What an owner wants VS. what the guests want

In my few years of doing consultancy for restaurants, this is one of the hardest things to balance: what an owner wants against what guests want.

For yet to open restaurants that don't have a very specific theme or cuisine, my work is the hardest in terms of putting the menu together. I have met owners who have a hard time accepting that not all the recipes that they want can go to the menu. I have seen others go so wayward with the menu choices that you get confused yourself whether the owner really wants to make this a business or just a personal kitchen. Luckily, there are also other owners who listen. They are aware that, as owners, they do have all the right in the world to insist on what they want. However, they also know that since this is a business activity, then their decision would have to follow what is the whim of their clients and consequently, what will be the best for the business.

If the restaurant has a theme, at least stick to the theme. There can be no burgets in an Asian restaurant, as an example, even if the owner loves burgers. (Maybe he or she should just open a burger house.)

If it's a generic setup like a family restaurant or cafe, there are a couple of ways to put together the menu. One is to know what the locals like to eat. Ask around. Eat otu. Make a survey or a study. It is better to do these than to be sorry later on when there is a few people in the dining area.

Second is make a theme or menu that is yours and create a need or clamor for them. That means making the food really delicious that it becomes a by-word or a new talk of the town. You can't really go wrong too much with great-tasting food, can you?

For an existing restaurant, my earlier suggestion of asking customers is still the best way to revise a menu. Listen to your clients. Guests who feel their opinions matter tend to patronize an establishment more.