 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.
 The pandemic has put the supply chain in the spotlight and revealed the pressing need for more local, sustainable sourcing – not only to help foodservice businesses be more environmentally friendly but to help them sustain operations altogether. Increasingly, it’s an issue that more Americans are thinking about: According to Statista research, 41 percent of Americans are interested in sustainable meat and 59 percent in sustainable seafood. While developing a more local, sustainable supply chain may sound more feasible for larger, resource-rich restaurants that consumers expect to have frequently changing menus – not so much for burger chains with more static options – this is another belief that the pandemic has turned on its head. Jill Taylor, the outgoing CEO of the regional burger chain Burgerville, recently spoke with Bloomberg about how she has brought a regional, sustainable focus to a quick-service chain – and how leaning into that focus during the pandemic has helped the brand to maintain profitability throughout. That has meant sourcing local mint and offering mint milkshakes on the menu in certain Pacific Northwest locations, and being open to changing up menus with local specialities in other regions of the country depending on what’s available. While the chain’s commitment to supporting local, sustainable producers has resulted in a more expensive burger, more consumers may be willing to support a business that holds (and promotes) these values. Do you know how your guests feel about sustainability? Would they spend a few more dollars on their meal if they felt good about the origins of the food on their plate?
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