Operations

How franchisees can benefit from limited-item menus

A limited menu allows a brand to create signature items that makes it stand out in a crowded field. Nick Binnings, director of brand development for Southern Classic Chicken, explains how a limited menu can actually be a boon in the restaurant industry.

Provided

October 7, 2021 by Nick Binnings — AC, Franchise Elevator PR

For years the limited yet inexpensive and straightforward menus excelled in the quick-service restaurant space and continue to do so. But why? The answer is a limited menu allows your brand to create a signature item that makes you stand out among your competitors. Customers know exactly where they can go if they want a double cheeseburger, the crispiest fried chicken, and cheesy pizza. Not only does a limited item menu make your brand known for providing the best quality of one item, but it holds a great benefit for franchisees.

Currently, we have national labor storage in the food industry, along with the standard high turnover rates that this industry has faced for years. The days of training employees for multiple weeks ended decades ago, and the truth is the best training is hands-on where new employees can jump right on the line. Say you have an endless menu of items that customers can choose from. Can you expect a new employee to know how to sell and assemble everything you offer? The answer is no. A limited-item menu makes it easier to train your new employees and allows them to become masters at creating your signature item. For example, brands such as Southern Classic Chicken, who specialize in fried chicken trains their crew the single core function of making their signature home-style fried chicken. Not only does a limited item menu benefit training your employees, but it also comes in handy for franchisees.

We already covered how limited-item menus provided quicker and efficient training to your employees, but can we say the same about franchisees? The answer is yes. Franchisees can benefit significantly from the fast-paced and more straightforward training that limited-item menus offer. A franchisee will learn about the brand's signature item very quickly and can devote their time learning more about the franchise model and preparing to open their new businesses.

Another benefit for franchisees is that limited-item menus maintain product quality control and consistency that limit production mistakes. This also allows for fewer ingredients to purchase and manage, which provides a better financial benefit to running your own business and avoids buying errors.

Lastly, franchisees benefit from the seamless and utilization of technology for online and kiosk orders that limited-item menus offer. This provides faster ordering and waits times, increasing the number of customers going through your line and allowing your business to handle a larger volume of orders effortlessly. In addition, a limited-item menu creates quick and efficient home delivery options that have become increasingly popular by customers since the start of the pandemic. As a result, there is less risk of missing items, prolonged wait times, and customization confusion.

For both large and small franchise operations, a limited-item menu provides many benefits to franchisees, especially those new to owning their business. This menu concept uses its ongoing success to set up both the franchisor and franchisee for long-term success. Overall, the goal is to create the best customer experience, seamless production line, and increased profits, and franchising with a brand with a limited-item menu could offer you that.

About Nick Binnings

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