I manage the kitchen at a very unique place in the Minnesota suburbs. We are essentially the cafeteria for a board game store, and primarily sling burgers and fries (and similar fare) most days. However, we are also attached to an office building, which provides us with a very loyal lunch crowd who tend to lean in favor of lighter, more healthy options. Burgers and fries are fine, but I'd like to grow our menu in a way that offers more diversity without turning off our core demographic (gamer nerds who like melted cheese and greasy burgers).
Last year, I tried expanding our menu with things like hummus sandwiches, teriyaki chicken & rice bowls, and some lighter flatbreads. Some things did well, some didn't, but I think it was a successful-enough experiment that I'd like to try again. To that end, I'd really appreciate any suggestions you guys might have!
Some things to know about us, in case you're curious:
* We are pretty much entirely short-order, so additions would ideally be things that could be either made on the fly, or prepared in advance and then just finished off on the line.
* Though we are but a humble cafeteria in a relatively niche store, we get extremely busy on weeknights and Saturdays, even more so when we have a big event going on. Accordingly, additions would ideally be things that function well both in larger batches and just being held (during the slower parts of day).
* Salads have always been hit-and-miss, with the richer and sweeter ones typically doing better. The lunch crowd is more health-minded, but this is still the midwest, and ranch will always be more popular here than vinaigrette.
Anyway, thanks for the help! I'm still a little new to this industry, so advice and pointers are always super appreciated!
Last year, I tried expanding our menu with things like hummus sandwiches, teriyaki chicken & rice bowls, and some lighter flatbreads. Some things did well, some didn't, but I think it was a successful-enough experiment that I'd like to try again. To that end, I'd really appreciate any suggestions you guys might have!
Some things to know about us, in case you're curious:
* We are pretty much entirely short-order, so additions would ideally be things that could be either made on the fly, or prepared in advance and then just finished off on the line.
* Though we are but a humble cafeteria in a relatively niche store, we get extremely busy on weeknights and Saturdays, even more so when we have a big event going on. Accordingly, additions would ideally be things that function well both in larger batches and just being held (during the slower parts of day).
* Salads have always been hit-and-miss, with the richer and sweeter ones typically doing better. The lunch crowd is more health-minded, but this is still the midwest, and ranch will always be more popular here than vinaigrette.
Anyway, thanks for the help! I'm still a little new to this industry, so advice and pointers are always super appreciated!