The Canadian press
‘Less is more:’ Pandemic-proof menu restaurants to survive the second wave
HALIFAX – The menu at Stubborn Goat Gastropub in downtown Halifax will always have a classic burger and gourmet mac n ‘cheese. But slightly more quirky dishes, topped with unique ingredients, may be harder to find these days. “We’ve reduced the size of our menus across the board,” says Joe McGuinness, co-owner of Legendary Hospitality, which operates three restaurants in the coastal city. “We took the best of the best and put it on the menu.” It’s part of a trend in restaurants across the country. In a bid to survive the second wave, restaurants are pandemic-proofing their menus by offering customers the best sellers while for now eliminating the least popular items. “Less is more on menus is a good idea right now,” says Martin Vezina, spokesperson for the Quebec Restaurant Association. “Restaurants are trying to figure out what they do right, what works for delivery, and they’re cutting out the rest.” It is not a panacea. Caterers are tinkering with almost every aspect of their operations in an effort to stay afloat, including opening hours, staffing levels, delivery packaging, contactless payment systems, website updates, terrace covers, and installing dividers. in plexiglas. Other changes include food sales and upgrading bathrooms with touchless toilets and taps. “There is no magic wand,” says Luc Erjavec, Atlantic Canada vice president of Restaurants Canada. “It’s about doing a number of things differently to survive.” However, menu changes are among the most visible ways restaurants are adapting to the pandemic. While generally based on a dish’s popularity, menu changes are also affected by what travels well for takeout and delivery – the only source of revenue for restaurants in regions where indoor dining is prohibited. “During the block, we removed items from our menu that didn’t make sense to offer for delivery,” says Dan Joseph, owner of Darrell’s Restaurant in Halifax. “Like lasagna, for example, it’s not something people order a lot for delivery … it doesn’t hold up particularly well.” In fact, Darrell’s is credited by some for bringing food delivery to a science. The milkshake-and-hamburger institute uses bamboo and sugarcane containers, biodegradable cutlery, and paper straws. Joseph says the restaurant is currently testing three paper bags. It says they don’t “sweat” like a plastic bag and can be stapled to ensure they aren’t tampered with by a driver. “” We want to make sure we do it right, “he says.” Once the bag is in place, it’s foolproof. “The smaller menus have additional benefits, including lower inventory levels in the kitchens, which reduce potential losses should another full block be ordered.” You want to reduce your inventory because this was one of the significant losses that hit all restaurants in March, “says McGuinness.” We’ve discarded tens of thousands of dollars of inventory. “However, even as restaurants are rationalizing menus to keep costs down, diners may not always notice. Meagan Andrews, the boss Stubborn Goat’s chef says the menu has been designed so that the ingredients can be used in different meals. “Our menu still looks great, but if you look closely a lot of the ingredients are used in more dishes,” he says. ” For example, half of the ingredients in a mac n ‘cheese could be used on a pizza, and this reduces our inventory and preparation time. “The chef was also inspired by the mood of the pandemic while developing the menu.” When we reopened after the lockout, we took the opportunity to take classic comfort dishes and recreate them, “says Andrews.” People want something they are familiar with, but creatively elevated. “Meanwhile, it is not just the menu selection that has been changed at the restaurant, but the medium of the menu itself. Instead of receiving a physical menu when you sit down, the tables of the restaurant come with a type of barcode called a QR code. “Scan the QR code on your phone and the menu pops up,” says McGuinness. “We don’t want people to touch a menu and then pass it on to someone else . This eliminates the need to delete shared menus or print new menus. “Yet while many restaurants are trying new things to survive the pandemic, Erjavec with Restaurants Canada says it remains a work in progress.” This is uncharted territory and things. are still changing every day, “he says.” Restaurants are using a lot of trial and error to survive. “This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 20, 2020. Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press
