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Whether you’re a fine-dining or fast-food restaurant, non-alcoholic drinks are a great way to increase sales. What are some strategies for maximizing profits? QUASEP offers a few tips.

Drinks are becoming more and more popular with customers. In September 2022, the category generated US$395,000 in sales in the US—a 20.6% increase from the previous year.

Millennials and younger generations are playing a key role. Of all consumers ordering non-alcoholic drinks, 78% also enjoy alcoholic beverages. Most of these customers are seeking a variety of options, with sober lifestyle choices on the rise.

Seasonal menus

Alcoholic beverages are a great way to top up a bill, but so are their non-alcoholic counterparts. Certain drinks tend to be more or less popular depending on the time of year. Whether it’s a springtime smoothie, a summer iced tea, a fall spice latte or a holiday eggnog, there’s a drink for every customer.

In the past, menus tended to focus on cold, refreshing drinks during the summer months. The trend has shifted to a year-round approach, with more and more businesses offering seasonal drink menus.

Identifying customers’ needs and wants each season will help you come up with exclusive limited-time offers and create a sense of urgency for them to try products that aren’t available year-round. And if a particular drink turns out to be popular, bring it back the following year to attract new customers and retain existing ones.

Tea and coffee are another great way to boost profits. These products are inexpensive, quick to prepare, and can be turned into a variety of menu items, from herbal teas to specialty coffee drinks with different milks, syrups, or add-ins such as whipped cream.

The wellness industry has also been on the rise. Smoothies and kombucha, for example, are an easy menu addition to attract customers committed to healthy eating.

Of course, you can also sell bottled water, a product known to be highly profitable for restaurant operators. Whether still or sparkling, it’s the perfect meal companion for customers looking to stay hydrated without the extra calories.

Whether for health, religion or responsible driving, people will want to enjoy a drink without necessarily consuming alcohol. By getting to know your customers’ habits, you’ll be able to create the perfect menu for them.

Highlight: Create a buzz with seasonal drink menus.
 

Despite inventory checks being the best way to assess a business’ profitability, many restaurant operators fail to perform them on a regular basis. QUASEP shares a few tips that are sure to make your job easier.

Inventory tracking is easy with the help of technology and menu engineering apps. These tools pair inventory or orders with supplier invoices entered directly into the program. You’ll just need to standardize your recipes.

A key role in your business

Proper inventory management can have a major impact on your business, not only by saving time but by reducing costs and food waste.

A number of digital tools provide detailed reports and help you place orders with suppliers. Other platforms can automatically calculate your costs and track losses.

Some restaurants may prefer entering data manually using spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel. Simply writing down all the information might also be sufficient, but the best solution for your restaurant might be to combine multiple tools.

Inventory tracking is a great way to assess the financial health of your business and identify what needs to be changed or added. Calculating your cost-to-revenue ratio, for example, will help you better understand your margins.

Properly managing your inventory will allow you to buy more of your popular ingredients and avoid stockouts, while reducing other orders to limit food waste.

A potentially costly oversight

Neglecting to carry out regular inventory checks can result in ingredient shortages or excess stock that turns into food waste and losses. The First In, First Out (FIFO) system is a simple solution for managing perishable foods.

Using inventory management software also helps avoid human error and accurately track your products in real time. All you need to do is train your staff for whichever system you choose. Some platforms even offer automated updates, reducing labour costs associated with the task.

Remember that proper inventory management can make all the difference between a loss-making business and a profitable one. It’s the key to running an efficient restaurant.

Highlight: Inventory management can make or break the success of a business.

In a bid to keep costs low and profits high, many restaurant operators opt for cheaper, lower-quality products. But is this really the way to keep customers happy? QUASEP will help you strike the perfect balance between quality and cost. 

More often than not, there’s a way to find cheaper ingredients. But is sacrificing quality for lower prices always worth it? What about chicken breasts that contain soy protein, or fattier bacon that produces more liquid when cooked? These products may end up complicating the cooking process or eating into profits if the quality isn’t up to standard—something customers are bound to notice.

