Thinking up specials for our small business

[Cooking Goddess]

PrincessFiona, since pasties are Michigan food they probably won't work in OH...it's a state thing.

Oh I don't know...they work in Montana just fine. There are a couple of local places that make them for sale in the grocery stores. I'm originally from Wyoming and had never heard of them...love 'em!

Having lived in OH but no further west I didn't know they were popular THAT far west. Thanks for teaching me one of many things I still need to learn.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Having lived in OH but no further west I didn't know they were popular THAT far west. Thanks for teaching me one of many things I still need to learn.

You should see the ravenous horde that descends when I make Aussie meat pies: Curried ground beef and onions in a puff pastry shell. Cold or hot they are fantastic, quick and easy.

There has been so much movement of populations in these United States and from other countries...it would be surprising if ANY food stayed strictly local.

 

[PattY1]

Country Fried Steak/Sausage gravy with Mashed Potatoes and a veggie or Salad.
Hoosier Tenderloin Sandwich with Fries and Cole Slaw.
Hamburger Steak with Onions/Gravy Mashed Potatoes and a veggie or Salad
Liver and Sauteed Onion/ Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and veggie or Salad.
Navy Bean Soup

 

[vagriller]

PrincessFiona, since pasties are Michigan food they probably won't work in OH...it's a state thing.

I thought maybe you said this because of the state rivalry between OH and MI.

I agree with getting the customers involved with suggesting dishes and naming one. It might give them a sense of ownership that would help word of mouth advertising (the best kind!).

 

[letscook]

We have a few diners we like to visit and our favorite specials they have are:
Pot roast
chicken & dumplings
Spanish Rice
Goulash
sloppy joes
Hot dog bar (lil salad bar set up where you go put what ever on your dog, onion pepper & onions, chili, sauerkraut, cheese, hot peppers, coleslaw)
same with a taco bar . they have where you select 1-6 tacos (soft or hard) they bring you the shell and then you visit the bar to fill.
soup and sald bar, small salad bar and choice of 2 soups
cold plate choice of 1 of 3 meats, (ham - turkey - roast beef) with that comes, mac salad, potato salad, a roll

theres a few for you

 

[Jared_mizanin]

Cooking Goddess--with Lent coming up, the Fish Fry Fridays are going to be ridiculously busy...they always are!

Wanna Be--I am not a chef by any means...I was raised up at my dad's fast-food place years ago so never really learned how to actually cook. I mean, how many teenage workers at McDonald's really know how to cook? So I'm trying to learn more but it's pretty overwhelming. I do enjoy the people that I work with...a lot!

In case anybody is wondering, here is an online menu I made at a myspace site. The link is here:
Online Menu - Sip N Post's MySpace Blog |

Since the menu is pretty extensive and we only have one cook on at a time (except for special events, such as Lent Friday nights) it is very difficult for me to balance making specials with getting all the backup work complete and cooking the food. Not to mention all the other work that needs to be done!

I really appreciate all your recommendations, fellows! I didn't know you'd all be so helpful!

 

[vagriller]

Jared,
Your place looks like the type of place I would go to a lot! I like the idea of a taco bar, or a hot dog bar. Also consider breakfast stuff like waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Omelets and hashbrowns, sausage patties. There is a place close to me that serves a homemade sausage patty that is awesome!

 

[ChefJune]

Chicken Fricassee
Wiener Schnitzel and Spatzle
Boeuf Bourguignon
Navarin of Lamb
Shepherd's Pie
Moussaka
Baked Ziti
Zuppa di Pesce

 

[velochic]

Do you have access to local, sustainable products from local farmers? I think that people are really starting to think about where their food comes from. You could have specials that are simply "Farmer's Market" specials. Go out that morning to find whatever is the FRESHEST thing you can find and use those ingredients to make something. The quality of food will be what brings them back. You can make a name for yourself that you are using the freshest and local ingredients... and with quality ingredients they can be very simple dishes as the foods themselves will shine. I'd love to find a little pub that served something other than the heavy, greasy, processed stuff. Plus, they'd drink a lot more if they had light, tasty food to eat instead of belly-filling brats. Good luck!

ETA: O.K. Nevermind, probably. I just went up-thread and clicked on your menu. It looks like it's mostly processed heat-and-eat foods, so maybe my suggestion was REALLY off-target. Sorry.

 

[vagriller]

ETA: O.K. Nevermind, probably. I just went up-thread and clicked on your menu. It looks like it's mostly processed heat-and-eat foods, so maybe my suggestion was REALLY off-target. Sorry.

On the contrary, the contrast might be welcome! I like greasy fried stuff sometimes, but would welcome a change with some fresh, locally grown fare as well. And to see that in a pub type place would certainly be original!

 

[Cooking Goddess]

..........PrincessFiona, since pasties are Michigan food they probably won't work in OH...it's a state thing.

I thought maybe you said this because of the state rivalry between OH and MI.............

Yup, that was my point...and especially in a bar...but it was late when I was posting and I only half-answered in my reply..... But made in puff pastry? Even that might fly in OH...any recipes I've seen call for a heavy pie-type dough.

VERY short OH/MI history: OSU fans hate Michigan fans...but individually we all can get along. But when it comes to state loyalty it's "Go Bucks/MI sucks". But it's all in good, clean fun. Honest!

Hmmm, how about "Westside Wednesday's"? Bill the daily special(s) as being what came in fresh from the Westside Market. That way you can cruise your way among the vendors to see what they have that looks extra-good that day. One way to bring in local.

I also think the idea of your patrons voting from a list of potential specials would make the menu selections more personal...and probably bring more people in? It's a chance that wouldn't cost anything.

 

[DaveSoMD]

On the contrary, the contrast might be welcome! I like greasy fried stuff sometimes, but would welcome a change with some fresh, locally grown fare as well. And to see that in a pub type place would certainly be original!

We have a local sports bar here that has the standard fare but their big hook is that they only use locally grown seasonal veg when ever possible, and locally caught fresh fish and sea food. So I can see using locally grown / raised / produced ingredients being a big draw for you, even if you repeat the specials.

 

[wanna be]

You really need a special?

What an awesome menue!I can see where you are short on time espiecially if there is often only one cook working at a time.I think you are selling yourself short by saying that you are no chef.You may not have the formal training but it sounds like you have the work ethic and the ability to work under great stress.That is something that cant be taught.I get freaked out sometimes just makeing dinner at home.Good luck Jared. I really do'nt think your gonna need it though.

 

[Claire]

A local favorite for this type of place is a taco bar .... oops, you already said that. Of course next month, corned beef dinner. Another local favorite is Italian roast beef sandwiches (think French dip with Italian seasonings in the broth). Various kinds of meat balls -- in brown sauce, or tomato, or creamy sauce, in a crock or chafing dish, served on buns or noodles or whatever starch folk in your area like. If you don't mind buying meatballs frozen in bulk from a company you like, you can do a myriad of things with them, from browning and skewering them for a happy hour snack, to putting them in tomato sauce, not just over spaghetti, but on a sub-type bun with some mozzerella melted on top, to a brown or white sauce over noodles or rice. Add a little sour cream to the brown sauce, and you have stroganoff.

Where are you? That sometimes determines what people will like.

 

[tzakiel]

Make a burger, but top it with chipotle mayo and crispy deep fried jalepeno slices.

 

[vagriller]

Chipotle mayo. I am making that next time I make burgers!