Maximizing desserts: Tips for chefs to boost turnover

How can you increase your turnover with desserts and achieve the best margins with your dessert menu? It’s a matter of being able to tempt and calculate.

Seducing the mediterranian way - Greece offers mezédes and Turkey has meze: small dish servings that waiters bring to the table on large platters. Quite similar to tapas. Guests make a choice and when the plates are empty, the waiter returns for another round. The dishes are always simple, but look so appealing that people often cannot resist the temptation to have another one. It is the ideal way to taste (or let people taste) all kinds of different flavours. What are the possibilities for your restaurant when it comes to selling desserts? Seeing food makes you want to eat...So what if you show your guests what you have in store?

Variety is key

A platter of sweet meze could be a compelling option to tempt your guests into enjoying one final course. Finish the evening with a selection of sweets. Standardise pricing and create small desserts that require minimal preparation. Choose straightforward combinations. After all, the diversity lies in the breadth of options you provide. The temptation to order slightly more than initially planned is strong, and that’s where the profit comes in. Imagine if your à la carte desserts average €12.50 each, but guests opt for three smaller plates at €5.50 each – it quickly becomes profitable. The key is to avoid offering too many rich desserts and to keep satiety at bay for as long as possible.

Dessert trolley

With small, simple desserts on plates, you can also put together a dessert trolley. Use the trolley as a workstation to finish the desserts at the table. If you have the space, this certainly opens up opportunities. Let guests choose a dessert from the trolley and finish it off with ice cream, sauces or other garnishes that can be added à la minute.

Tips for sweet meze

1. Make an attractive unit price
2. Make sure the servings are not too large, so guests can choose several desserts.
3. Finish dishes à la minute with (crunchy) garnishes and/or ice cream.
4. Adapt the assortment to suit the seasons.
5. Give guests examples of possible combinations.

In a nutshell

1. A low food cost gives opportunity to take extra margin on desserts.
2. Minimal preparation ensures low labour costs.
3. Because products like Debic Parfait can be frozen, you can work efficiently. Do the mise en place for desserts at a quiet moment and keep your stock in the freezer. Desserts are placed on the plate à la minute from the freezer, garnished and served immediately.
4. By using ingredients that also feature in other menu items, you reduce stock management, thereby reducing your cost.