It’s important to consider the impact of discount ingredients on the quality of your food. Simply put, cheaper products mean lower quality.

There are a number of ways restaurant operators can keep their prices low without compromising food quality. Start by removing the least popular items from your menu. If you find that customers often leave food on their plates, try adjusting your portion sizes—a sustainable practice that will reduce food waste. Customers are generally more forgiving of smaller portions with high-quality products.

Pre-portioning ingredients for your most popular menu items not only makes it easier to track inventory, but it saves time in the kitchen and helps you serve customers faster. Recycle leftovers, for example by turning day-old bread into a fresh batch of croutons. This is a great way to reduce food waste and keep costs down.

Label your products’ delivery and best-before dates, using older items first and newer items last. This will help keep food from going bad, while saving you time—and therefore money!

Seasonal menus are another great way to cut costs. You’ll save money with cheaper, in-season produce, while keeping loyal customers on the lookout for your new dishes. Not to mention you’ll be supporting local producers. More than ever, consumers are looking for sustainable, socially responsible businesses, no matter what they’re buying.

Working consistently with the same suppliers puts you in a better position to negotiate terms and prices, especially for high-volume orders. If you do decide to cut back on quality, look for products that are similar to what you currently sell. And don’t forget to use price guides to ensure you’re making an accurate comparison.

Highlight: There are many ways to keep costs down without sacrificing quality.

In the past, limited-time offers would typically be a year-end event, but these days, restaurant operators tend to run deals on a more regular basis. How do they go about it? What should operators consider beforehand? QUASEP will help you run deals that benefit both you and your customers.

Limited-time offers can come in the form of rewards, discounts or free products, offered over a specific period of time. One advantage is that they create a sense of urgency, bringing more customers into your business. In the restaurant industry, this means offering brand-new or seasonal dishes for a set amount of time.

Though often associated with major chains, limited-time offers can be a source of inspiration and a valuable tool for independent businesses. Since many of you are already reducing portion sizes to cut costs, try renewing the customer experience with temporary menu items.

In the past, these deals would typically be advertised in person at your restaurant. Today, you can easily promote them through your website, social media or affiliated delivery platforms. Online advertising offers the advantage of disseminating information faster and to a wider audience. This is a chance for independent restaurants to engage their regular customers directly.

Another way to run a limited-time offer is to work with a local partner, such as a sporting event, party or community organization.

Inventory management is key

Before running a limited-time offer, it’s important to check market conditions using inexpensive products. This will allow you to sell them at a similar or slightly higher price compared to your regular menu items.

Start by looking at your inventory, which plays a key role in pricing. Inventory turnover and management will help you prepare your deal and determine the right price. Since suppliers typically send their prices using digital technology, you have all the tools you need to make these calculations.

Your limited-time offer should also reflect your brand. For example, if you’re a steakhouse, you just need to come up with a dish that features an original sauce on a cut of meat that’s currently affordable on the market.

Limited-time offers are also great way to test a new menu item and minimize your losses if the product ends up performing poorly. If it proves successful, you may choose to repeat the experiment or even add the item to your regular menu.

Highlight: Start by checking your inventory to help you set the right price for your limited-time offer.

Often considered more affordable than other restaurant meals, breakfast is becoming more and more popular. What strategies should your business use to take advantage of this trend? QUASEP is here to help.

The numbers speak for themselves. In Restaurants Canada’s latest REACT survey, 62% of respondents said they bought breakfast outside the home in July 2023. This is the highest percentage the association has seen since it began collecting data in March 2022. In the survey, 17% of respondents ordered their first meal of the day at least once a week during that same month.

Just look at how popular breakfast and brunch chains have become. Fast-food restaurants across the country are now selling breakfast all day … and even all night!

Whether you’re the franchisee of a small chain or a hotel owner, this trend is a great opportunity not only to fill seats but to bring in extra revenue.

Breakfast and brunch are very popular with a wide range of customers, from early birds to midday risers. The latter tend to order more drinks with their first meal than they do with others—a fact that can prove quite profitable for your business. Try offering liquor-based cocktails, or focus instead on coffee and fruity, vitamin-packed drinks.

