Pizza restaurant operators are rethinking their kitchen crossover, as more beverages from the bar are becoming infused with ingredients typically reserved for menu items. The opposite is also true, as bourbon- and-beer infused sauces and spreads are covering wings, topping burgers and showing up in signature sauces.
The examples are everywhere from smoked ribs served in vodka, to Bloody Mary-infused mayonnaise on sandwiches. And while we could dedicate an entire article to the art of Bloody Mary's and the most versatile uses of its tomato-base mix, the larger theme is that cocktails and food are finding creative ways to mix and merge.
But what does this mean for pizza restaurant operators looking to purchase enough to feed the demand from the kitchen, bar and guest preferences? The answer is as easy or as complicated as the restaurant operator wants to make it.
Bar crossover historically has consisted of a few sliced fruits, olives and juices. However, the increased use in alcoholic and mock beverages of items such as bacon, simple syrups, bitters, herbs and flowers, has changed the way restaurant operators view their bar menus and ingredient lists.
Because of the current crossover, it's important that bar managers and kitchen crews communicate to avoid overage or underage of products and ingredients. It doesn't make sense to have both the bar manager and the chef place two separate orders for bacon, ribs, mozzarella cheese, herbs or any other ingredient found in both back-of-house (the kitchen) and front-of-house (the bar) menu applications. Better communication among both groups also means the best type of ingredients are ordered to cover everything the bar and kitchen need to fulfill orders.
For example, our team once worked with a brand that was ordering 10 different types of bacon to be used in the bar and restaurant, and in a wide variety of applications. There was one type on a buffet line, several others used in the kitchen and still others at the bar.
A good assessment showed the brand could use three varieties of bacon with the same results, but considerable savings in the process. The teams just needed to communicate what was being used and where to better determine how their bacon order could be streamlined and less hectic for the staff to know what variety went where. And just as an aside, in this case it's worth noting that the use of an invoice analysis and spend management tool was integral to uncovering and subsequently solving the problems.
The same approach can be taken with any menu or bar item (including alcohol) that goes back and forth between the bar and kitchen. Lemons can be used for their zest in a salad or as a fresh alternative to vodka-based drinks. Oranges can be used in the same capacity as well as clam juice for pasta-based sauces and drinks that use the juice as a mixer. The trick is to get creative and then order appropriately.
When it comes to ordering items that cross over from the bar to the kitchen or vice versa, the trick is to communicate the needs and to make sure there is an understanding of the customer-ordering history. If beverages using clam juice are ordered less than ones that incorporate spices, such as jalapeños, be sure you have enough to meet the demands of supply on either side.
And if the bar uses ingredients that are not on the menu, such as oysters for oyster shooters, the kitchen staff should be encouraged to get creative and come up with menu items as potential LTOs that could incorporate such items. The larger the quantity of items ordered, the more potential there is to lower costs.
And don't also forget the trend of booze-infused ice creams and desserts. Bourbon-inspired sauces for bread pudding and rum-infused flavors for ice creams are just two examples of how alcohol is playing a part in the menu. While some restaurant concepts have done this for years, many independent operators and other chains are just now experimenting with different flavors and varieties of their offerings.
If you're hesitant, Angostura now makes bitters in flavors that can be used in sauces and drinks. Their website also offers a host of ways their products can be used at the bar and for menu items. The key is deciding whether to use one of their examples or creating a hybrid/signature item based on merging their recommendations with a few ideas of your own.
Again, it's about thinking through the different applications tied to both the bar and kitchen menus, adjusting their flavor profiles accordingly, then ordering ingredients in a way that makes sense for both teams to use.
Andy Rosenbloom is a foodservice professional who heads up the marketing team at the Buyers Edge Platform and its associated GPO brands, including Dining Alliance, Consolidated Concepts, Buyers Edge, FoodBAM and others. Andy’s insights come from a cross-section of the operators, distributors, manufacturers, service providers and trend-watchers.
https://www.pizzamarketplace.com/blogs/is-your-kitchen-bar-crossover-management-blowing-money-out-the-door/
2019-10-14 11:00:00Z
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