How merchandising can ft in

today's foodservice menus

When a panel of four "visual merchandisers" recently shared their tips
with Society for Foodservice Management (SFM) members gathered
for a regional meeting in New Yor !ity" hosted by #ime" $nc% and
Sode&ho Marriott Svcs%" one thing was clear'food must remain the
star of the show%
(ut after that given" the operator)s creativity should be channeled in
order to communicate a consistent message to customers%
*ccording to panel facilitator *nne +aertner" principal" Face to Face
$nsights" $nc%" displays should be strategically located within the
servery%
, ey ob-ectives. "/b-ects within the display are positioned in order to
(0) achieve )balance)1 (2) create interest1 (3) promote easy viewing1
and (,) strategically direct the guest)s eyes% *ttention should also be
paid to minimi4ing cost and ma&imi4ing the versatility of the
components used% #hat is" you should be able to easily )refresh) the
loo"" +aertner says%
5anelist 6uth (arratt" v%p% *rt 7 Style at NY!8based 6estaurant
*ssociates (a div% of !ompass +roup" N%*%) has a strong bacground in
painting" weaving and architecture" and has served as e&ec% dir% of the
World !raft !ouncil% She brings these talents "to the table"" eeping in
mind the tastes of 6*)s "very sophisticated guests%"
"+uests eat with their eyes% We use fresh 9uality products" presented
simply and ungarnished% #he salad bar should loo abundant and very
fresh" with a contrast in color% We don)t garnish because (a) it)s
e&pensive and (b) customers can)t see what you)ve got% We :nd if you
have an abundance of what you display" that)s what sells"" (arratt
points out%
She suggests displaying summer fruits on a glass stand and using big
white platters'white to best enhance the colors of the food'on
di;erent levels on a small table if space is at a premium% For ethnic
dishes" the appropriate bowls and plates should be used" such as
metal bowls for rice%
Some baset pointers. (asets have their own cache" she :nds%
"5eople are attracted to them" and there should be an abundant
display of fruit at the register% $f you thin the baset needs tilting to
better reveal the contents" it probably needs more product%"
*dam Freed" a !$* grad and dir% of merchandising for F<$= $ntl%" !orp
(a div% of !ompass +roup" N%*%)" is based at !leary +ottlieb in
Manhattan% >e)s emphatic in his contention that merchandising isn)t
about maing things loo pretty%
"$t)s about identifying every opportunity to enhance the servery and
to complement the station for additional retail sales%"
* master of change" Freed suggests moving things around% "Suddenly
it)s )new) and )di;erent) in a di;erent place%"
#oo much" too bad. >e believes that merchandising must be a team
e;ort and cashiers" in particular" need to "buy in%" $n fact" he urges
operators to train people for merchandising when they hire them'
right from the start%
Several ey elements in successful merchandising" from his
perspective" include.
/dd is better than even% >ave groups of items':ve bananas" :ve
apples" etc%" not -ust one of each in a bowl%
Fluorescent lighting is the harshest loo" low8voltage halogen" the
best%
+et rid of steamtables% Fill wells with ice and top with platters"
utili4ing risers with ice beneath%
5rovide a visual change of heights%
?isplay a bu;et that)s smartly arranged so it maes sense with the
@ow of traAc%
Finally" he cautions. "#oo much of anything is bad%"
<isa <arsen >ill" v%p% mareting and food and beverage" corporate
svcs% for Sode&ho Marriott Svcs%'and ey developer of the
contractor)s 5assport !uisines program'notes the acronym F*!# says
it all when it comes to successful merchandising. $t must be food
focused and fresh1 always evolving1 customer8driven1 and targeted to
suit varied audiences%
!onducting a culinary real estate assessment of your own location'
that is" setching a @oor plan'is well worth the e;ort" she says%
"<oo at a supermaret% #he :rst things you see as you enter are
fresh fruits and vegetables% Food is the star% We use minimum props
so the customer isn)t distracted from the main goal% >aving a food
focus means putting our money where our mouth is'having an
abundance of fresh" high89uality items"" she e&plains%
=eeping concepts fresh. /nce the program'including signage
customi4ed to the location'is in place" concepts must be ept fresh%
"67? is e&tremely important to us" with tremendous emphasis on
ideas from the :eld% )Magic is everything") but the food has to be
there%"
For a taste of what one successful restaurateur and merchandising
maven has cooed up" Maury 6ubin" chef owner of NY!8based !ity
(aery" -oined the panel to share several of his low8budget" customer8
enticing e;orts%
"*s a store eeper" the most important thing is to listen and watch the
response of the customer% $ lie to have something in place post8
e&ecution% For e&ample" after a huge storm" $ went out and collected
all the broen umbrellas abandoned in the neighborhood and created
a window display of handles with a cae in the center% 5eople still tal
about it and that was eight years ago% $ also endorse the ine&pensive
:&ture approach'$)ll use a ,BC plumbing piece set into a chocolate
mousse tart in the window"" according to 6ubin%
Merchandising broen baed goodsD 6ubin has one solution% "For the
holidays" we baed tens of thousands of gingerbread cooies% We
bagged up broen pieces and posted this sign. )5hysically !hallenged
+ingerbread 5eopleEMy brea is your brea") and sold them all for F2
per pound%"