Robin Lee Allen, executive editor

There’s much to love about dining out, but one of my favorite moments is sitting down and looking at the menu.

My husband will print out menus ahead of time and plan his meal before entering the restaurant, but I prefer to save that pleasure for the actual dining-out event.

Menu in hand, I’ll read every word as if it were a novel, think about the language used in the descriptions, the chosen dishes, the prices, the font, the paper, the weight in my hand, the presentation. I study menus as if they were art because, as any good operator knows, that is in fact what they should be.

A menu is so much more than a list of meal options. It is the foundation of the restaurant experience, and every other facet of the experience should grow out of it. The menu should set the tone of the service and be reflected in the decor — be it a full-service or quick-service establishment.

And more than being merely a bill of fare, the menu is an opportunity to showcase the skills of the people in the kitchen and the creativity of the management, to make a political statement, to highlight local or seasonal ingredients, to share culinary and cultural experiences, to differentiate a concept and, with proper forethought, to make more money.

ONLINE PREVIEW:

• Ceiling busters: Operators may seek to redefine the ‘magic’ price points
• Raising the bar: Chains focus on small bites to spice up cocktail areas
• The magic touch: Kiosks, digital devices pave way for customers to order
• The royal treatment: Offering VIP service, special perks can drive loyalty, repeat visits
• Vanquish the veto vote: A menu full of choices keeps dissenting diners in the restaurant

It is with those thoughts in mind that the editors of Nation’s Restaurant News set about creating this year’s NRN 50. Our annual project, which is celebrating its 18th anniversary in 2011, has featured a wide range of subjects, from profiles of the powerful to lists of hot cities, notable concepts, business opportunities and iconic American restaurants. While we always strive for the NRN 50 to inform and engage our readers, this year we wanted a topic that would resonate with everyone regardless of segment, size or price point. And, given encouraging signs that the economic recovery is proceeding, we wanted to put forth ideas to further grow business.

Our sights settled on the menu — a common denominator among operators and a tool fully within a restaurateur’s control even as such external forces as unemployment, legislation, weather and consumer whimsy continue to buffet business from without.

The following stories take a broad view of the menu and the factors that give it power. Not only do we write about the importance of signature dishes and drinks, and the lure of using “it” ingredients, but we also look at the punch of personality that brings a menu to life, be it an R&D team or a franchisee’s inspiration.

We also take into account the selling power of variety, health, comfort, snacks and decadence, as well as a plethora of promotional tactics ranging from the digital upsell to LTOs, daily specials, eating challenges and secrecy. In all, these 50 stories offer up ideas, as the title indicates, for maximizing the efficacy of the menu.

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A special shout-out to Christi Ravneberg, NRN’s managing editor, production, who shepherded this project to its completion with her trademark calm and exemplary organizational skills. And a big thanks to everyone else who had a hand in writing, editing, designing and perfecting the package.

Just as a menu begins as an idea that in time becomes a tangible reflection of the talents and aspirations of its creators, each issue of Nation’s Restaurant News is the same for us. So now that you hold the issue in your hand, sit down and savor. You can read it as you would a novel, or pick and choose as you would from a buffet.

In either event, we hope it imparts some food for thought and some inspiration for maximizing your menu and profiting from your artistry.

Robin Lee Allen
Executive editor
robinlee.allen@penton.com