Small Plates, Big Opportunities: Upselling Menu Items

Small plates are reshaping dining out, and they’re a big growth opportunity for your business. With insight, inspiration, and revenue generating ideas for your restaurant, here’s everything you need to know…

From Meals to Moments

The traditional three-meals-a-day routine is blurring, with consumers seeking more choice and variety when dining out – even if it means downsizing their meals.

74% of consumers have a snack in place of a traditional meal at least once per week, with 63% ordering it from a quick service restaurant at least once per month*.

Presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for your business, understanding this shift in behaviour is key to unlocking success. The main motivator in this shift? Customers wanting more. More snacking, more shareability, more choice.

Ensuring your menu works for this evolving style of dining will be the key to sustainable growth.

Snackable Success

Tapping into this trend doesn’t require a full menu overhaul. Ultimately your customers want the option to try more of your menu in a way that works for them. From affordability to curating their own experience, 45% of consumers order small plates so they can try new and different things^.

So, what does this mean for your menu?

Elevating your sides and creating smaller versions of the menu items your customers already love is an easy way to cater to this trend. With low operational risk, you can provide snackable options for both dine in and takeaway customers to enjoy.

Whether it’s a flavour-packed pastry or an elevated side dish, we can help you win snacking with small plate menu ideas perfect for your business.

Unwrapping The Opportunity

Small touches can make a big difference when it comes to creating more options for your customers. That’s where the Mondelēz range shines… Leverage the power of market-leading brands that are already known and loved by your customers, driving indulgence and excitement with your menu.

Chef Jonny Marsh has done just that with his top two recipes that answer the small plates trend. An elevated classic Baked Philadelphia^® Cream Cheese and Spinach Pastry provides the perfect lighter lunch option for customers dining in or on-the-go – with Philadelphia maintaining that all-important creamy texture when baked, allowing you to prepare ahead of time. For a more indulgent moment, Jonny’s Bournville^®Chocolate Truffles give your customers an excuse to treat themselves, with only a handful of ingredients making them a low-risk, high-reward menu item.

Servable Solutions

As small plates and snacking reshape the dining habits of your customers, adapting your menu in a smart, sustainable way will help you stand out.

Work with your menu, not against it. Smaller, snackable versions of your popular menu items are where to start.

Make small enhancements to drive big upsell, using quality ingredients that your customers love.

Encourage curation by giving your customers the freedom to create their own experience with more sharing options.

Think small. Design snack menu items that are suitable for both dine-in and on-the-go.

Sources:

*Datassential Snacking Keynote Report, August 2023

^Omne Client Insights Event Report 202