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For waiting and kitchen staff, a customer who states exactly how they want their food can sometimes be a little intimidating. Perhaps they want to swap some sides, change a topping or put their salad dressing on the side - all small switches - but if your team isn’t prepped to handle this kind of customisation, diners can be left disappointed.

Customers are beginning to expect customisation, whether to accommodate allergies or to tailor their dining experience to personal preferences. When parting with cash, those who are eating out want to know they can have what they want, when they want it.

While you’re unlikely to find those dining out at Michelin-starred establishments getting too prescriptive about what they’ll accept on the tasting menu, trade down a step or two and customers are asking for more, and appreciating it when they get it. A few decades ago we walked into coffee shops and asked for a coffee, now we’re more likely to specify that we’d like a skinny cappuccino with a shot of sugar-free vanilla syrup.

And while at first glance it might seem like customers are asking for more choice, in fact they’re simply seeking higher satisfaction levels that you may find it easier than expected to provide.

Customisation as a food trend

The customisation trend is something big brands are growing more aware of. Over in the US, McDonalds is attempting to turnaround declining sales by trialling customisation touch screens that allow diners to build bespoke burger meals. Here in the UK, the company recently attempted to tap into the minds of millennials by hosting a ‘hack day’, asking how they could improve the restaurant experience.

Research firm Mintel identified customisation as a key food trend for the coming year in the US, highlighting an opportunity for the industry to provide healthier options through sub-menus that accommodate people’s dietary preferences. This is a trend that has been quietly growing in the UK for a number of years. Restaurant menu analysis in the Menurama survey from Horizons has highlighted growing menu customisation as well an increasing number of ‘build your own’ options being incorporated into business models.

Won’t customisation cause kitchen chaos?

You may already be very accommodating to the needs and wants of customers, or perhaps at the other end of the spectrum you’re not quite sure how customisation would impact on your kitchen. The truth is that customisation won’t be suitable for every establishment that serves food, but by letting your customers know what level of adaptability is available, you’ll make them feel less awkward about asking you to accommodate their needs and wants and you will hopefully increase loyalty and sales as a result.

You may well find that you reduce waste too. Customisation needn’t mean offering your customers more choice or increasing the items on your menu. It could be as simple as highlighting permitted switches, available extras or possible omissions on your menu and changing a few food preparation processes.

Research conducted on behalf of waste prevention organisation WRAP in 2013 found that of the 27 per cent of people who said they wasted food when eating out 32 per cent admitted to leaving chips on their plate. Now, we can presume some of this waste may have been due to portion size, which can be difficult to fix to suit every customer.

However, what if these customers had been given the option to have their meal served without chips, to swap in other sides or salads that were already on the menu or to select a half portion? If these options are laid out clearly, customers are unlikely to be overwhelmed by the decision making process.

As the other sides are already on the menu, the range of food being prepared by the kitchen isn’t increased and along with the customer being satisfied that they are able to order exactly what they want with a minimum fuss, the likelihood of food waste is also reduced.

Another option is to concentrate customisation in one area, this can allow you to accommodate eating preferences and allergies easily and incorporate other food trends too. For example, you may decide to offer a customisable burger, giving a vegetarian option and plenty of toppings to suit non-meat eaters as well as highlighting things like gluten-free options. Add in a few luxury toppings like lobster claws and you’ve surreptitiously nailed the new food trend for food ‘premiumisation’ too!

A completely customisable menu isn’t something that can be brought in overnight and may not suit your customer base. If you do want to bring elements of customisation to your menu you’ll also need to think about practicalities such as compatibility with your till system. However, by making a few simple changes or even better advertising your willingness to put your customers’ needs and wants first, you may just win the hearts and stomachs of many more patrons.

Have you noticed an increase in customers asking their plates to be tailored to their palates? Do you offer elements of customisation on your menu? We’re interested in your tales of switching and swapping, so please share yours below or tweet at us @BunzlLockhart.


Comments

Lockhart Catering on 5 March 2015 2:30 AM

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