How far would you change a menu item to please a customer?

OurPlace,

IMHO, if she is regular , and you have a good rapport  with her, then maybe make an allowance. Only you know who your regulars are and to what extent you would go out of your way to please them.

I agree with staying with the menu. For  the other 99 %,  keep  your intent of cost/flavours as you outlined.

Petals.

Oh man, I'm glad you brought this up.  My girlfriend (who is also a sous) and I get into this debate sometimes.  Its really the only thing we argue about.  I worked in some of Danny Meyers restaurants in NYC, and if you know him and his philosophy, hospitality and guest services was very important.  If a regular wanted something that used to be on the menu, and we had the ingredients in house, with minimal extra prep, we would do it.  You want everything separate on different plates?  We would do it.  Forget your to go bag in the coat check?  We'd make you a full order and have a manager take the subway to your snooty upper west side house and drop it off to you. (This only happened once.) Overkill?  Yes!  But we set a standard that kept guests coming back and is signature to USHG.

Was the food great?  Yes.  Was the decor pleasant?  Of course, but what kept guests coming back was that they felt like they were at home, amongst friends.  I know I'm getting off track, but I think it relates to your question.  If you have the ability to go above and beyond for a guest, they will remember it and tell their friends.  More business.  A name for yourself.  Are you opening a can of worms?  Perhaps.  I personally think that if you can do whatever it is, within reason, for someone, you should.  Sometimes you say no and thats ok.

I realize that the other argument (the one my girlfriend has) is that it takes all of the 'art' out of cooking.  Someone is manipulating what you created and what you know tastes good.  If someone doesn't like capers or eggplant or wants SOS or wants their steak on the fish set, i see no problem with it.  Hell, and charge away for it.  We let our servers know of any up charges that might apply..Yeah its a pain, and yes the cooks will talk smack, but in the end you give the guest a good experience, they'll be back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cacioEpepe 

Oh man, I'm glad you brought this up.  My girlfriend (who is also a sous) and I get into this debate sometimes.  Its really the only thing we argue about.  I worked in some of Danny Meyers restaurants in NYC, and if you know him and his philosophy, hospitality and guest services was very important.  If a regular wanted something that used to be on the menu, and we had the ingredients in house, with minimal extra prep, we would do it.  You want everything separate on different plates?  We would do it.  Forget your to go bag in the coat check?  We'd make you a full order and have a manager take the subway to your snooty upper west side house and drop it off to you. (This only happened once.) Overkill?  Yes!  But we set a standard that kept guests coming back and is signature to USHG.

 

Was the food great?  Yes.  Was the decor pleasant?  Of course, but what kept guests coming back was that they felt like they were at home, amongst friends.  I know I'm getting off track, but I think it relates to your question.  If you have the ability to go above and beyond for a guest, they will remember it and tell their friends.  More business.  A name for yourself.  Are you opening a can of worms?  Perhaps.  I personally think that if you can do whatever it is, within reason, for someone, you should.  Sometimes you say no and thats ok.

 

 

Agree 100%.   This is how I was brought up as well.

If I have it in the house, they have it on their plate. Every Chef and person who owns a restaurant need to remember the customer pays the bills. The person you say no to today, could be the customer you are begging to come in tomorrow. They is one other thing I always found to be true, take care of a mans family in your restaurant, you will have a customer for life. The one thing that made me successful in my own business, was not my great cooking, it was my exceptional customer service................ChefBillyB..........P.S. I took my family to a Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, my wife ordered a Pepsi, sorry we only have Coke. My wife said that's OK I'll just have water, the waitress said I'll be right back. The waitress walked to the corner store and bought my wife a Pepsi. It was a small thing, but I still remember it, as we pass all the other restaurants to go back there for dinner.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefBillyB 

 I took my family to a Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, my wife ordered a Pepsi, sorry we only have Coke. My wife said that's OK I'll just have water, the waitress said I'll be right back. The waitress walked to the corner store and bought my wife a Pepsi. It was a small thing, but I still remember it, as we pass all the other restaurants to go back there for dinner.

Exactly.

The owner of my resto went to L.A., brought his wife and 9 year old daughter to a restaurant.  "no subs" was printed on the menu.  Said restaurant wouldn't take out the friggin uni from a pasta to sell to this young girl. Such a bad move.

You got the $ I got the time and the product you want..  And if you take care of the kid, the parent appreciates and will remember.

What is $10?  

$10 is 1% of $1,000 in revenue, or, if you're running a 2% profit, that's half right there.

$10 is an extra half hour you can afford for a cook.

Keep the customer.

i try to  acommodate everyone's 'menu modifications'( we have another term for that but i will be 'ladylike' and not use it).... i will use polenta instead of flour to dredge, sub a spicy glaze on the fish, no teriyaki on the 'teriyaki tuna' sub, sub, sub, etc. etc, etc...anything except the nights special...that's is the one  and only thing you don't get to deconstruct.....period...i am a huge fan of danny meyer's hospitality mission statement but guess i'll never work for him..oh well...ca sera sera

joey