Long days, time off from work, and warm weather means more business at your restaurant. These summer menu ideas for restaurants can help you drum up new business and keep regular customers coming back for more.
Construct Some Cold Sides
Seasonal menus are great because they offer you a chance to take advantage of in-season items while also tailoring your menu to what your diners want in any given season. While we know from experience that people don’t just stop eating French fries because the weather warmed up, offering some cold sides could be just what your diners need to cool down. While summer salads can help you take advantage of fresh produce, even a cold potato salad or coleslaw can really hit the spot for summer diners.
Fire Up the Grill
Nothing says summer like grill marks. That’s why one of our favorite summer menu ideas for restaurants involves taking advantage of your grill game with some seasonal entrees and side dishes. For the main course, try grilling up some chicken, steaks, or salmon with a bright, flavorful sauce. For sides, try grilled corn, zucchini, or mushrooms. You can even add grilled vegetables to a cold corn salad. Want to take your grilling to the next level? Try grilling up some peaches for a unique, summer-centric dessert.
Bring on the Fruity Flavors
No summer menu is complete without some delicious fruity flavors. From citrus glazed salmon and summer salads sprinkled with strawberry to berry cobblers and tropical sangrias, there are plenty of ways to brighten up your menu with some delicious fruit flavors. Even adding some fresh fruit garnish to your summer cocktails can go a long way toward delicious summer vibes.
Flaunt those Frozen Cocktails
The best summer menu ideas for restaurants are all about fun and flavor. To help attract customers and keep your diners cool, try adding some fun frozen cocktails to your summer menu. Whether you’re offering frozen margaritas, daquiris, pina coladas, or mixing it up with your own special-recipe alcoholic slushie, frozen cocktails will help your guests feel like a kid again. Just remember to make these drinks insta-ready so you can capitalize on that free publicity when your diners start posting their pictures to social media.
Ready to start incorporating these summer menu ideas for restaurants? McDonald Wholesale has the high-quality ingredients you need to design the perfect menu. In the meantime, check out our foodservice blog where we cover everything from our guide to no-contact curbside and delivery to how to use social media for small business growth.