Start Here 

Greatest hits from noncommercial menus

2020 has been a disruptive year for restaurants, and no part of the industry has been left untouched, including menu development.

Like restaurants, noncommercial operators were tasked with keeping customers in schools, hospitals and businesses engaged under very challenging conditions. And that they did—often shifting overnight into completely new menu formats, cooking techniques and service styles.

Given those similar experiences, the noncom sector has valuable lessons to offer restaurants. In this survey of noncommercial chefs, Restaurant Business sister publication FoodService Director asked chefs on its Culinary Council to share what dishes and formats worked for them in this challenging year.

Photograph by Tyllie Barbosa