Food Festivals Whilst major Food Shows are becoming increasingly important all over the world, the sort of Festivals we are talking about here are the ones held, with varying frequency, at individual restaurants. Their purpose is not only to profit from the revenue generated but also to educate the customers into an appreciation of the cuisine in general with the possibility of new dishes on the menu. Many restaurants do not have the kitchen expertise to change their menu very often quite apart from not wanting to undertake the printing of new menus and education of the front of house team. On the other hand, regular customers can get a little bored with exactly the same choice to the extent that they know the menu without even reading it. Changing the menu completely is fraught with danger in case you remove so much the style of the restaurant is not recognisable or even that favourite dish that Mr and Mrs Friday night at 8.00 p.m. always order come rain or shine. The answer is the periodic festival focusing on a particular theme and charging your clients a special inclusive price. Expertise required is fairly minimal and the results can be quite dramatic. Check List: ä Choose an event or a region around which to focus the festival (Songkran - Goa - Rajasthan - Summer Fun - Fiesta etc) depending on your style of food. ä With your chef, research and select specific dishes that reflect the theme. Don't get too ambitious and make sure they are workable. ä Research the event itself, perhaps on the internet, so that you have some genuine background for your menus to communicate to the customers. ä Contact any specialist suppliers (drink etc) to see if they will support your event. ä Cost the menu and package it with perhaps a free glass of sparkling wine or some other 'free' item to allow for a reasonable profit. ä Put together a leaflet describing the event for distribution to your favourite customers and advise the local media of your event. ä Produce a menu (economically) featuring the new dishes and the background items you have gained from your research. All that remains then is to sell the places and collect the money (in advance if possible as no-shows are difficult with specialist menus). If you are really ambitious you can invite special guests such as the Mayor, sport stars or someone special in the industry who can talk to your guests about the festival and its food. The result is an educational and very enjoyable event for your customers and a way of enhancing the reputation of your restaurant. A well run festival can also be very satisfying for all concerned not forgetting financially rewarding.     top