Want to grow your business and also offer lunch at your restaurant? That's a smart move because doing so will allow you to attract new target groups, increase your turnover and position yourself as a food expert. You don't even need to provide an entirely different menu to your dinner menu for your lunch to be a success. Our tips and tricks will help you get off to a flying start.
Offering lunch at your restaurant
Why offer lunch at your restaurant?
There are many advantages to offering lunch at your restaurant in the afternoon. First and foremost, you attract a wider group of customers. For example, people who are looking for a quick bite in the middle of their workday, as well as business partners, tourists and shoppers. It allows you to build a diverse customer base and ensure you have a consistent stream of guests during the day.
By attracting a wider target group, you can maximise your facilities and staff. This leads to a significant increase in your daily turnover, since you are serving more meals, and you increase the likelihood your customers will return. Especially when you make hospitality a priority. In addition, it helps you to manage your stock efficiently and minimise food waste. You can incorporate ingredients left over from last evening's dinner into your lunch dishes, such as minestrone, panzanella or a (savoury) bread pudding. This improves your cost efficiency and lowers your food cost percentage.
If your competitors don't serve lunch, this is an opportunity to differentiate yourself and turn yourself into a unique lunch spot. A smart move in busy corporate environments or shopping areas. Another advantage is that your regular lunch guests will become loyal customers and will often visit your restaurant for other meals and special occasions.
The final advantage of a lunch offering? As a food expert, it's your chance to get even more creative with your ingredients. Go further with your recipe development. You could create a sandwich of the month or a summer-proof menu with delicious appetiser boards. The La Lorraine Bakery Group team is already looking forward to having lunch at your restaurant!
Practical tips for your restaurant's lunch
Now you understand the advantages, you're surely eager to start offering lunch. The most important thing is to create an attractive and efficient lunch menu.
Create dishes you can prepare quickly. Customers that come to dine with you during their lunch break often have limited time. Consumers also increasingly prefer a nutritious lunch. So, light and healthy dishes are essential for your menu, such as salads, sandwiches and soups. Want to increase your customer satisfaction? Make sure you have a varied lunch menu. Why not offer Italian concepts, such as paninis, schiacciatas and pinsas? These breads are the ideal basis for a delicious lunch. Add some traditionally Italian salads, such as a panzanella or insalata di mare and buon appetito.
Have you noticed that certain days are quieter during your lunch service? Perhaps you can provide lunch combos like lunch + a gourmet coffee. Ideal for customers who like to indulge while keeping to a budget.
You also don't need to create an entirely new menu for your lunch. For example, if you serve hamburgers on your dinner menu, create a selection of burgers that customers will enjoy in the afternoon. Consider a few typical lunch burgers, such as our smash burgers. These are often lighter and can be offered on the menu individually without extras like fries.
Want to get absolutely everything you can out of your lunch offering? Provide to-go options and even home or office delivery. This will give your customers more time to enjoy your dishes at their location of choice. A great strategy if your customers consist mainly of professionals. We'll help you get started with our blog about “boosting your turnover with ordering and delivery platforms”.
Don't forget dessert! A colourful donut, a muffin to-go or a hot waffle.
Extra tip: leftovers from the evening before? Create a lunch appetiser board. Perfect for sharing and for boosting your menu's margins. Why not also incorporate seasonal products?
Great dishes for your lunch
Looking for inspiration to complete your lunch menu? The chefs at La Lorraine Bakery Group have assembled various recipes that both young and old will enjoy.
A smooth lunch service with LLBG's products
Afternoons can be just as busy as evenings. To help you handle these peak times, you should use the most efficient products. LLBG is your ideal partner for these. Need bread products, patisserie, viennoiserie, sweet snacks or savoury snacks? Our quality frozen and pantry products are ready to serve in an instant.
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