Afternoon Delights: Why Let Two Hours of Potential Sales Go to Waste?

By PDM Hospitality Solutions

Even Successful Restaurants Miss Opportunities

I frequently visit a restaurant that does an excellent business. It's busy for lunch, has a very popular happy hour, and does a strong dinner business.

But every time I visit, I think about something.

What happens between 2 and 4 PM?

Lunch is usually winding down by 1:30 or 2:00. Happy hour often doesn't begin until 4:00, and dinner follows later.

That's two hours when a restaurant may have empty tables, a fully equipped kitchen, food in inventory and employees already on the premises.

Why not create another reason for customers to visit?

You don't have to be a struggling restaurant to benefit from fresh ideas. Even successful operations can have opportunities they're overlooking.

An Idea I Developed Back in 1985

When I was managing restaurants in 1985, I developed a promotional program called Afternoon Delights.

The concept was simple: offer a special menu between 2 and 4 PM that would attract customers during a traditionally slow period.

My original Afternoon Delights was an all-you-can-eat promotion featuring smaller portions and no take-home leftovers.

The menu included:

• Pasta with red sauce
• Pasta with white sauce
• Chicken Parmesan with pasta, using a 4-ounce chicken cutlet
• Pork cutlet with gravy, potatoes and vegetables
• Chicken stir-fry with rice and vegetables

Nothing fancy. Just good, familiar food that could be prepared efficiently.

I deliberately chose items that could share ingredients with our regular menu. Smaller portions helped control the cost of each serving, while customers had the opportunity to enjoy additional helpings.

The objective wasn't simply to sell inexpensive food.

It was to generate additional business during hours when we had the capacity to serve more customers.

How I Would Redesign Afternoon Delights Today

More than 40 years later, I still believe in the concept. But I would update it to create a more complete dining experience.

Imagine a special Afternoon Delights menu with four sections.

1. Start With Half-Portion Appetizers

Why not offer smaller versions of some of your most popular appetizers?

A petite Caesar salad, mozzarella sticks, calamari or garlic bread could be excellent choices.

Customers might not want a full appetizer at 2:30 in the afternoon, but a smaller portion could be very appealing.

These appetizers would be priced separately, creating additional sales without requiring an entirely new menu.

2. The Afternoon Delights Entrée Menu

Keep the menu focused.

Offer perhaps five selections using ingredients already available in your kitchen.

An Italian restaurant might offer pasta with marinara, Alfredo, petite chicken Parmesan and other familiar dishes.

A barbecue restaurant could offer smaller portions of pulled pork, chicken, potatoes and vegetables.

The menu should reflect the restaurant's concept, equipment and existing inventory.

I would consider testing the original all-you-can-eat format with smaller servings or a fixed-price meal that includes an optional second helping.

The right approach depends on food costs, customer demand and the restaurant's ability to execute the program profitably.

3. Don't Forget Beverage Sales

A guest who comes in for an afternoon meal may also order a draft beer, glass of wine, cocktail, iced tea or lemonade.

Beverages can make an important contribution to the overall check.

In South Carolina, alcoholic beverage promotions must follow applicable state regulations, so any proposed discounts or happy-hour-style offers should be reviewed for compliance before being advertised.

Afternoon Delights doesn't need discounted alcohol to succeed. Its primary attraction should be the food and the experience.

And if the restaurant already has a happy hour beginning at 4 PM, Afternoon Delights could provide a natural transition into that next part of the day.

4. Finish With a Simple Dessert Menu

This is where I think the modern version could become even more appealing.

You don't need a complicated dessert program.

Consider offering just two or three choices:

• Vanilla ice cream with fresh berries
• Pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream
• A few freshly baked cookies, prepared that afternoon

Imagine a server saying, "We just baked a fresh batch of cookies. Would you like a few with your coffee?"

Simple desserts can create additional sales while making the dining experience more memorable.

The important thing is to keep preparation practical, ingredients fresh and food costs under control.

Think About the Entire Customer Check

Picture two customers arriving at 2:30 PM.

They order a half-portion appetizer, enjoy their Afternoon Delights entrées, order beverages and finish with a simple dessert.

Instead of serving just two lower-priced meals, the restaurant has opportunities to generate appetizer, beverage and dessert sales.

More importantly, those customers may have visited specifically because of the promotion.

That's incremental business the restaurant might not otherwise have received.

Of course, additional sales don't automatically mean additional profits. Management must account for food costs, labor, utilities, discounts and any customers who shift from a higher-priced meal period.

The objective is profitable additional business, not simply a higher guest count.

Cross-Utilization Is the Key

One of my biggest concerns with special menus is when restaurants introduce ingredients they don't normally use.

That creates additional inventory, preparation, storage requirements and potential waste.

Afternoon Delights should be designed around ingredients already in the restaurant.

If you serve chicken Parmesan at dinner, why not use a smaller portion in the afternoon?

If you already have pasta, vegetables, rice and potatoes, why create an entirely new inventory?

Even the desserts can be built around products used elsewhere on the menu.

A good promotion should make your kitchen more productive, not more complicated.

Put Your Servers to Work Selling the Program

I've always believed servers should be treated like a sales force.

Not with robotic scripts, but with product knowledge, enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the customer.

Your lunch servers should be telling guests about Afternoon Delights.

Your dinner servers should be encouraging customers to return another afternoon.

Place an attractive menu near the entrance. Promote the program on social media, your website and your Google Business Profile.

Reach out to nearby businesses, hotels and other potential customers.

And don't forget your existing regulars. They may be your best source of repeat afternoon business.

Start Small and Measure the Results

I wouldn't recommend launching an elaborate new program without testing it.

Start with a few afternoons each week.

Keep the menu limited and train the staff properly.

Monitor customer counts, average checks, food costs, labor expenses and sales of appetizers, beverages and desserts.

Most importantly, determine whether the promotion is generating additional profit.

If something isn't working, change it.

Maybe one entrée isn't selling. Maybe the desserts are a bigger opportunity than expected. Maybe the program works better on Tuesdays and Wednesdays than on Fridays.

That's what management is supposed to do: observe, measure, adjust and improve.

The Bottom Line

I developed Afternoon Delights back in 1985, but the thinking behind it is just as relevant today.

Restaurants spend considerable time and money trying to attract new customers.

Sometimes the opportunity is much simpler.

Look at the hours when your dining room is quiet. Look at the ingredients, equipment and people you already have. Then ask yourself what you could do differently.

You may not need another expensive advertising campaign or a complete menu overhaul.

You may simply need to give customers another reason to walk through your doors.

Lunch may end at 2 PM. Happy hour may begin at 4 PM. But who says the hours in between can't be profitable?

PDM Hospitality Solutions

Real-World Experience. Practical Solutions. Better Hospitality.

Helping restaurants, bars and hospitality businesses improve operations, develop creative marketing programs, control costs and discover new opportunities for growth.

Website: PDMhospitalitysolutions.com
Email: PDMHospitality@gmail.com
Phone: 978-766-6842