But they pay in the same currency as everyone else and are an integral part of your market. So how do you please someone who is very hard to please? Here are a few tips.
Be bold with bland
No doubt your chef will want to make a culinary statement with every dish. And as a restaurant you survive on creating memorable food that draws customers back for more. All well and good for your more adventurous diner. But not everyone loves hot, spicy or flavour-filled food and conservative diners still represent a large market. So cater to them with a selection of mild or even bland dishes. They may not appeal to you, but they'll cater to a market you'll otherwise lose. And remember, some of the most colourful foods are also the least tasty. So while your bland dishes might not be taste sensations, they'll look fantastic.
Detail your menus
People can be fussy about food purely for medical reasons. So it's a good idea to have an ingredients breakdown for all your menu items on hand just in case. Not only does this reassure diners with allergies or other medical conditions that your food is safe to eat, it will probably avert a few unfortunate mishaps.
Cater well for vegetarians
For many restaurants vegetarian dishes can seem like something of a token afterthought; a few uninspired options that make all the wrong statements. These days in an increasingly health-conscious market, a diverse and creative selection of vegetarian dishes is essential.
Go spice optional
Your menu could in fact be two or three menus in one. All the basic ingredients are offered as standard. From there your fussy customer can choose no spice, mild, medium or hot/spicy. While this may cause a few extra headaches in the kitchen, your clientele will love you for it.
