Many consumers are increasingly interested in knowing where ingredients come from and how their food is made. Be ready to answer their questions honestly and to explain your decisions. If many of your customers object to some of your practices, explore ways to adjust them so they better align with their values. If you’re skeptical of the potential return, think of the success of Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity” mantra.

Try offering unusual items as specials to help express your brand. Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes did just that with its Jelly Donut Milkshake. The item drew attention to the chain’s other shakes, and also drove a sales increase. Special items will help your restaurant get noticed, and possibly garner positive attention on social media. With more than 29 million Americans posting pictures of food and drinks from restaurants on social media, that kind of attention can be valuable.

Use social media, loyalty programs or other methods to receive and respond to customer feedback. Ask them for menu suggestions to help give them a sense of ownership in your brand. If many of your customers are asking for gluten-free, vegan or other niche products, consider responding to them. If one person in a party of eight wants a gluten-free item and you can’t provide it, then all eight of those people will take their business elsewhere.

Offer healthful choices, even if your focus is fried chicken. To many people, a small act of self-sacrifice can justify a fairly high level of gluttony. Ordering a chicken sandwich instead of a hamburger can justify a larger order of fries, according to psychologist William Hallman of Rutgers University. Those items can also offer cover, he said. “Before salads were on the menu at McDonald’s, when you went there everyone knew what you were ordering,” Hallman said. “Now there’s a little bit of wiggle room. [You can say,] ‘I went to McDonald’s, but I had a salad.’”

Many consumers today feel better about their food if they can customize it. The fast-casual model of assembling food in front of customers seems ideal, but regardless of your service style, it’s important that your guests know that you will happily add, take away from or otherwise modify their order in any way they like. You might even consider making customization part of the ordering process. When people feel like they’ve taken control of what they’re eating, they feel better about themselves and their food, Hallman said.