Now is the time to analyze your winter menu. The proverbial question of which items should be added to your current menu and/or which items should be deleted confronts every ski area food service department. Prior to the 1980 ski season a philosophical question of which direction your menu design will follow should be evaluated. Will this be the year of the limited fast food menu or the broad full service approach? A review of the pros and cons of each approach can be beneficial in solidifying this important decision-making area.
When analyzing a menu in terms of streamline versus full service the following points should be considered: 1. Purchasing: For example, if a submarine sandwich were to be added or deleted what effect would this decision have on purchasing? Would new purveyors have to be added to supply heretofor items not used (bread, meat, cheese, produce, condiments, paperware)? And on the other hand, would dropping one item such as a submarine sandwich have a significant effect on easing the job of purchasing or would it have no effect at all? 2. Labor: Will the adding or subtracting of an item have a significant effect on manpower? The average employee at minimum wage costs almost a nickel a minute. Would excessive prep time take away from expected profits? Would dropping items from your menu with the most prep time result in unexpected profits? 3. Food Cost: Does the particular item fit into your overall food cost projections? Can quantities be controlled easily so there is no waste? Does the item contain a product that may fluctuate greatly in price during the winter months? A good example of this being lettuce last winter. A tossed salad priced out in September was doubled in cost by January. 4. Selling Price: You would want an additional menu item to blend with your current price structure. Is there an item on your present menu that has priced itself out of your price-menu range and perhaps should be dropped? 5. Demand: There must be enough anticipated demand for you to warrant adding a new item. Now is a good time to analyze last year’s slow movers. If you ran daily specials, were some successful enough to warrant making them a permanent addition to the menu?
There are other factors that influence the direction that a ski area menu should consider taking. 1. The location of your operation and its proximity to competition. The more isolated you may be, the greater your needs for a broader menu appeal. 2. The type of clientele that your area draws. 3. Average guest stay. Ski area food purveyors should be aware of the average length of stay of their skiers. This could have significant effect on your choice of limited versus full service menus. 4. Is there a hotel near your area? If so, consideration should be given to the guests’ needs, i.e., breakfast and dinner.
Additional factors that influence ski area food service departments when designing menus are: Kitchen layout, deliveries, storage, quality control difficulties, labor skills market, and your overall food service philosophy. Should you go with one, two, three or four size soft drinks? By weighing the considerations previously noted you can base your decision on more clearly defined guidelines which are often unique to an individual ski area.
Future menu design should allow for flexibility. By adding a “special” during specific periods you will give your food service an insight into customers’ buying habits. The addition of an ethnic entree on your menu can provide an international flair and promote employee enthusiasm. Planning your specials for next winter can allow for a limited menu, with the ability to increase your menu with “add-ons” during greatest demand periods.
When analyzing your future menu, whether it’s in the direction of limited or expansive, here are the results of a recent food industry survey. Number one in customer appeal is freshness! This appeal can be satisfied by increased use of fresh fruits, mini salad bar and fresh vegetables that will give the active skier a diet that relates to his life-style and current demands. Number two in customer appeal is price/value, while number three is portion size. These three customer trends should be considered when designing a profitable and appealing food service menu.
