Industry expert Bill Main has worked with hundreds of different companies - large and small; local, regional and national; fine dining, casual and QSR. A menu analysis from Bill Main & Associates will give you the tools to achieve measurable results for your company.

Review Bill Main's Menu Analysis Success Stories below and read a sample Menu Analysis Report.

Type/Name: National chain selling 118 million menu items each year

Description: Ethnic food in a casual, full service atmosphere

Objective: Management wanted to implement menu engineering, merchandising and design techniques to improve profit margins system-wide. The challenge was to recommend solutions that considered all the chain's locations. With urban, suburban and rural locations each store had wide variations in menu item preferences and regional pricing.

Results: Post implementation, the chain experienced a $34M increase in sales, and a $30.1M increase in Gross Profit Contribution. The chain also experienced a change in Guest Behavior as measured by the number of high gross profit items ordered over previous quarters.

Type/Name: Quarterdeck Restaurant - New Hampshire

Description: Seasonal, high volume, full-service seafood restaurant

Objective: Management wanted to increase its bottom line by selling more high profit items and decreasing the menu size. The challenge was to make the necessary changes without alienating loyal customers who frequented this landmark restaurant year after year.

Results: Post implementation, the Quarterdeck Restaurant experienced an overall increase of 10% in Gross Sales but more importantly, they had a 25% increase in Gross Profit over the previous year. The public's reaction to the menu was overwhelmingly positive.

High Volume Historic Restaurant

Type/Name: Royal Exchange

Description: High volume independent, a San Francisco financial district institution

Objective: Reduce Food and Labor Costs via new menu strategies

Results: As a result of a menu and cost control analysis, the restaurant lowered food cost 3.5% in first 30 days and lowered kitchen labor and benefits by 15% in the first 60 days. By focusing on fewer menu items, improving turn times and better product consistency, gross sales also experienced a significant upturn by the end of the first year.

Regional Chain

Type:/Name: Regional, franchised chain in southeastern US

Description: Fast casual sub-sandwich concept

Objective: Improve profits 15¢ to 25¢ per menu item across the board

Results: A standard Menu Analysis and Hypothetical Model allowed the client to increase prices on selected items, which resulted in a system-wide average decrease in food cost of 1% . The price increases did not negatively impact Gross Sales. Each of the 108 units had average sales of $600,000 each which increased profits by $600,000 system-wide the following year.

As a Certified Speaking Professional, Bill Main is an industry-expert qualified to convey your message with enthusiasm and credibility. Countless companies have engaged Bill to rally their troops around a new menu or to convey the uniqueness of a new brand or to relay the importance of investing in local-store marketing. Your most important communications deserve a pro with the credentials to bring added strength and validity to your special message.

Review Bill Main’s Keynote Speeches and In-House Seminar Success Stories below.

Description: 20 unit seafood chain in Florida

Scope of Work: In-house presentation to address system-wide menu changes

Testimonial: "I certainly understand why they call you the "Main Man!" I was very impressed in March with your new ideas and concepts and now you convinced 19 other manager's that we need to make some changes. "Menu Magic" will be starting soon here...I look forward to working with you in the very near future."

Title: VP Public Relations

Description: Three high volume, high average check white table cloth restaurants in historic buildings located in southern U.S. metropolitan area

Scope of Work: Break-out session at quarterly management meeting

Dear Bill: "I would like to take this opportunity to express to you how valuable I found your seminar at our recent conference. Although I am still working to develop more accurate figures, it looks as though, as a direct result of just your one seminar, we will be able to lower our food cost by approximately one half of one percent. That should result in a net savings of just less than $50,000 a year or $1,000 per week. Other cost decreases or sales increases are much more difficult to measure, but I assure you, the information learned in those few show hours was well worth the price of the conference. Although we do not take the opportunity to engage in as many seminars as we should, I have invariably found your programs to be both informative and cost effective. Thank you, for the opportunity to learn, and the cash in my pocket!"

