Post on 07-May-2015
description
Jeff Ware
March 23rd, 2014
Culinary R&D: The Process of Menu Item Design
Session Agenda • Research
– When & why do you develop new items
– Finding creativity, inspiration, and motivation
• Development – Why you need proper recipes
– Knowing & tracking your costs
– Understanding recipe construction & documentation
• Execution – Sales
– Moving from testing to production
– Staff Education
• Started with CBM at 14
• Electrical Engineering/ Computer Science Background
• Worked at CNN & theatres Learned other aspects of live events
• Fell in love with food thanks to this job
My Story
• Founded in 1980 as a hot dog stand
• Catering spun off into separate company in 1991
• Peak revenue of $17 Million
• 90 FT & 130 PT Employees
• 45% Full Service / 35% On Premise / 20% Delivery
CBM 101
• Largest event $1.3 million
• Focused on food quality above all else
• Poor facility design challenges efficiency
• Non Chicago address is a marketing struggle
CBM 101
You have to sell it to cook it!
OR
Do you have to cook it to sell it?
Research
Both ways are correct
• in·spi·ra·tion
• noun \ˌin(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən, -(ˌ)spi-\
• Something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create : a force or influence that inspires someone
• A person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something
• A good idea
Research
• Refreshing existing menus
• For a specific proposal or RFP
• Holiday/Ethnic/Thematic Events & Menus
• Keeping employees engaged
• Staying current with industry & trends
• Creating items to accommodate different price points
• Dietary restrictions & allergens
Research When & Why
• BEST – Adapting existing items
• Catersource, ICA, NACE, Industry/Peers
• Eating out, Travel, TV
• Internet, Social media
• Clients
• Cook books (still better than web)
Research Where do you get ideas
• Your employees
– Host brainstorming sessions
– Iron Chef competitions
– 20% Time – Google Idea
• Freedom to create
Research Where do you get ideas
Development
• Defining Specifications & Uses
• Initial testing, dog fooding, adaptation
• Why you need proper recipes
• Knowing & tracking your costs
• Understanding recipe construction
– Batch vs. recipe vs. complete recipe vs. menu/pkg
– Standards and consistency
Development
Development
Development
• Defining Specifications & Uses
• Initial testing, dog fooding, adaptation
• Why you need proper recipes
• Knowing & tracking your costs
• Understanding recipe construction
– Batch vs. recipe vs. complete recipe vs. menu/pkg
– Standards and consistency
Development
• 424 Vendors
• 3,421 Inventory Items
• 14,225 Recipes
– Largest known database in existence
• 3 FT Staff dedicated to managing the database
• 75,882 photos (432 GB)
Recipes @ CBM
• Consistency in your product
• Selling based on true costs
• Consistency in sales force pricing
• Keep profit margins where they need to be
• Smart purchasing decisions
• Historical data = forecasting trends
– Caterers are selling for the future
Why you need proper recipes
• Know your loss
• What is useable product
• Proper units of measure floz ≠ oz
Knowing & Tracking Your Costs
Loss from cleaning
Loss from cooking/reduction
‘Useable Product’ loss
Brisket – Start with 100# received 1. Lose 38% in cleaning – now 62# 2. Lose 39% in cooking – now 37.82# saleable 3. Lose 12% in scrap/trim from slicing
Units of Measure
OZ • Chicken • Mayo • Flour
Weight is always better than volume unless it is a liquid
Can use weight to confirm yield
FLOZ • Water • Vodka • Chopped Herbs
Inventory Setup
1. Batch
2. Recipe
3. Complete Recipe
4. Menu/Package
Understanding Recipe Construction
1. Batch 2. Recipe 3. Complete Recipe 4. Menu/Package
Understanding Recipe Construction Cooked Rice
1. Batch
2. Recipe 3. Complete Recipe 4. Menu/Package
Understanding Recipe Construction Sushi Roll
1. Batch 2. Recipe
3. Complete Recipe 4. Menu/Package
Understanding Recipe Construction Sushi Roll w/ Sauce
1. Batch 2. Recipe 3. Complete Recipe
4. Menu/Package
Understanding Recipe Construction Sushi Roll Assortment
• Tap Water
• Fryer Oil
• Packaging
• Skewer
• Garnish
• Loss
Include All Costs
• Food Cost
– 30% Labor
– 30% Overhead
– 30% (or less) Food Cost
– 10% to pay sales commission and profit
Any average food cost 20%-30% is ok
Chipotle is at 33.5%
Pricing Party
• Pastry @ 20% – So much additional labor – Passed apps also good at 20%
• Proteins can be up to 50% – What can your market bear
• Cheap items @ lower FC% (8%-16%) – Potatoes, rice, beans
• Anything bought & resold @ 50% • Packaging @ 50%
Pricing Party
Consistent Increase
• Database (designed for recipes) – BEST – Designed for this use – Instantly recalculate recipes – Relational data – Expensive start up cost
• Database (not designed for recipes) – OK – Relational Data – Lacks functionality – Takes a lot of time to setup
• Other – POOR – Low start up cost – Very expensive in the long run – Data is flat – not linked throughout
Ways to do it
• Adjust or change ingredients
• Adjust yield and portion
• Better purchasing
Reduce Costs
Enforce Good Data Collection
Use Photography
Enforce Good Data Collection
Enforce Good Data Collection
Enforce Good Data Collection
Enforce Good Data Collection
Enforce Good Data Collection
Check Accuracy
Ingredients + loss = yield
All costs included
Ingredients are logged properly
Ingredients listed in order of use
Method written so a person with no experience could do
Use standards – Medium Dice, Brunoise, etc
Execution
We cooked it
NOW
We can sell it
Execution • Sales
– Tasting
– Tools
• Moving from testing to production
– Training the station
– Adding to recipe book
– Supervision during 1st production
• Staff Education
– FOH/event staff
– Warehouse/packing staff
Execution
Execution • Sales
– Tasting
– Tools
• Moving from testing to production
– Training the station
– Adding to recipe book
– Supervision during 1st production
• Staff Education
– FOH/event staff
– Warehouse/packing staff
To download a copy of this presentation, go to: slideshare.net/CateringChicago
Jeff Ware
jware@CateringByMichaels.com | (847) 966-6555
Questions?