An unfortunate 60% of independent restaurants fail within five years of opening. In many of these cases, the trouble starts with an over-complicated menu that takes away from a simplified concept.
In an effort to stand out from the competition with a unique extravagant menu, can doing so, in fact, make a restaurant stand out for the wrong reason by leaving customers bemused? It appears so.
New research shows that restaurants are missing out on customers through over-complicated menus. Big menus with too many items, multi-ingredient dishes and specialist ingredients are all parts of the problem of an owner overcomplicating their dining concept.
Research
New Food for Thought research by Barclaycard found that 23% of diners say they have walked away because the dishes on the menu were unfamiliar or too confusing.
Restaurant owners are clearly likely to be passionate foodies who will endeavour to create new and exciting dishes. This is a common reason why restaurants go over the line when creating a menu. Owners are inclined to push much of their knowledge and experience without stepping back and seeing what the average customer sees.
The research shows that diners can be put off by the embarrassment of asking what certain ingredients are. Unless a specialist high-end restaurant, experts recommend operators keep everything from menu and interior simple.
A simplified dining concept
Not only does an over-complicated extravagant menu put off customers, when you have too many ingredients it also slows down the production of food. A small menu is easier to control and easier to prepare.
Diners are also far more likely to remember a restaurant’s cuisine if it is specialised in one area whilst restaurants whose menu spans a handful of pages and has overly long descriptions is forgotten.
There should be a focus on being distinguished on quality not the amount of items on the menu. Any time you have the opportunity to simplify any areas on a business, it should be taken, including a dinner menu.
Restaurant furniture
Each restaurant will have different needs and requirements depending on the image they’re trying to present and the budget they have. Whatever interior your restaurant is looking to create, Trent Furniture can help. Call us now on 0116 2864 911.