Title: President/CEO

Description: National steakhouse

Scope of Work: Keynote at annual franchisee conference

Dear Bill: "I really like the restaurant business and I've been at it for awhile. I'm very skeptical of the words "FOODSERVICE CONSULTANT." They usually bring to mind a person who never succeeded at the business but did the restaurant thing enough to go into business selling clichés and surface treatments, I've been through so many times before...but your seminar is different. You gave me ideas and methods that I can put to use quickly to improve morale, efficiency, profit, and most of all a feeling of pride in our business knowing it is a profession that responds very well to controls, systems, and functions, as much as any other business out there. Your seminar helps take the guesswork and mystery out of a business that sometimes appears so "seat of the pants" or "luck" oriented. If an operator wants to become good at the restaurant business, your seminar goes a long way towards showing him or her how to do that! Thanks for doing what you do! I'll be in touch because I want to be better."

Title: Franchise owner/operator

Description: 200 unit Mexican concept

Scope of Work: Keynote at annual franchisee conference

Dear Bill Main & Associates: "Bill Main is the best speaker I have ever heard on how to plan a menu properly, as well as, a lot of other subjects. We are planning a series of regional conferences, in addition to our national conference, so stand by! I would love to have you all involved."

Title: Conference Coordinator

Description: 80 unit Bar-B-Que concept

Scope of Work: Keynote at annual franchisee conference

Dear Bill: "It is rare that our franchisees agree on anything, but they did agree that your presentation was the best one ever at our conventions. I think we are beginning to re-direct some of the herd!

Title: President/Founder

There’s a lot of truth in this humorous observation. A Strategic Growth Plan from Bill
Main & Associates will give you a road map to reach your professional goals. Whether you’re a single unit, an emerging chain or a national franchise, a formal plan will greatly increase your chances of success.

A Strategic Growth Plan can be as focused as an exit strategy for the founder, or as complex as a 10 Year Business Plan that aims at being acquired by a publicly traded company. Read a review of a Strategic Growth Plan developed by Bill Main for The Lodge Restaurant.

Read about Bill Main’s Strategic Growth Plan Success Stories below.

Independent Regional Chain

Type/Name: Cattlemens Restaurants

Description: Family-owned, 11 unit steak house in northern California

Objective: Move from break-even to profitable

Scope of Work: 3-Year Strategic Growth Plan and assistance implementing the plan's recommendations

Results: At the end of the engagement, the client had $1,000,000 in pre-tax profits. The company began construction on their 12th unit. The Founder met the goals he set for retirement and turned the business over to his son and a newly re-aligned management team.

Multi-Unit Independent Restaurants

Type/Name: 11 units in and around a major northeastern U.S. city

Description: Fine dining, restaurants serving authentic ethnic food. Each store varied in style, service and menu selections. Major internal systems were lacking including written recipes.

Objective: Develop systems synergies, consolidate and coordinate teamwork between stores. Outline a controlled growth plan.

Scope of Work: A written report with Findings and Recommendations that was the result of extensive surveys and a 1 day on-site Strategic Planning Session. A return visit included a presentation of the report to the executive team and company wide sessions to ensure consensus on the go-forward plan.

Results: 100% improvement in team morale as measured by internal surveys. New channels for intra-store communication were developed and implemented. With written recipes in place and more continuity of menu items between stores, the cost of sales was reduced by 1.5% company-wide. Same store sales showed significant increases across the board.

Large Volume Independent Restaurant

Type/Name: Classic California cuisine, brunch and dinner only

Description: High average check in an historic building

Objective: Define ROI for investors, assist the company in recruiting and vetting management team candidates.

Scope of Work: Standard Situation Analysis including Written Report with Findings and Recommendations and Pro Forma. Bill Main & Associates also provided resources and out-sources for implementation where appropriate.

Results: Despite the implementation of "Living Wage" laws, a rapidly declining economic environment in the Silicon Valley and surrounding area, and drastic increases in food prices, the company is profitable and remains on course.

Those two rules sum up the world of foodservice and hospitality. It all comes down to the proper execution of thousands of operational details and managing customer interactions. Most restaurants get it right most of the time... but that's not enough in this highly competitive environment. Bill Main's Profit Tools offer common sense, easy-to-implement solutions to the hundreds of details that can mean the difference between failure and success.

Whether you need a Pre-Shift Briefing form or an Incentive Bonus Plan, Bill Main will share his 30 years of hand-on experience. Profit Tools have been used by over 300 clients across the US and Canada.

Download Bill Main's "Profit Tools" catalogue and become your own Success Story!