Tailoring the menu to meet guests' needsTailoring the menu to meet guests' needs

Nancy

Decades ago, when the chain restaurant industry was in its infancy and emerging hamburger operators were attempting to establish their presence on a national scale, Burger King broke out of the pack with the cheeky invitation to “Have It Your Way.” The supporting advertising jingle promised that special orders would be cheerfully accommodated, differentiating the brand and establishing the idea of customization as a basic patron prerogative. In the years since, menu-item customization has become both a challenge and an opportunity, as restaurateurs balance the need to maintain consistency and profitability with the desire to cater to consumers and keep them coming through the door.


Established chains incorporate customization. While sandwich specialists and pizza players have always allowed customers to choose ingredients to suit their tastes, other chains have created new menus or promotions geared specifically toward patron choice. Last autumn, Fazoli’s, which serves fresh Italian food in a limited-service format in its 230 restaurants, debuted “Pick Your Pasta,” a menu section where diners can mix and match pasta, sauce and protein. Options include such standard items as ravioli and spaghetti, along with new offerings such as whole-wheat penne. Denny’s took the concept one step further with its January launch of the “Meal Calculator,” an online tool that allows guests to tailor a meal to suit their specific dietary needs by accessing comprehensive nutritional information on all Denny’s dishes. Buffalo Wild Wings built its business on chicken wings that could be doused with myriad sauce options, from mild to hot and from sweet to savory. Current varieties include Honey BBQ and Parmesan Garlic, along with more exotic flavors, including Azian Zing, Mango Habanero and Thai Curry. In the past year, the chain introduced a “Customize Your Grub” program that encourages the use or substitution of any sauce on any menu item. 


New chains are built on customization. Though Burger King pioneered the concept, it was Starbucks that refined the notion with its dizzying array of beverage options. Its make-to-order ethos and premium ingredients became part of pop culture and influenced the rapid evolution of the fast-casual format. Operators have applied the template to a wide range of menu specialties. Pie Five Pizza Co., an offshoot of Pizza Inn, delivers handcrafted pizza in fewer than five minutes. Customers select their toppings, and then watch their pizza being made. Customers at The Counter, a better-burger chain, create burgers from various proteins, add their choice of cheeses, toppings and sauces — of which there are more than 50 — and choose one of four bun types.


Chipotle also has had a huge impact on the fast-casual business, and its strong track record created high expectations for its new concept, ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. Like Chipotle, ShopHouse provides a plethora of high-quality, authentic ingredients; in this case, however, Asian items like tofu, chicken satay, Chinese broccoli and green papaya slaw go into rice and noodle bowls or bánh mì. 


Authenticity also plays an important role at Piada Italian Street Food, based in Columbus, Ohio, where patrons can concoct their own piada, pasta or salad bowl. A piada, or Italian wrap sandwich, is built on thin-crust organic dough. Add-ins include grilled proteins, hot and cold sauces, and such toppings as artichokes, arugula, pancetta and Parmesan-Reggiano.


Looking ahead, there’s absolutely no stopping demand for customization, which restaurant patrons have come to view as a fundamental right. They’re making decisions to suit their moods, diets and pocketbooks. Operators can respond by surrounding core products with easy-to-execute customizables, such as side dishes, salad dressings and sandwich condiments that are aimed at both margin maintenance and customer control.

Nancy Kruse, president of the Kruse Company, is a menu trends analyst based in Atlanta. E-mail her at [email protected].