Other menu items?

jbass · BBQ Fan Joined: 06 Jun 2010 Posts: 122 Location: Cairo, GA

Do you offer "other" items on you menu i.e. Hot Dogs/Hamburgers?

Bbq Bubba · Posted: Mar 27 2013 Post subject: Re: Other menu items?

Lost Nation · Posted: Mar 27 2013 Post subject:

I sell smoked hot dogs at my BBQ stand. I don't sell very many but they use the same bun as I use for my XL sandwich plus I eat what I don't sell.

jbass · BBQ Fan Joined: 06 Jun 2010 Posts: 122 Location: Cairo, GA

I was asking because it has been suggested by a few people including our health inspector.

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Mar 27 2013 Post subject:

We haven't for the last 3 years, but we are now expanding our menu to include a wider array of items.

The way I see it, if you do not have items for people who may think they do not like BBQ, you're missing out on increased income.

You may have a guys wife who had what a Neighbor calls BBQ one time, and hated it because it sucked. But the husband wants BBQ, and if there is not something there for the wife, or picky child, that's lost cashflow.

My original plan was BBQ, Fried bird, & pizza. But my start-up funding didn't allow that to happen, but now we are going that way to meet a wider array of customers.
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Cat797 · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

Harry, you going to do fish-frys too? Seems that's very popular up your way.
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Geronimo · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

I think it is a good idea to offer some "other items" but one can sure get carried away...kind of like trying to carry every brand of beer in a tavern. Shocked

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ceedubya · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

While I don't have experience here yet, I plan to offer a very traditional bbq menu with regular daily specials (burnt end saturdays, smoked salmon fridays, rib tip tuesdays, etc).

But, we are also going to have burgers for the same reason Harry already mentioned. This is a small town, and I want to bring in customers who may not want bbq that day, or are tagging along with a friend and want something other than. Like the bbq menu, the burger menu will be simple. A "build your own burger" concept. 3 choices in patty, 2 choices in bun, select your toppings and you have a burger.

This will also allow us to have daily grill specials too, brisket philly cheesesteaks, sausauge and peppers, etc.

Not traditional bbq? oh well, the money will spend the same.
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SoEzzy · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

ceedubya · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

qfanatic01 · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

The problem we have had with fresh things not BBQ is selling enough to use fresh product and not have waste. I don't want to sell anything from a freezer but you can't afford to throw it away either. My employees got tired of the items that needed to be eaten up at the end date. We can't sell fish outside of lent and we only sell a couple burgers other than kids burgers. I sadly now have frozen burgers and chicken fingers for kids meals and the occasional person coming to a BBQ joint who doesn't want BBQ. Our salad sales have grown steadily. I have about a dozen sides and they have created a bottle neck I cannot get around without lowering our quality and creating waste. My customers have to wait for freshly finished sides, but we have zero waste and high quality sides. We are running red beans and rice as a side special tonight. Since we opened we have tried fried fish, fried chicken, BBQ Tacos, Smoked Prime Rib, Smoked Pork Loin and several other sides. Our menu evolved from what people ordered. Although it's a lot more work and some waste in the beginning I believe it's best to start with a bit larger menu than you want and let the your sales tell you what to keep. At my first restaurant we had monthly specials, some items turned into full time menu items and some sold well only as specials. We had folks who looked forward to their favorite specials. We have the same situation with our Brisket Chili now. If I run it on the menu I throw it out and if I run it as a special once a month it sells out in a couple of days. You just have to evolve into what works for you.
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Geronimo · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject:

I saw an episode on Kitchen Nightmares a while back where a place had 23 "specials" along with 3-4 pages of "regular" menu items. Shocked

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Ridge View BBQ · Posted: Mar 28 2013 Post subject: Sure do, sorta

We do but they all are loosely tied to the BBQ theme, an our waste is very minimal. Here is a link to our menu
http://ridgeviewbbq.com/menu.html

We offer enough variety that we have a lot of repeat business thru-out the week that I don't think you would get with just hardcore BBQ. But bear in mind we are mostly a Lunch store so it might be different for some of the others,,,,every market is different
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