{mosimage} What do Chicken in a Pot, Macaroni and Cheese, Spiced Pumpkin Cookies, and Chocolate Pudding have in common? They're all comfort foods.
Most comfort foods are easy for restaurants to make, easy to eat, and easy on the psyche. All comfort foods are evocative of a time when you felt safe and secure. Much of the dining-out experience has to do with feeling pampered and fussed over. This could mean friendly, personal service, a warm and comfortable environment, or a toasted cheese sandwich.
Many people turn to food in times of stress to help them cope.
What comfort foods do you crave?
Everybody has a favorite. My own is tapioca pudding. Consider making comfort foods a part of your dining experience. Ask your employees, and even customers, for ideas and favorite family recipes. Feature the best submissions, or your chef's own favorites, as nightly specials. Side dishes, like creamed corn and mashed potatoes, make for profitable add-on sales, too. You can also generate retail sales — a great profit builder — by selling cookies by the dozen. This is the essence of hospitality — favoring the health or comfort of a guest. If you can feed the soul as well as the stomach, you've earned a loyal customer.
See also:
A method to your madness
Saddle up the side dishes
Bill Main is a nationally-recognized author, consultant and speaker. His company, Bill Main & Associates, specializes in strategic growth plans for foodservice entrepreneurs. For information on how you can grow your top line revenues through innovative marketing, menu, leadership and training systems, visit www.billmain.com.
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