To follow fashion, or not?

Trends come and go – from the catwalk to the culinary scene. So, how do you know which fashion waves to ride and which are just short-lived fads best avoided? There are a few things to consider…

Firstly, look at whether the trend actually makes sense for your restaurant. If you mostly attract steak lovers and you’re considering adding pheasant to the menu, it may not work so well. Restaurateurs need to stay true to their menu philosophy and provide the dishes their customers continually ask for.

Next, consider the cost. Sometimes introducing a new trend can require new equipment, kitchen modifications or even the addition of a new staff member, who is on top of the specialty (think sous-vide). As well, you must have space to store any newfangled equipment. So, the question to ask is: will the profits justify the expense and will your customers even care about this new cooking technique?

As well, it all comes back to location, location, location. Weigh up whether your establishment is really geographically suited to a new menu item. If it’s too unfamiliar, you may not even get an order for it.

When all else fails, research what the chefs you look up to are doing – read widely and surf the Internet. Seeing what respected chefs are doing can be a good guide to anticipating what today’s ever-sophisticated restaurant clientele are expecting next.

Finally, the main indicator, regarding whether a menu item will be a hit, is consumer demand. While it’s a chef’s responsibility to identify micro-trends and foresee what’s emerging, it will be the ringing of the cash register – or lack thereof – that will provide the ultimate test.

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