Finding the right price

With people already lining up outside brunch restaurants, operators can create even more of a buzz by offering specials on the first meal of the day. It may be tempting to lower prices to draw in more customers, but keep in mind that the cost of raw ingredients has risen. It’s best to assess your margins before setting prices too low, so you don’t end up absorbing these costs. You might instead want to put a menu item on special on a specific day of the week or for a limited time.

You can also incorporate healthy food into your marketing strategy. Many customers still consider the first meal of the day to be the most important. By offering fresh, quality ingredients, you’ll attract the more health-conscious clientele.

Another trick is to offer handheld meals. This is for busy customers looking to eat on the go—sandwich in one hand, coffee in the other. For some customers, however, table service is a must. If you target your market well, breakfast can be a real gold mine!

Highlight: With the right prices, breakfast or brunch is a great way to fill your restaurant and increase your revenue.

It may take time to understand the information you collect, but analyzing customer data can help you refine your brand message, improve services and sales, and enhance the overall customer experience. You’ll also build brand awareness and stronger, more lasting relationships with your clientele. QUASEP is here to help you do just that.

Your data may show, for example, that a customer orders a burger every Friday at lunchtime. This lets you know what they like to eat, when they like to eat it and therefore when they’re likely to repeat the purchase. Using the email address they provided during a previous visit, reach out to them at 11 a.m. to tempt them, or let them know when their favourite dish is on special, which will bring them in even if they weren’t planning to come.

When analyzing your overall customer data, if you find that the burger is your most popular menu item, maximize sales by promoting add-ons such as sides and drinks. If a product is very popular as a dine-in option, but not for takeout, offer it for free through your delivery platform. And if you want to promote other dishes, online customer reviews are a great resource.

At the end of each meal, send your customer a message to find out whether they enjoyed their experience, and invite them to answer a few more questions. If the feedback is positive, have them share it on your Google page and/or social media in a single click. For negative reviews, the manager can call the customer to find out what the problem was and perhaps offer them an incentive to give your restaurant another try.
 

Connect with customers
 

Use social media platforms to target different demographics and reach new customers. Younger users tend to be on TikTok and Instagram, while older generations spend more time on Facebook. As with newsletters, this is a great way to announce any changes that will affect your customers, such as seasonal menus, holiday hours or a new restaurant opening.

Doing this will bring you closer to your customers and make them feel part of a community. Using your loyalty program data, show your appreciation and build lasting relationships by hosting events such as exclusive tastings and thank-you dinners for returning customers.
Monitor order frequency, and when there’s a gap more than double the usual time period, have an automated email sent with the subject line: “We miss you.” Track order value and offer free delivery above a certain amount spent in your restaurant.

Collecting data allows you to tailor your messages to your customers’ expectations and behaviours. This will help build a sense of trust and loyalty with customers, while inspiring them to learn more about your restaurant.

Highlight: Collecting data allows you to create tailored messages, building a sense of trust and loyalty with customers, while inspiring them to learn more about your restaurant.
 

Collecting customer data is central to most marketing strategies. A number of methods exist, both direct and indirect, for understanding customer behaviour and preferences. QUASEP will help you decide where, what and how to collect.

Whether it’s an online reservation or a walk-in, have your customers share information such as their first and last name, email and postal code. When seating them, your server can ask how they heard about your restaurant and what brings them in that day. Or you can prompt customers on their phones as they scan the QR code for the menu.

You’ll want to collect as much information as possible during the first exchange, but if you have your customer’s email address, you can contact them to complete their profile later. In return for this additional information, try offering goods or services—a promo code in exchange for their date of birth, or the Wi-Fi password for their food allergies and intolerances.

Identity data can even include your customer’s family status, i.e. whether they’re in a relationship or have children, or socioeconomic information such as their income bracket, industry or even their job title.

