This year, approximately 80 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales to either increase (33 percent) or hold steady (45 percent) over their 2023 sales, according to the National Restaurant Association. What’s more, the industry is expected to add a further 200,000 jobs this year. That’s a lot of forward momentum after some challenging years — and it represents a significant opportunity for operators to make the most of it. There are many ways to approach this — from labor management to time management strategies — but your menu holds many keys to optimal efficiency. A recent report from FSR Magazine details some approaches to maximize your menu’s effectiveness. For example, look for additional opportunities to decrease your SKUs by focusing in on serving up a shorter list of profitable winners as opposed to a broader range of items. Or simply be more creative and resourceful with the SKUs you have so they do triple or even quadruple duty across the menu. This could look like bundling items into a value meal, making items more customizable with premium proteins and condiments, or adjusting serving sizes of an SKU in menu options across dayparts. As a result, your menu will likely be perceived not as having holes but as offering expanded options — even as less labor is required from your kitchen staff.

In the past five years, sales growth for family dining chains has lagged behind the growth of every other restaurant category, according to Technomic research. While the fast-casual segment has roared ahead with 45 percent sales growth during the period, family dining has been stagnant at 3 percent. That makes it ripe for change — and innovation has been happening. A recent report from Restaurant Business says these restaurants tend to be full-service with moderate menu pricing around $18 or less per person. They lean towards breakfast and if they sell alcohol, it’s limited to beer or wine. Value is a key driver for family dining, so many brands are looking for ways to entice people to sit down for a full-service meal at a price that’s often no higher than one would pay in the quick-service or fast-casual segments right now. While these restaurants have long been places to satisfy cravings for traditional foods, consumers haven’t looked to them for the latest ingredient trends — but that is shifting as these brands look to target new generations of consumers (even if they don’t have families themselves). As a result, we’re seeing changes like a new line of eggs Benedict dishes at IHOP with elevated ingredients like roasted cherry tomatoes, fire-roasted poblanos and nut-free pesto. Cracker Barrel is serving up craveable dishes with a twist, like a hash brown casserole shepherd’s pie. Sizzler is innovating its burger menu with a prime rib burger and a crispy bacon burger, with the option to add a patty. In the segment, it’s becoming increasingly common to see more current flavors and presentations, elevated customizable options, and the addition of some convenience/portable items, but the scratch-cooking quality you expect from a family restaurant. As beverages have become bigger-ticket items that deliver on experience, there is room for development in this area within family dining too. To preserve value, these brands will be pushing hard to operate more efficiently, harnessing tech to do so.

Restaurants have to manage some challenging contradictions these days: Offer a menu that’s new and exciting, but keep your inventory simple. Make your promotions feel special and made-to-order, but do so with a low-skilled, skeleton crew. Increasingly, though, operators are finding ways through these challenges by innovating their beverage menus. Whether it be specialty hot and cold coffees, matcha teas, energy drinks or boba, beverages are giving operators opportunities to offer customizable options that delight guests and have Instagram-worthy visual appeal, but don’t require lots of training. New products and approaches are making it possible for operators to experiment with beverage textures, colors and toppings, as well as boost the guest’s overall experience factor. For example, displays at the National Restaurant Association Show included tasty new options to coat the rims of beverage glasses, a butterfly pea flower drink that changes color, and a bubble-topped cocktail that releases a smoky mist when the bubbles are pierced. Of course, specialty beverages can also fetch premium prices, so they reliably boost check totals – all while piquing guests’ curiosity, using an economy of ingredients, and being fairly simple to swap out with the seasons or your chosen promotional period. Is there room for innovation on your beverage menu?