fried appetizers with glasses of beer

Perfect Pairings Drive Profits in Restaurants

Two tastes are better than one, pairings present ample, profitable opportunities.

Suggesting food and beverage pairings can satisfy the 60% of consumers who are interested in pairings when dining out.1 The right pairings not only present ample opportunity to boost guest satisfaction, they can help grow checks as well: when guests order an entrée, appetizer and alcoholic beverage for dinner, checks are nearly 47% higher than average!2

Here are some unique ideas that you can use to differentiate your food and drink pairings from the competition:

Starters – Capitalize on the 58% of guests who like to order appetizers at full service restaurants by suggesting a perfectly paired beverage.3

Flights – Offer samples of small appetizer and drink flights—samples are the #1 way to motivate guests to try new menu items.4

Shareables – Attract groups and drive check averages by pairing shareable snacks with pitchers of drinks for the table.

Bar Bites – Recognized by chefs as a top trend, small plates are an easy way to upsell guests at the bar—helping add food to every tab.5

Custom food and beverage pairings with beer battered fries and appetizers can help you cater to the personalized experience guests crave. When they get specialized pairings they could not find elsewhere, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Content courtesy of McCain Foods

1Datassential, CPP 2014-2015.
2NPD Group 2015.
32014 Technomic Inc. Future of FSR: Family & Casual Dining Consumer Trend Report.
4Datassential, Eater Types & Occasions, 2014.
5Technomic Starters, Small Plates, Sides Report, 2013.