The thing about menu cards in Trinidad…
Went to lunch today at Aura on the Boulevard. Lovely greeting at entrance. Kind of empty, but it’s Tuesday, so really a part of the week the owner would like to see past fast. Meals were very good; service a tad slow with no fillers to distract me and my guests. Some bread or other nibbler arriving at the right time would have done the trick. That’s why Joe Brown serves finger food at Solimar, he’s buying time I think.
At one point we all turn, almost in unison to the rather ordinary menu card. A home typed list of the food fare, type not always aligned as detected by the two graphic artists at the table.
Why menus tend to be poorly done
Aura deserves better menus than those. I know the problem. Printing menus are expensive (for the relatively small runs) and when menus and prices change, you’re stuck with outdated menus that look pretty tacky when you try to sticker. There are several solutions. The Verandah, who has a smaller range of offerings, simply writes it out daily on a large card. Nice artsy touch to match their restaurant’s positioning. Given tight timelines for lunch, does Aura have to have such a wide menu? Is that why service was slow? Even if they held on to their menu they could barter with an agency nearby (maybe pepper advertising?) for their services to produce a decent menu.
Brand Experience is Everywhere
The ribs were excellent, yet I write about the menu. Am I an Aura thrasher? Or is this typical of customer experiences where we talk more about the bad than the good. My learning at KFC suggested that the latter was a proven fact. Fix the menus Aura; the ribs are too darn good.
PS: What’s the “menu card” in your business? What’s the little thing gone bad that people will go out of their way to tell others. Is it the lack of transparency in your billing that can be easily fixed? Or the door bell that does not work? Find them and fix them fast.(dr)
