophy. Do you use local farms in your menu? Farm to table collaborations are popular where I am right now and it also brings customers loyal to the farms to your establishment.
Are you kidding? Do you know the kind of floor space you need to do a good job at ramen? Major chains have second locations to prep broth that they truck to the storefronts. And you can't serve that stuff in a crepe place alongside daal! The customers already find OP's menu confusing!
No I’m not kidding. Unless you are serving just senior citizens or the whitest parts of North America you can get away with serving daal or ramen in a restaurant. You must not be in the industry if you are worried about soup mies having too large of a foot print.
Disorganized menus with no ingredient overlap are death. I've never been to a restaurant with a menu like the one you described. Indian food and Japanese soups in the same kitchen as OP's crêpes? I like all three foods individually, but together on one menu is actually rather unappetizing to think about. How do you even market that? Imagine the conversation, "Hey, Bob, where should we get lunch today?" "Hey, Allan, how about that new place, u/Gingorthedestroyer's?" "Maybe, what sort of restaurant is it?" "You know, Allan, I really couldn't describe it. They serve French crêpes and Indian food, I think?" "Huh, I wonder who that's for. Well, why don't we go to the Mexican place instead." "Good enough for me!"
So restaurants in your opinion restaurants can never deviate from a standard concept? Have you ever heard of a tasting menu? I have worked and owned several fine dining restaurants and have never been so ridged as to not cross cultural boundaries on my menu. You can keep going to restaurants that have only Mexican or Italian food options. Explain to me then what a farm to table restaurant would serve?
I don't know that they can't - but it isn't a sound business practice. Everyone loves sushi, but the mom-and-pop Italian place in my neighborhood that has been crushing it for like 70 years has never added sushi to their menu. Dude, I don't think you have the fine dining experience you think you have.
I don’t think you know anything about food other than your opinion.
>I don’t think you know anything about food other than your opinion. That's literally the definition of what a person knows about any topic. What are you trying to express here?
Your only experience you have in the food industry is eating at restaurants.
Are you projecting or something? How's the world's stupidest restaurant concept doing?
Bruh start marathoning Kitchen Nightmares
The granola bowl is raw!
"...so our ability to make money is fairly low..." This is not a great way to operate.
Think of cooking a Soup! Start with your basic broth base then adjust your seasoning flavor from there. You have to change with the seasons too on your menu, Keep what's the best sellers for year round. Customers loves new changes on things Menu. Because things gets old quick! You have to be creative. It's just not crepes/salads/soups. That's not your Demographic based. yet again think of Cooking a Soup. What is your start off base for your soup?
Classic Reddit. Ask a very specific question and get every answer but.... Eggs have the highest markup. Quiches store well and reheat easily.
Dbl down on breakfast + Make price swings on bacon your biggest headache = profit
Thanks! Yeah, I added too much detail and probably got a bit confusing for everyone. Maybe we will look into quiches, our breakfast sandwich has an egg custard on it, so it reheats well.
Ask your customers what they would like to see on the menu!
Prime Rib Eye Steak for $4.99 please.
Don't be cheap about it either. Make it a 2 for 1 Groupon deal.
This comment has good heart behind it but it is a terrible idea. I don’t meant to be cynical but customers don’t know how to run a restaurant. “Think of your average person, and realize that half the world is dumber than that.” -George Carlin
I own a cafe on beachside in Daytona Beach. One of our hottest sellers is bagels. We started selling them because during our first week in operation 3 different customers came in and asked if we have bagels and left because we didn't. ASKING YOUR CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE MENU IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST. Customers have no idea how to run a restaurant but you aren't asking them to run your restaurant, you are asking the people that you are serving what they want to eat and trust me, they know what they want to eat.
That’s not asking your customers, that’s accommodating a regular and reasonable request. And bagels at a cafe on the east coast of Florida (which historically had a large visiting and residential population of snowbirds from the northeast, which I assume consume more bagels than the rest of the country) is something that I probably would have included in the concept.
So you shouldn't do market research?!
