They aren’t gymnasts or acrobats, but the executive chefs and R&D directors of franchise restaurant brands have to be both steady and nimble. Menus need to be easily executed and duplicated across multiple restaurants while also standing out in an increasingly competitive field.
But how do you roll up the chef coat sleeves and jump into this culinary juggling act? Where do you even start?
David Groll is a franchise restaurant industry veteran with stints at Arby’s, Denny’s, and McAlister’s Deli before taking his current job as Director of R&D for FSC Franchise Company, overseeing the menus for both Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and hot craft beer concept The Brass Tap*.
“Menu engineering is managed as a science and an art,” said Groll. “We base the creative off trends we believe are very relevant and fit the brand. Fads are carefully reviewed and filed. We also consider what it would take to execute the concept in our facilities and would the guest purchase this product and what price they would pay (value). We also ask if this product would drive frequency.”
As the R&D Chef of elevated sports restaurant franchise Buffalo Wings & Rings, Elliot Jablonsky curates a menu that must appeal not only to the traditional sports fan, but also to the parents looking for something to feed every member of the family. Not an easy task for sure. But it’s one that Jablonsky relishes performing for the growing brand out of Cincinnati, and likes to approach his menu curation from a broad view that he then pares down.
“Success has to address profitability and factor in interest from potential guests,” said Jablonsky. “People make their dining decisions in quick order. ‘What are you in the mood for?’ That’s the typical question before a choice is made about a restaurant. You need to be clear that you fit in a certain type of restaurant category so casual diners don’t pass you by.”
Jablonsky starts with an overview of the concept – noting that if you can’t explain the message of the menu in one sentence, then you aren’t focused enough. Then, he focuses even further by incorporating factors such as the amount of space and equipment they will have in each restaurant, the flexibility of certain ingredients to work across multiple plates, and the certain price points the brand is working within. When experimenting with LTO’s, Jablonsky is careful to make sure that even those short term items work within the greater framework of the Buffalo Wings & Rings brand narrative, the same approach that Groll takes in his research and development work.
“The product needs to fit our guest demographic or appeal to them as an approachable new product that fits the brand,” said Groll. “Good value and portion perception is important, and it must be operationally easy to execute so there are no extensive wait periods and the flavors are craveable, exciting and fun. For our guest, they must also be easy to share and familiar.”
When making any decision about the menu, as the old saying goes, “The customer is always right.”
“Injecting variety can come in different ways,” said Jablonsky. “It can come in price point, it can come in ingredients, and it can come in ethnicity. You have to determine what you want, and then see if you have coverage. But ultimately, you need to ask, ‘Is this guest friendly?’”
*This brand is a paid partner of 1851 Franchise. For more information on paid partnerships please click here.