Paul Tuennerman of Piccadilly LLC Shares a Little Hard-Earned Wisdom

When food sales start to slip (or maybe they were slow to begin with), the temptation to rush to add new menu items or change the entire concept can be intense. However, Paul Tuennerman, vice president of business development for Piccadilly Restaurants LLC advises stepping back for a moment before rushing change through the door. Tuennerman began his career at age 15 at Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips in Ohio. Having worked his way from the kitchen to the boardroom over the past 30 years, he now lives in Louisiana and has accumulated an impressive history working in the fine dining, fast casual, QSR and foodservice management segments of the restaurant industry. For Tuennerman, sometimes the answer is “less is more.” Often, the trick to turning around low ticket numbers is a matter of downsizing your menu, encouraging your repeat customers and empowering your staff. Here, he offers five tips for turning around low food sales by making your menu work for you.

1 Dominate Your Market
“Select an item and dominate the consumer’s psyche,” Teunnerman says. “When you think of coffee, you think of Starbucks. When you think of cola, you think Coca-Cola. When you think of burgers, you think McDonald’s. Whatever your niche, own it. “Too often these days I find myself in a restaurant with a novel for a menu. There is no defining factor, and, as we all well know, you cannot excel at everything, and neither can the staff in the kitchen. So, own whatever it is you’re going to build your menu around. Own it and dominate the market. If you have to bind your menu, it’s too big. Focus and excel at a single item/food type.” 

2 Master Variations and Monthly Features
“Now that you’ve made the decision to own a certain item, offer a core menu of five to seven variations,” Tuennerman advises. “If you’re going to own the chicken wing, offer five to seven variations coupled with a ‘Monthly Feature.’ If you deliver the basics well, with consistency (hence the variations), customers will keep coming back. Notice, I said ‘Monthly Feature,’ not weekly. “By focusing on a Monthly Feature, this will allow you to extend the consumer’s palette, but at a pace that can be measured and appreciated by both you and your consumer. Today’s consumer has a much more sophisticated palette and global perspective. They’re not afraid to try new things, but keep it within reason. You can ‘step out’ with your Monthly Feature, but don’t go too far out.” 

3 Creating the Craving
Once a killer item is established, the key is communicating it to the patron, Tuennerman says. “So, we’ve decided on a core item that we’re going to own. We’ve written a menu of five to seven variations, which our kitchen staff has mastered. Now we have to market to our customer. “Offer pictures of your dishes on the menu to entice and advertise a few of your best dishes. Food shots should be close up, and they should create a craving. Pair items together, inject humor and don’t be afraid to step out. There is a lot of ‘noise’ for customers to digest when it comes to marketing, and you need to find a way to cut through the chatter of your competitors. Snag your target audience’s attention. Don’t be afraid –– even the Pope has a sense of humor.” Menu branding is another tool that can spur an immediate craving. For instance, if you use Frank’s Red Hot sauce on your wings, highlight that and put that logo next to the description.  

4 Be Who You Are and Be Credible
“You wouldn’t go to Waffle House for sushi, and neither would your customers,” Tuennerman says. “Don’t try and be just like your competition. Differentiate yourself, understand what you’re known for and excel at that single statement. If the items you currently are offering are not moving well, study the reasons why. “Accentuate your identity and offer the best in your concept. In high school, we never liked the kid who tried to be something he wasn’t. Consumers aren’t much different.” 

5 Create a Cult Following
“Turn your current customers into brand ambassadors. Seriously, go out into your dining room and ask those repeat customers that you always see to bring a friend next time. “You can add incentive to this. For example, offer a free dessert or a round of drinks on the house for every person they bring in the next time you see them in the restaurant or bar. Take a moment to visit with the table when they arrive,” Tuennerman says. “Word of mouth, blogs and similar grassroots campaigns are free or extremely low-cost and can quickly create a following of loyal customers.”