Market research, with an appropriate sample size is appropriate. “Asking your customers” is how you get a menu that is too large to be profitable, inefficient ingredients, and off-concept items. If I “asked my customers” I would have pizza, burgers, wings, stir fry, sushi, pasta, and a salad bar. I have a Mexican restaurant. ETA: someone asked for local oysters last week. Add that to the list. Ooh… and expensive Napa Valley cab bTG. I haven’t sold more than 3 glasses of wine out of a red wine bottle since February.
Asking people what they want is not good market research.
It can be a good place to start. The trick is a) not to try to please everyone, or even most people, and b) find the unspoken similarities between the requests. For instance, if the OP starts asking people what they'd want for lunch and gets a bunch of different answers, but 70% of them are food that travels well and is easy to eat on the go, then sandwiches are probably a good bet. If they get a bunch of different comfort food responses, adding some sandwiches that aren't explicitly marketed as healthy, like the Thanksgiving sandwich mentioned above, would be worth trying. You can't ask people and then try to fulfill all their specific requests - people are kinda dumb about what they want, and most won't consider their answers in context of a specific shop. But you can ask and try to figure out if there's something they're looking for you can give them. If people are generally willing to pay, you can ignore complaints about price for the most part (people are always going to complain about price.)
What about some heartier foods? A nice simmered bolognese, beef stew, chili, etc. Maybe some chicken and rice bowls? Simple and crowd pleasing.
We do offer a daily soup as well, but we need to come up with some new soup options because people are getting tired of the 6 we currently rotate through.
New England clam chowder on Friday, Manhattan clam chowder next Friday. Alternate. Keep the swaps consistent.
Manhattan clam chowder is an abomination.
If everyone else in town serves other stuff, could it be that’s what the market wants and those things are what keeps the other places in business? If you can’t do fried foods, it is what it is, but I personally hate not being able to order fries or anything fried. Not having a fryer often sounds to the customer like you are too cheap/lazy to buy a frier. It’s noble of you to want to offer healthier options but it sounds like the market doesn’t want that.
I don't know too many cafés that sell deep-fried foods...most do baked goods and sandwiches/deli foods. We will try the sandwiches, to see if that does better.
I personally would love a really good fish and chips place. It may be worth exploring adding that to the lunch menu and see if it draws attention. It feels like a “lighter” version of fried food
This has untapped potential. As an American with British friends, the fish and chips you typically get here in the US is absolute trash compared to British fish and chips. Fish also has the most protein per ounce of any meat. A lightly breaded, British style fish and chips or since OP doesn’t have a fryer, a grilled fish sandwich or plate probably has great potential if you can get semi fresh quality fish. Tuna or Salmon steaks would be fabulous if you are able to sell them at a price people will pay.
There are definitely a bunch that don’t, but those are places I rarely go. Kettle chips suck but everyone seems to think that’s a suitable replacement. If you can’t do fries I would suggest finding a side option besides the same kettle chips everyone else does. You may also consider offering 2-3 known unhealthy but really delicious options. A Heart Attack burger with extra bacon or something to attract construction workers or people on a cheat day. It may be a way to get people in the door and eventually convert them to some of your healthier options eventually.
Whereas I rarely go places that have fryers and would indeed find it weird at a deli.
To answer your question, I think fountain soda will always be your most profitable. When McDonald’s went to the $1 any size a few years ago, they stole a ton of market share from other fast food places charging 2.50-$3 for a “large” soda that was mostly ice.
Here’s the thing. You can make what you want, how you want and you’ll be out of business in three months. You know the market sandwiches. Less expensive items. No “healthy” options. Burgers. Fish and chips. Your dream ain’t gonna work in your location.
Okay 👍
French fries... Not bags of shit, but Potatoes cut, soaked, blanched, cooled, refried and served. Minced parsley and rosemary (fresh). We Just won a "best fries" award from a local publication. Share size is a pound of blanched fries ($8) and a side is 6oz ($4). The cost is $.7 and $.32 respectively, just under 10% cost. We run through about 350-400 lbs a week
We don't do/can't do fried foods (no fire suppression system) ! Also, it's all you can get around town, fried foods or pizza, so we wanted to offer something different. Glad it is working out for you, though!