Collecting information indirectly

Use your loyalty program and online ordering platform to instantly create detailed user profiles. This will give you access to purchase history, showing you how your customers are ordering (on-site, take-out or delivery), as well as when and how often. Your social media platforms and email marketing program are other great ways of collecting engagement analytics such as website traffic, newsletter open rates and conversion rates. Try analyzing each of your online platforms for device-specific engagement metrics.

Third-party delivery apps can provide you with behavioural data such as average order value or the use of delivery promotions. Behaviour analytics tools, for example Google Analytics, can tell you exactly what your customers are doing when they visit your site. 

There’s also attitudinal data, which has to do with how customers feel about your restaurant. Usually collected via surveys, online reviews and complaints, these insights focus on a particular menu item’s performance, reactions to pricing or comments about a seasonal dish.

Collecting data allows you to create customer profiles, which will give you a clearer idea of who’s coming to your business, how they’re consuming and why. This means you’ll be more in touch with them, respond better to their expectations and, in so doing, attract more customers and earn their appreciation.

Highlight: Collecting data allows you to create customer profiles, which means you’ll be more in touch with them, respond better to their expectations and, in so doing, attract more customers and earn their appreciation.
 

How can you make sure you don’t run out of canning jars in the middle of harvest season? What if you need to quickly replace a broken part for your mixer so that you don’t have to make your bread by hand? As a foodservice operator, you’ll need to protect your supply chain from serious and costly disruptions. QUASEP will help you mitigate the risks and minimize their impact.

Start with a risk management plan that focuses on prevention, preparation, reaction and recovery. Take steps to avoid the risks you can control, such as forgetting to order glass jars after opening the last case. Set up a contingency plan for disruptions beyond your control or that can happen abruptly, such as a labour strike with your supplier. React to these situations by following an established procedure to minimize the impact of a disruption, for example by standardizing and automating your business, which will help you restore your supply chain to normal capacity as swiftly as possible. 

Strengthen ties with suppliers

One way to mitigate risk is to diversify your supplier base. This way, you won’t be depending on a single company’s ability to fulfill orders, facing a major disruption if something prevents them from doing so. Be aware that this change can damage an important relationship, and your original supplier may raise prices to make up for the drop in order volume. You may choose to have one domestic and one international supplier—one to reduce delivery lead times and the other to cut costs.

Monitor supplier performance. Look at factors such as contract compliance, operational performance (work quality, delivery times, respect for deadlines, delivery completeness), business processes (defect prevention, inspections, regulatory compliance) and financial health (bankruptcy risk, liquidity, profitability). Use a performance indicator dashboard to track metrics such as average delivery times.

Invest in safety stock as a buffer against supply delays or spikes in demand. Quantities should factor in the time required to order products, as well as inventory trends and annual demand cycles. The extra product will take up space in your establishment, but will help you prevent stockouts and meet demand without having to raise prices.

Making use of technology

New technologies make supply chains more resilient to disruptions and help you run your business more effectively. You can track your inventory in real time, allowing you to restock based on demand, and you can analyze historical data to predict what you’ll need in the future.

While effective supply chains rely on long-term forecasting and planning, you need to be prepared to pivot in the event of disruptions caused by supply chain shortages, quality issues or machine downtime. Use cloud-based applications that can collect data in real time and provide quick analytics, making it easier to come up with plans and schedules.

Highlight: Start with a risk management plan that focuses on prevention, preparation, reaction and recovery.

Wood-fired cooking offers a culinary experience that will set you apart from other restaurants. Use the flames to sear, roast, smoke or braise anything from appetizers to dessert. Grilled meats and fish might be the most popular, but all types of food can be cooked with a wood fire—even delicate items such as oysters. QUASEP invites you to discover—or rediscover—a cooking method that will fill your restaurant with a warm, friendly and authentic atmosphere.

Wood-fired cooking is a beautiful process and a performance in itself. Some restaurant operators showcase this by placing the cooking equipment in the middle of their patio, or facing a glass wall to catch people’s attention. It’s a great way to showcase your staff’s skills as they work to maintain the fire at a consistent temperature. 

