Focused Energies

A new approach to menu planning

From “something for everyone” to “we’re the experts at one specialized concept,” Focused Energies is about streamlining to succeed. This mindset has operators hyper-focused like never before.

A highly competitive restaurant market, driven by increased consumer access to digital options, has forced chefs and operators to excel at a very narrow concept to stand out.

Not only does this strategy elevate the culinary focus – it combats rising ingredient costs and supply chain challenges through an efficient, streamlined menu – eliminating waste by using nearly every ingredient in a multitude of ways.

Whether this specialized food results from generations of passionate home cooks refining a recipe until it is near perfection or simply a career chef recognizing a cuisine gap in their neighborhood—specialization is the key to success.

What's the rice equivalent of "snout to tail?"

Expect to see concepts built around a single offering, like calzones or vegan barbecue.

Gone are the days of printing a five-page menu with a plethora of options to choose from. This operator knows what the top-sellers are, focuses on them, and forgets the rest. This choice is bold, and it’s not offering something for everyone but instead optimizing a few ingredients to do many things.

It’s time to feast your eyes on a little menu with a lot of promise.

Now is the time to take that MVP and really make it the star of the show.

Are you hyper-focused on the competition or conceiving new brands around the same niche offering? Then you’ve got Focused Energies. Operators with this mindset are wondering, “how many ways can I do pizza?”

This isn’t just a trend.

How are big chains like Chik-Fil-A, McDonald’s and Applebees making bold moves?

Read more +

“We started Kororin simply because we couldn’t find any Onigiri in Chicago.”

– Yuta, a virtual restaurant operator in Chicago

Next (Gen) Mindset

Agile Identities

Agile Identities

← 01 Trial & Error

02 Focused Energies

03 Agile Identities