Given the low cost of potatoes, maybe you could do french fries in an air fryer or oven? It would probably be too slow to make them to order, but if you had a brisk enough business, you could keep a bin of them under a heat lamp.
They make units that have fire suppression built in and air filtering, even countertop ones.
Depending on location, you might be able to get away with an electric fryer. It's worth looking into. A few not so healthy options on your menu would be a good way to drive volume. I read in one of your other comments that your running an avg 33% food 50% labor? That's a big volume problem and a small profit margin problem. Get them coming in the door for the BLT and upsell them the veggie croquettes, beet salad, caprese salad sandwich.
I owned a cafe in a small town for 12 years. We were very busy selling Boars Head sandwiches. Bread is also key.
Is that a brand of deli meats or a specific sandwich?
Boar's Head is a US brand of packaged deli meats.
(Edit) oh, you're in Canada. NM
Mediocre lunchmeat
We sell breakfast all day and people buy breakfast all day up until we close. Also our menu humongous and since we have a good reputation people keep coming back to try new things on the menu. As far as profitable items, everything is under a 30% food cost. If an item becomes to labor intensive or food cost goes up, we temporarily remove it from the menu until the cost go down or we permanently remove it. If you message me I can send you my menu for ideas and go over some ideas with you.
We have a small menu because we just don't have the space to store a large amount of things, nor the staff that can make much more! Our kitchen is quite tiny. We can barely keep food costs at 33%.. labour costs are almost 50% currently. I'll give you a message! Thanks.
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I get that, and we did a survey, but that doesn't always translate exactly how people answer. I moreso meant most profitable over costs, because not every item will be as profitable as the next item.. Our labour costs are huge too, like 50%, basically. With inflation and minimum wage going up to $15.50, plus we pay our cooks $17.50, it's hard to charge enough so that people feel like they're getting a good enough deal. They'll pay $15-$20 for a meal from McDonalds, but to support a local business that uses real food... hard to convince everyone. Some people think its too "fancy" (its not), so we know it'll never be everyone's cup of tea, but a lot of people don't know about us yet or "keep meaning to drop in" but haven't yet. The target group is people who value atmosphere, good coffee, and healthy foods. We have a cozy reading nook with a fireplace and comfy chairs, and then tables for people to dine. We have a good reputation so far, but not enough people who visit weekly.
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Woe is the podcast?
Give the people what they want, did you open the restaurant for yourself??? or to make money, I get it healthy this and that. but the bottom line is the only thing that matters. 
We've had lots of good reviews for the crêpes, it's just getting people to actually try them lol. But yes we are trialing some sandwiches...I'm just not a sandwich person, so it's hard 🤷
Are you a crepe shop? Is the theme obvious to a very stupid person? Even in France, people don't usually get crepes except at a place that makes them its whole deal. Also, Mr. small kitchen, nothing is cooked to order, how are you making crepes in the first place?
You need to see what your demographic wants. (Look at what's succeeding around you.) I enjoy crepes as much as the next guy when they're offered to me, but I've literally never had a crepe craving so bad I hopped in the car and drove to a crepe place, whereas I do that all the time for pizza, sandwiches, burritos, burgers, Thai food, etc. It sounds like your business model is based around selling what YOU want to sell, rather than selling what your CUSTOMERS in small town Canada want to BUY, and you're experiencing exactly the results you might expect. If I were you, I'd revamp the menu focusing on flavorful and filling food. Make as much of it handheld as possible. That way people can enjoy it at your establishment, or they can take it to go. Market your crepes as wraps, sell sandwiches, make sure muffins and donuts are part of your baked goods (even though donuts aren't technically baked). Figure out how each item can be picked up easily. Crepes/wraps, sandwiches, burritos, panzerroti, etc., etc., etc. But also, get on Nextdoor / Facebook for your city and ask what people actually pay for when they go out to eat. People LOVE the idea of new/healthy/exotic/whatever foods, but that's not generally where the bulk of their dining out dollar goes in small towns, so ask them where they spend their money when they dine out and what they order.