With temperatures up to 700°C, a wood fire can quickly sear meats and other products, as well as provide aesthetic grill marks. Shelled foods such as shellfish, or fairly thick-skinned vegetables such as corn, have a natural envelope that will cook almost to the point of burning, while preserving the flesh inside, melting and retaining a smoky flavour.

A wood fire will fill your restaurant with mouth-watering aromas and give your dishes a unique flavour. Experiment with different types of wood, which all have unique qualities. Oak is considered dense and dry, offering high heat and a slow burn, while juniper is often used to flavour meat. Restaurants have endless options when it comes to offering a creative product that fits their brand.

Cost-effective cooking

Wood-fired cooking requires much more preparation than some of the other methods. You’ll need to prepare the wood, set up the logs and start the fire by hand, making sure it stays lit. After cooking, you’ll also need to do a thorough cleaning (remember that smoke also leaves a deposit on surfaces and walls).

Using this equipment means you’ll need an air purifier to filter the smoke created during cooking. Barbecues, braziers and fireplaces also require an initial investment, but in the long run are far cheaper to maintain than ovens.

As a raw material, wood logs are the cheapest fuel on the market per kilowatt hour. By placing the equipment close to customers, you’ll heat the dining area and save on energy.

Highlight: Restaurants have endless options when it comes to offering a creative product that fits their brand.
 

There are a number of reasons you might choose seasonal products. First, they’re available in larger quantities, which means they’re more accessible and sold for less. Because the products were grown in their natural environment and picked at their ripest, they taste better and are filled with vitamins and minerals. QUASEP offers a few tips on how to make the most of this opportunity.

Start by getting organized and contacting your suppliers. They’re in the best position to predict the timing of upcoming seasonal products—weather being an important factor. Let your suppliers know how much you’ll need in order to serve the fresh produce to your customers when it arrives, while also preparing and preserving it for year-round menu items.

This means you’ll need the staff to handle the order and process the products. You have a number of options, such as hiring additional workers specifically for this task, or bringing in your team during closing hours to make large batches on a more casual basis. Make sure you’ve prepared everything you’ll need, from glass jars and labels to storage space.

No need to do everything yourself. Consider renting equipment such as pasteurizers and dehydrators, or even storage space, from external suppliers. You can also find a company that will handle all of your processing. This saves you the cost of acquiring becoming a MAPAQ-certified  food -establishment, as well as the need to maintain aging processing equipment. You’ll also have access to the expertise of specialized professionals.

Multiple processing methods

Whether it’s canned salsa, apricot jam, frozen pesto, fermented beans or dried mushrooms, take an interest in the different processing methods so you can preserve your products and use them in different ways. For example, freezing your food is quick and easy, requires little equipment and preserves vitamins and flavours. You can also dry your food, which keeps flavours and nutrients intact, and requires little storage space. 

This will save you time in the winter, when you can take out freeze-dried strawberries to serve with chocolate mousse. By using fresh products, you’ll make the most of each one, while limiting waste. In the colder months, you’ll have a wider range of products at your disposal when preparing your menus. With more and more restaurant operators turning to the grocery market, why not try marketing and selling your own products?

Whether you’ve done everything in-house or you’ve outsourced, be sure to emphasize the home-made aspect! Stand out from the competition while meeting customer demand for healthy products. This will foster a sense of loyalty in your existing customers, while attracting new ones.

Highlight: Whether you’ve done everything in-house or you’ve outsourced, be sure to emphasize the home-made aspect!

Cutting costs is often a necessary response to an economic downturn. But where should you make these cuts, and just how far should you go? Extreme measures can jeopardize the quality of the culinary experience and the business itself. QUASEP will help you find the perfect balance.

Maintaining the quality of your food and service is key, even if it means spending a little more. With too many cutbacks, your customers will notice and possibly take their business elsewhere. With fewer customers, you’re more likely to sacrifice quality to save on expenses, sending you into a downward spiral. Keep a close eye on procurement costs, however, to make sure that your menu prices are representative and that you don’t lose money. For customers, a slightly higher bill can even be seen as a sign of quality.

