Sell More Stuff: Culinary Magic

Nov. 28, 2016

What you see as the dish is placed on the table looks like an olive. And it appears to be an olive before the pit is removed. Our server tells us to “take it like a shot.” It seemed odd to do that – until we tasted as instructed. The “olive” simply disappeared in our mouths.  

What we ate and how we consumed it was completely different from what our eyes and prior experience told us to expect. It really was magic – culinary magic. 

We ordered the “Surprise Menu” – it just keeps coming until you tell them to stop. Someone we know told us to leave room for dessert. There were 20 tapas served to us that evening. All were delicious with eye appeal plus taste, texture and aroma to play with and challenge our senses – 14 of the servings deserved solid “A” or even “A+” ratings. 

Our server, who was enthusiastic and energetic, made our evening even better. With some courses, he would tell us “…in one bite.” There were smiles on our faces. Typically, three of us would watch the face of the first taster. Usually, it was my smile that was the key to the others as my (positive) sense of impatience had me jumping on the next dish on the table. 

Now, you’re no longer wondering “Where is he going with this one?” You’re certain that this has absolutely nothing to do with our industry and your day-to-day business. 

Adding a bit of culinary magic to your offerings 

In our industry, delivering on this level of culinary magic might just be impossible. But, maybe we can be much more inventive and creative in our menu offerings. That means every category – food, hot and cold beverages, candy and snacks, meal combination offers. 

Why not create and merchandise a fiery hot meal combo? Think about a sandwich with “heat” plus a salty snack with a similar taste profile. Have you thought about a caffeine “blast” offer? Consider really good coffee and a pastry made with coffee as a key ingredient. You’ll have to hunt a bit for unique items – probably from new supply sources. Convenience stores are doing things like this. You can’t sit there and let them have all the good ideas. 

By the way, the restaurant is Tickets in Barcelona, Spain. It’s a great city with art, architecture and food to make for a memorable visit. 

Create a little bit of magic for the people you serve. They might reward you by coming back more frequently. That means repeat business. Repeat business means increased sales and profits. 

After all, it comes down to selling more stuff.