Menu Strategies

Best practices for creating innovative menus and signature dishes

DIY grilled cheese

Specialty grilled cheese is one of the hottest comfort food trends in non-commercial foodservice, with chefs coming up with their own interpretations.

All Articles

Small plates and snacks are major attention-getters on menus these days. More and more customers prefer to share several distinctively flavored smaller items with their companions rather than confine...

Desserts: Pizza’s Sweet Side

05-28-2013 Menu Development

Pizza is often a top seller, but some directors are upping the pepperoni ante by sweetening their pies for a fun twist on dessert. Ferris State University, in Big Rapids, Mich., offers three flavors...

Three Takes On: Guacamole

05-11-2013 Menu Development

Three Takes On offers several different versions of the same classic dish. This month: Guacamole.

Comfort Foods, European Style

05-11-2013 Menu Development

There’s a reason people call certain dishes comfort food. European classics like beef bourguignon and shepherd’s pie bring diners feelings of home, happiness, tradition and family...

Menu Snapshots: Taking it From the Street

04-19-2013 Menu Development

From Turkish kabobs and Greek gyros to Mexican tacos, Asian sates and Indian flatbreads, street vendors the world over have forever been selling hearty snacks-to-go. Now Americans have more options...

Beverages with a Global Flavor

04-11-2013 Menu Development

There was a time when most beverage selections consisted primarily of carbonated sodas and a few off-flavor drinks,” says Chris Basmagy, assistant director of nutrition services at Wexner...

The Sandwich, Re-Imagined

03-21-2013 Menu Development

The popularity of the sandwich shows no signs of stopping, as operators move beyond old standbys and present consumers with ethnic flavorings, gourmet ingredients and toppings, and new carrier...

Deli Salads Find Their Flavors

03-10-2013 Menu Development

Deli salads are getting a makeover in non-commercial foodservice operations. The deli staples—chicken, tuna and potato—are being given new flavor profiles, and operators are...

New Cuisine on the Block

02-15-2013 Menu Development

Mention Southeast Asian cuisine, and Thai immediately comes to mind. It historically has been the “go-to” Asian cuisine after Chinese and Japanese, most likely because of the...