You may be tight on cash, but so are they. Customers should be respected and rewarded for their loyalty to your business. Maintain the quality not only of your food, but of the service with your staff. Your employees are the key to your success, so you need to recognize their work. Think long-term and offer them consistent opportunities for training and professional development to keep them engaged in your business.

You can reduce certain expenses without sacrificing quality. Marketing costs are one example, provided you find a way to use social media more effectively or build new partnerships. Try tagging your distributor, who might then mention you on their platform.

Make use of technology

Use technology to improve your operational efficiency and profitability. Invest in a direct ordering system, for example, to reduce third-party ordering costs with delivery applications. Or try automating internal operations such as inventory tracking and purchase order creation to help you control your budget, maintain supplier relationships and foresee potential disruptions that may complicate your business.

Apply the same optimization strategy to your kitchen, for example by introducing a vegetable slicer. Take the opportunity to make eco-friendly choices and demonstrate these values to your customers, perhaps with a new-generation oven that emits less heat.

Get creative

Keep your menu up to date, identifying best-selling items and rethinking others. Consider replacing expensive ingredients, such as goat cheese, with more affordable ones, such as a mix of fresh cheese and plain yogurt or sour cream. You can also limit the number of ingredients you use, allowing you to buy in larger quantities and enjoy lower prices. Try negotiating better deals with your suppliers, such as longer payment terms and overall discounts.
 
Diversify your revenue streams to include catering or retail, for example, which will help you reach new customers. No matter the case, communicate with your patrons. If you adjust your menu and prices, providing reasons for these changes will limit your customers’ frustration. They will also appreciate your transparency, which will help you build a stronger relationship with them.

Exergue: Without sacrificing quality, you can reduce certain expenses while optimizing others.
 

The no-alcohol trend goes beyond events such as the 28-Day Alcohol-Free Challenge. More and more consumers are either having no alcohol or limiting how much they drink. Meeting this demand is therefore a great business opportunity. QUASEP will help you put together a tantalizing offering.

Start by adding classics such as root beer to your non-alcoholic menu. That way, you’re sure to reach a wide customer base all year round. Try including seasonal drinks such as blackberry mocktails and rhubarb lemonade. This gives customers one more reason to show up, while setting you apart from the competition. You can even add in local flavours, with boreal ingredients such as fir tree tips.

Homemade blends are a great way to add an artisanal and original flair to your menu. Drinks such as iced tea will help you cut costs. Take advantage of the ingredients’ natural taste, adjusting the flavours and sugar content. Health is an important aspect to showcase, as this is often one of the reasons customers opt for non-alcoholic drinks. You can explain, for example, that carbonated beverages help with digestion and are a refreshing addition to summer dinners and appetizers.

Showcase your initiative by sharing a video of your preparation process to social media. Try using a lesser-known variety to arouse customers’ curiosity, or offer different types of the same fruit to persuade them to order the tasting tray or come back each week. Maximize your sales by offering your products to go, or by distributing them through retail stores. 
 
Fast service

For a full menu, offer at least one mocktail, one sparkling drink, a few pairings for the main course and a digestif. But you don’t need to do everything yourself. The market for non-alcoholic beverages has become quite rich, with a wide selection of products including non-alcoholic wines, beers and spirits.

These drinks are available as ready-to-drink options or on tap, with standardized recipes that can be served quickly. Take the time to choose the perfect glassware and add a garnish. It’s important for customers to enjoy their tasting experience. This will enhance your non-alcoholic offering and put it on par with that of alcoholic beverages.

This is an opportunity to promote your values as a business. You can rely on major brands to offer quality products, and you can invite new customers to try non-alcoholic beverages. Try featuring non-standard products made by smaller businesses, which will attract connoisseurs and more adventurous consumers.

Guide customers and encourage them to try new menu items by offering them non-alcoholic food and beverage pairings. Take the time to explain how the two work together to create unique flavours. A sparkling cranberry juice, for example, is a perfect match for a chocolate dessert, as the drink’s bitterness and acidity offer a contrast to the richness of the dish.

Highlight: Maximize your sales by offering your products to go, or by distributing them through retail stores.