The last thing a diner requests and eats in your foodservice operation is dessert. Ask yourself are your serving a memorable dessert? Does it grab their taste buds and demand they embrace the flavors, texture, and subtleness of being a great dish to finalize a meal? When that diner tells others of his visit to your restaurant will he be saying how impressed he was because the last thing he consumed rang all of his bells?
Make certain your dessert offerings instill in your patrons a desire to return for another round of your excellent foods. Pay close attention to the details of every dessert on your menu. Go the extra mile of preparing only the highest premium concoctions that broadcasts the love and affection your want your customers to feel about their visit.
It may require a little time to acquaint yourself with good preparation techniques and to select the desserts you feel will compliment your operation, but when you do it will bring you untold rewards. Develop standards and routines that assure you always have an adequate inventory of those desserts with which you want to identify your business, and generate the reputation you desire to promote. The rewards of increased sales volumes will soon be reflected in your sales – as profit making responses!
Whether you are the owner, or a hired chef, your pride and enjoyment will be reflected in the products you provide, and subsequently bring repeat business because your customers will surely sense your devotion and pride. If you are in need to decide what desserts you wish to offer consider some of the classic items. Some may be labor intense, until you develop skills to regularly create them in substantial quantities, yet you should realize the probability of being the only source of such fine items in your neighborhood. As with any new menu item you will need to practice, practice, practice! Remember, everything sells because you excel at providing the memorable completion of a valued meal.
Now is the time to enlist the stressed economic times towards helping you grow your business – consider the recent headlines that blare out some chain restaurant operators and limited menu providers are closing business or taking desperate measures of selling two meals for the price of one, as well as other drastic measures. Realize too, they’re taking this action with many pre-manufactured goods which typically offer no real unique distinction. Notice this does not include providing exclusively prepared signature dishes, and they know it is costly.
When you provide your customers an exclusively prepared dessert you are making the bold statement of selling high quality foods with a bang. Something they cannot procure down the block. You offer them a memorable finish to the meals they buy, one that reminds them such success to suggest they return to you at their next opportunity.
Simple, yet fantastic desserts are well within your reach. Items such as the Italian chilled cream, Panna Cotta accompanied with fresh seasonal berries brings attention to you that spells growth. Accordingly, another Mediterranean super dessert is Flan, from Spain, a caramelized custard which melts in your mouth while providing a mouth feel coupled with a satisfying taste beyond description. Each of these are relatively easy to make, once you learn and practice the needed disciplines.
Along with these as headliners, you can add many other fine desserts originating within your kitchen.
An agenda of available items is virtually limitless. The key is specialization and creating your property as the exclusive point of availability.
GOOD COOKING!
Harry Brockwell, Chef
