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Arcoroc Cabernet Shot Glass |
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Side Dishes, à la Carte and Otherwise
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The days of “one side fits all” are gone, as chefs and restaurateurs hustle to ring up sales and profits from every menu category. Creatively prepared and presented, à la carte side dishes can represent a significant source of add-on revenue, while side-of-the-plate accompaniments turn standard menu items into signature specialties, adding value and the ability to support premium pricing to center-of-plate proteins. Profit margins on side dishes—which are usually heavy on produce, grains, beans and other less expensive ingredients—can be very solid, and patrons eager for a more interesting dining experience increasingly demand more in the way of choice and variety.
•Mix-and-match selections of side dishes where patrons choose two or three to go with their entrée are very popular, particularly in casual or family-style venues
•Menu sections devoted to side dishes—either à la carte versions of what’s on entrée plates and/or completely different items—are on the rise
•Interesting à la carte side dishes can do double-duty as appetizers and/or vegetarian options—or combined to create a custom “vegetable plate”
•Larger-portioned sides can be menued to allow several to diners to share, family-style
•À la carte sauces, salads and bread choices such as cornbread or popovers can be merchandised as sales-building side items
For more information on how Cardinal can provide tableware that will help you tap the sales potential of sides, contact sales@cardinalglass.com
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Trivia
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Another Chance to Win with Cardinal!
Test your Cardinal Newsletter/Website knowledge and put yourself in the winner’s circle. Just read, retain, and be among the first to respond. For this issue, the first five respondents who correctly answer the following three questions will receive a case of Arcoroc Phyton Salad Plates.
1. What type of glass is a great way to present a sauce?
2. What NEW rectangular plate does Arcoroc have?
3. Arcoroc ______ and _______ bowls are good for sides that are meant for sharing?
Please send your responses to: Janice.Douglas@arc-intl.com. Include your name, address and email. Winners will be notified by email.
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August 17, 2009
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Sales on the Side
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Tableware that features an assortment of smaller plates and bowls and even an array of casseroles and platters adds flexibility to serve accompaniments “on the side,” whether or not they’re included in the price of an entrée, while larger-format plates give the kitchen more room to showcase the side as well as the center of the plate.
 If you’re serving your sides right on the plate, consider an attractive oversize or oval plate in such patterns as Arcoroc Soften, Horizon, Allure, or in the Grandes Tables or Spirit New Design lines from Chef & Sommelier. These formats also work well for mix-and-match side dish selections.
Help command à la carte pricing for side dishes  with distinctive ware like the Chef & Sommelier Audace square plates and bowls—available in different sizes. The Arcoroc line includes lots of side-plate options in the Crunchy, Mix Up and Opal dinnerware lines, among others.
Showcase shareable sides for the table with a square or rectangular plate. Grands Chefs from Chef & Sommelier has several in the Divinity collection or consider New Arcoroc Vintage rectangular dishes. Vintage and Restaurant White collections in Arcoroc also offer larger bowls to bring sharable sides to the table that would be great for family-style service.
 For salads and breads, the Opal lines include complementary side plates and B&B (bread and butter) plates that are perfectly sized and shaped. Side salads also look great on clear glass plates of all types, including Chef & Sommelier glass bowls in the Grands Chefs line and pieces in Arcoroc Tiny, Fresh, Roc and Phyto. Sauces presented on the side (whether menued as à la carte options or included in the price of the entrée) can be brought to the table in a small shot glass—imagine the drama of a richly colored sauce or dressing in an Open Up Icy Shot Glass from Chef & Sommelier or a shot glass or shooter from Arcoroc Collections.
Visit us online to download our catalogs at www.cardinalcatalogs.com, or call 973-628-0900
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Tips & Tactics
Building Sales with Premium Side Dishes
Making money with side dishes certainly takes the proper tableware, but merchandising also comes into play. Menu descriptors that include details about side items included on the plate help justify premium pricing, and can be used to subtly influence ordering decisions - it's been said that a side of mashed potatoes can convince customers to order just about anything, so pairing the spuds to help build sales of a high profit-margin protein is a smart "menu engineering" tactic.
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Arcoroc Mix Up Collection
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