Grilled Cheese and ?

[glenn]

lreda stated in another thread: "The reason: I'm getting sick of people not finishing their accompinments(sic). It seems like a waste of food. The sides are good..."

I have a similar complaint. We are a sandwich place whose menu centers around a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. We serve a very nice fresh green salad (and fresh slice of tomato) with every sandwich. I'd say about 20% of the salads go untouched and about another 20% are half-eaten. With the price of mesclun going up and tomatoes being expensive, my choice is either to raise the price of the sandwich by about 50 cents (about 10%) or serve another side, such as a nice pasta salad, and keep the price the same. Which would you prefer? If I go to a less expensive side dish, what do you suggest? Other places with a related concept either serve no accompaniment or taco chips. I don't want to go that route though.

[s'kat]

What about serving your sandwiches with simply a nice, crisp pickle... if a customer wanted the salad, or other side, it could be included at a modest price.

[touaregsand]

I'm not quite understanding your thought process. If your customers eat the side salad you wouldn't be complaining about the cost for the house? Do you really think that the salad costs you 50 cents?

Anyway, ask your customers if they want a side of salad. I don't know about offering a less expensive side, I'd offer more sides at additional cost. A little bit of greens simply dress up a sandwich for me. As a consumer I don't expect a big portion of greens for free with a sandwich. So maybe you can cut costs by using a lighter hand when you plate, more like a garnish. Less expensive options are probably starched based (except maybe a pickle, which I suspect would have even a lower rate of consumption than greens) pasta or potato salad. Coleslaw comes to mind. But those options up your labor costs. Even if you're making them yourself, your time is still money. Don't forget that even though you are the owner.

[highchef]

Is the salad there so customers can put lettuce and tomato on the sandwich if they want? If so, just ask them if they want it dressed or not when they order. If people arn't eating it, they won't order it. I like chips with grilled cheese anything, but another angle would be a small container of tomato soup as a side. There's a good basic recipe in 'Great good Food' I think is the name, the Silver Palate people's book that was out a few years back. It's not hard at all and could be made daily. It also remembers the allspice. I'm not sure what I'd pay for a side like that. I was in a 'wrap shop' yesterday and they had very small containers of potato salad, coleslaw and mac salad for 75 Cents each, but none grabbed me enough to even pay that much. The wraps were good though, and that's why I go there. Sides are laniappe and I tend to ignore them unless they're really different/good.

[sadistick]

Easy solution, and cheaper.

Coleslaw

[jsolomon]

How about offering the sandwich with a pickle or two at $.45 less than the current price and the nice salad at $.30 more?

You should be able to make up the loss in volume of the former.

[touaregsand]

How about offering the sandwich with a pickle or two at $.45 less than the current price and the nice salad at $.30 more?

You should be able to make up the loss in volume of the former.

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Print up new menus?

[Tess]

How about offering the sandwich with a pickle or two at $.45 less than the current price and the nice salad at $.30 more?

You should be able to make up the loss in volume of the former.

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Print up new menus?

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Aren't they working with paper menus anyway?

I agree with the pickle idea, and other stuff (salad, soup) ordered for a surcharge.

[Jinmyo]

Easy solution, and cheaper.

Coleslaw

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Agreed.

[*Deborah*]

I have read a few of the threads about your restaurant, Glenn, and I think it’s great, what you’ve done.

When I’m in grilled cheese mode, I normally don’t really want a salad at all...ketchup or tomato soup for me, but I’m a heathen. If not a dill pickle, how about some kind of vegetable relish? I don’t know what it’s called other than corn relish, but something like that would be a nice tart counterpoint to a sandwich. Of course you’d want one that had some colour in it besides yellow.

I’m sure people would pay a .50-cent or $1 add-on for a green salad if you wanted to continue offering it.

[NulloModo]

If you remove the salad, you have to lower prices. If I were dining regularly at a spot and I suddenly started getting less lunch for the same money, it would take something phenomenal for me to want to go back to that spot. Since you are just starting out and I am assuming trying to establish some dedicated regulars, you need to make sure the customers don't start think you are gipping them, and signs stating 'due to the rising costs of blah blah blah' aren't going to do it.

[touaregsand]

60% eat it

20% eat some of it

20% don't touch it

I don't know what the cost of greens is in New Jersey, if it really is that high use less expensive lettuce as a garnish.

