The beer and cocktails are certainly important to the success of a bar or brew pub, but it's not the only way to attract customers. The food is also essential, and recent trends have shown a movement toward higher-end food items in bars. In fact, a new type of restaurant has emerged called a gastropub.
The challenge of serving food in bars or brew pubs is they often don't have the needed equipment and supplies to execute a quality menu. It doesn't take a massive 10-burner range or a complex oven, though. A great menu can actually be served with smart choices and a little creativity, and here are three ways to improve a bar's food menu that don't take a lot of high-end culinary skills.
Combi ovens provide versatility while reducing the strain on labor.
When it comes to versatility, there isn't a single piece of foodservice equipment that comes close to a combi oven. Consider the RATIONAL iCombi Pro XS model, which uses a reduced footprint to provide baking, roasting, and steaming capabilities, just to name a few. Menus can include creative pizza recipes, fries for the perfect poutine, and even more complex pub food like corned beef and cabbage. Even better, these units can be programmed to operate at the touch of a bottom, and overnight, to make them useful even when staff isn't present. For the staff that is, they're simple to use.
Beer and brats go hand-in-hand, one in the right and the other in the left.
We don't need to go to Oktoberfest to know how beer and brats are forever linked in brew pub lore. Whether a high-end sausage made from game or a standard package of store-bought brats, adding a diverse sausage and wurst program is a great way to attract beer-loving customers. Toasters from Hatco are an easy way to execute this type of menu by allowing for two different cooking areas -- one that can heat sausages and the other to heat the buns. In reality, though, these toasters can help with more than just brats. They can be used for any menu item that requires heating ingredients or components at two different temperatures.
Press profits with a panini press.
Lastly, we turn to the icon of melted sandwiches -- the panini. Though they sound complex and elegantly Italian, the reality is the word panini is simply how Italians say the word sandwich. For bar and brew pub operators, employing a Hatco panini press is an easy way to provide a much-loved food type with an entire range of customization on behalf of the customer, from meat type to the style of cheese. In fact, an entire menu can be creatively comprised by pairing different meats and cheeses, then pressing them between two pieces of bread. The opportunities are endless.
High Sabatino has a wide range of foodservice solutions that can help both existing and new operations become more proficient and profitable. Spend some time with us to learn how we can help.
