MenuMasters 2011: Old Chicago Pizza & PastaMenuMasters 2011: Old Chicago Pizza & Pasta

A menu overhaul is a lot like exercise: It requires change, serious work and not everybody likes it.

Mike Thom knew that going into an overdue overhaul at Old Chicago Pizza & Pasta in 2010. But the 100-unit chain’s director of culinary research and development was confident that, just like working out, the outcome would yield a trimmer, fitter and newly invigorated lineup.

“We needed to drop some of the antiquated items that weren’t selling well and replace them with fresher, modern items,” Thom said.

First to go were poor sellers — items which Thom’s team gave no quarter when choosing what to chuck. Even the Louisville, Colo.-based chain’s stuffed-pizza mainstay, a longtime sub-par seller, met its end. The ranks of salads and sandwiches were thinned, and the six-stromboli lineup was culled to three.

Headquarters: Louisville, Colo.
No. of units: 100
Date of rollout: May 2010
Description: revamped menu, including 17 new dishes and 13 updated ones
Developer: Mike Thom, director of culinary research and development

“Removing an actual category of pizza simplified guest choices in that area,” he said. The change also eliminated several high-calorie items. “Without question this was us recognizing that we needed to be concerned about calories in our food.”

Thom knew he’d face a few staffer objections to some cuts, but sales history supported his cause. And when customers had their chance to complain, few did.

“We knew from experience that the din always fades in a month or two,” Thom said. “And if we made any really big mistakes, we knew we could put them back on later.”

The menu pare-back also was designed to trim labor and speed service execution.

The chicken and spinach ravioli and the fettuccine primavera got the boot because of labor-intense sauces, and four dishes using labor-intense fire-roasted tomatoes all got the axe.

Others were merely adjusted, such as some protein-centered salads and entrées that had their meat portions reduced to shave calories. Among its large, sharable desserts, Old Chicago downsized the brownie decadence to a trio of choices — Black Forest, Heath bar and marshmallow fudge — that can be ordered singly as a small dessert for one or as a combination that all at the table can taste.

“With desserts, we wanted to leave the choice of making it an individual size or having a trio up to the guest,” said Karen Lozano, director of marketing for Old Chicago.

When all was said and done, 22 items were removed, 13 were updated, and 17 new selections were added. The highly precise effort even included Thom’s crew reorganizing the Old Chicago kitchen make line to accommodate the changes.

“We were very cognizant of what we were affecting,” Thom said. “You have to be careful in choosing which stations get new items and which stations lose some. It does come down to removing and adding pans to make it work.”

Fortunately the pipeline was full of limited-time offerings that had sold well in the past and that Old Chicago knew would fit into the full-time lineup. In Lozano’s words: “So much of what we added was based on what our guests have told us through their purchases of our promotional items. We knew what would work.”

Some LTOs called off the bench included the Thai Steak Wrap, with less fat and calories; the Malibu Veggie Pizza, with bolder flavors and fresh vegetables; and the Buffalo Chicken Rolls.

“At that point you’ve had a good test which confirmed it would be a good menu item,” Thom said. During the new menu rollout, he was simultaneously overseeing a test of small plates at five restaurants. “It’s safe to say that was a busy time.”

Lozano said Old Chicago’s marketing plan used no large-scale advertising. A release was sent to the press, regular guests were notified through e-mail blasts, and Facebook fans learned about the changes through the Old Chicago page. Broadcast media, she said, is usually saved for LTOs.

Old Chicago veteran Ted Stoner, now director of strategic product development for Qdoba Mexican Grill, has remained a fan of the concept since leaving an executive post there several years ago. He said the new menu reinforces Old Chicago’s position as a place where people gather for food and beer.

“Beer is such a big part of the brand’s identity, and when you look at the new menu you see how the food compliments that,” Stoner said. “Some think the menu is supposed to be true to what some think of Chicago, but it’s not. [Founder] Frank Day definitely wanted good pizza, but he wanted balance between innovative food and really good beer. This menu achieves that.”

Stoner said restaurants often fail to do a healthy pruning when overhauling their menus, and instead add items that can boost food costs and clutter the menu.

“Sometimes you’ve got to ignore what all the focus groups are saying [and stop] looking at what every competitor is doing,” Stoner said. “You have to tune out the noise and focus on who you are as a concept. The menu shows they did a great job of that.”