“Would you like to see our dessert menu?”
Yes. Always. But actually selling a dessert can be difficult. After all, it’s much easier for a customer to dismiss a new menu than an entree, appetizer, or cocktail.
We start thinking about the bill, relieving the babysitter, or how a slice of cake might impact our latest New Year’s resolution. But dessert shouldn’t be a strategic decision — it should be a sweet treat. A reward. A cherry on top of the joy of eating out. After all, who has time to whip up a chocolate bundt cake at home?
Don’t put your customers through a thought exercise. Be smart about your desserts and make them an offer they can’t refuse by ensuring these three dessert types are on your menu.
The Indulgent
Let’s address the elephant in the room — sometimes, a dessert can sell itself. Delectable, indulgent treats are the sirens of any menu. These are the desserts that make a customer gasp, point at the menu, and say to their date, “Look at this!”
Indulgent desserts are rich in flavor and temptation. They are for those who not only crave, but deserve something rich and sweet to celebrate. Think creme brûlée, molten chocolate cake, or the endless layers of a Dobos torte.
This millionaire’s shortbread is a perfect example. Three layers of buttery shortbread, thick caramel, and creamy chocolate practically begging to be baked for your love-struck customers.
The Familiar
Not everyone is as romantic or daring as your indulgent connoisseurs. Sometimes, the best way to end a meal is a dish that makes you feel safe, comfortable, and at home.
To whip up these restaurant desserts, you’ll need to put away the food torch and reminisce on grandma’s sweet treats. Customers who love familiar desserts want to feel cozy, not sexy. The perfect chocolate chip cookie, bread pudding, or key lime pie might be just what the doctor ordered to make your customers feel secure enough to treat themselves.
Try this salted caramel brownie as a safe bet for your sweetest tooths.
The Guilt-Free
Is it too much to ask for a dessert that doesn’t make you feel like trash for eating it? Not at all! Let them have their cake and eat it too by offering guilt-free dessert alternatives.
Customers who gravitate toward these dishes don’t want to be stuck between choosing a treat and ruining their diet/dietary restrictions. Options like dark chocolate truffles, sorbet, and poached fruit give you the joy of post-dinner bliss without any of the guilt by substituting caloric excess for sweet simplicity.
Try this gluten-free carrot cake to convince your customers that eating their veggies can be the most fun part of the evening.
“Stressed” may be “desserts” spelled backward, but plenty of customers feel the pressure to forgo dessert in favor of dietary temperance. By offering all three of these dessert types, you will tempt every kind of customer and ensure your dessert menus don’t collect dust. Find all the products you need to make these desserts and more at etundra.com