Cole Slaw just doesn't look as pretty as a scattering of greens and a tomato. I also don't think cole slaw consumption as a side would be greater than the consumption of greens. As a customer I would expect to pay for coleslaw. Why give something away for free when you can charge for it? It also has to be premade and when it's past it's flavor prime you just have to dump it. Whereas greens can last a bit longer and are already probably used in other sandwiches. If you decide to add other sides in the future on the menu that you charge for you'll get "can I have potato salad instead?" with the assumption that substitutions are allowed free of charge.

Your customers are used to seeing the greens.

Are you doing consistent volume to be able to project how much of a premade item you would have to make? I understand that it's a new business.

Penny wise, pound foolish?

[ludja]

I would offer a choice of coleslaw, green salad or a pickle.

(Personally, I'd prefer the salad you're serving right now). This should decrease the number of uneaten side dishes. I wouldn't get rid of the green salad; 60-80% of your customers seem to be enjoying it just fine.

[sabg]

how about changing it depending on price/season etc. one week try corn salsa, one week black bean kinda thing (my fav), then coleslaw, then chips and see what works best (most economical with high consumption) i dont think you need to stick to one thing but i do think it has to be something

[YoChefGregg]

I agree with the choice suggestion.

3 or 4 simple items. Your salad, pickles, corn relish, carrot raisin salad, pasta salad, etc.

[cakewalk]

Is it feasible for you to have a small sidebar where people can take what they want, at no extra charge? You wouldn't have expensive stuff, just the sort of things that have been discussed discussed above: pickles, relish, lettuce, onions, etc. People will either take or not. (Note: I have no experience in the restaurant business, and don't know if people would get greedy because it's free, or decide against taking things they don't want because they're given an option. Personally, I would only go for the pickle -- and then only if it was a half-sour!)

[racheld]

Do the greens come dressed or with dressing on the side, just so it's definitely recognized as a side salad? Is it directly on the plate, or in its own separate container? From my own past experience, I would think most people have an aversion to any wet greens leaking onto any kind of sandwich. As above asked, are customers meant to dress their sandwiches with the greens/tomato? (I can't imagine prying a nicely-melted crispy cheese sandwich apart to add anything).

I never order one in a restaurant, but our home accompaniments are either homemade peach jam for dipping, or fresh fruit chunks, either as kabobs or a salad. The salty/buttery sandwich seems to need a slightly sweet counterpoint; maybe it's just a family taste.

And a cup of soup seems perfectly matched to a crunchy-crusted sandwich oozing creamy, melted cheese.

The temp is dropping outside; I know what's on our menu tonight.

rachel

[touaregsand]

I think that Glen is concerned about lowering his costs. Offering more free choices doesn't accomplish this.

[highchef]

I think that Glen is concerned about lowering his costs. Offering more free choices doesn't accomplish this.

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not more. different.

[touaregsand]

I think that Glen is concerned about lowering his costs. Offering more free choices doesn't accomplish this.

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not more. different.

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I was referring to some posts that suggested offering more choices.

[Cleo]

I agree with the idea of offering a choice or mabye 2 or 3 things. Maybe salad, coleslaw or chips.

As I said in that other thread, I have a picky husband who wouldn't eat salad or coleslaw (although he would never expect a discounted price--he'd just leave it on the plate or tell the server that he didn't want anything). But he would definitely eat some good chips. Or better yet, what about fries?

Edited April 6, 2005 by Cleo (log)

[Toasted]

I'd like a bag of chips and a pickle please.

[Jenny McClure]

I would go for tomato soup or a good fruit chutney. Sharp Cheddar and fruit chutney are hard to beat for me.

[nwyles]

(Note: I have no experience in the restaurant business, and don't know if people would get greedy because it's free, or decide against taking things they don't want because they're given an option. Personally, I would only go for the pickle -- and then only if it was a half-sour!)

I do not want to get this off topic too much but a quick comment. Some people will take so much of anything if it is free, to the point of ruining whatever they are eating just to get more. It is the same sort of mentality that make people totally pig out at a buffet - they have to make sure they eat twice as much as they think the price is worth, to the point of being uncomfortably full, otherwise they are not having a good time. Think about how drunk people get at weddings if someone else is picking up the bar tab. They probably have not been that drunk in years but if the booze is free...........they will drink to the point of vomiting. Good times.

[Daddy-A]

I'm a tomato soup person myself. But if pressed into the confines of this thread , I suppose the coleslaw would work okay. As was mentioned earlier, give the customer a choice.

But honestly, can you really force someone to finish what's on their plate? I know that's not what glenn is suggesting, but there are just some people who will always leave something on their plate.

Personaly, I leave the parsley.

A.