New Menu Items

[daisy1]

How long do you leave a new menu item on, before considering removing just because its not doing well??

I bought 6 detroit style pans quite a few yrs back. I brought them back out to try doing them again after 7 yrs, by far they are not truly “detroit” style but damn close, only difference is Im using my pizza dough, they turn out awesome in my opinion & my employees & a few customers who do purchase them. I just thought they would move daily a lot quicker than they are. I have been selling about 4-6 average weekly. I have them at a great deal as well. Im selling 2 (14x10) per order @ 20.49 3 items max. Just seems customers only like standard round crust pizzas in the area.

Whats your opinion ??

 

[clownhair]

Detroit style pizzas are something I have also had an on again off again relationship with. I have refined my recipe for several years and have put them on the menu a few times and , like you, and despite the people that buy them really loving them, I have never been able to get them to take off. Its possible they just need to be marketed harder but I always end up just kinda going, whats the point? If my customers are buying my normal hand tossed pizzas the only reason I have to add Detroit style is if it would attract new customers and or make current customers order more than currently. If I am not making any more money from doing them, and they just seem to be a dog, I would just yank them as soon as you want. Unless you really want to push them and see if you can grow a fanbase for them I couldn’t personaly see keeping them to sell 4-6 a week.

 

[NicksNYPizza]

I tried doing them as a daily special a few times last year. I’d take the 12” pizzas and cut them into 4 slices and put them in the warmer for $3 each, just to get people to try them. Slices sold well but never sold many whole pies. Got a lot of good feedback but not enough to make them a full time menu addition. I think it’s the added oil from the pan pizzas that might turn off some people. I think if you really advertised it hard it would take off but it’s a limited market

 

[Joe]

I tried doing them as a daily special a few times last year. I’d take the 12” pizzas and cut them into 4 slices and put them in the warmer for $3 each, just to get people to try them. Slices sold well but never sold many whole pies. Got a lot of good feedback but not enough to make them a full time menu addition. I think it’s the added oil from the pan pizzas that might turn off some people. I think if you really advertised it hard it would take off but it’s a limited market

Must depend where you are in the market. I’m just outside Chicago and we have a lot of Michigan transplants in the area as well as my other shop in San Francisco and we sell Detroit Style Pies more than anything.

 

[brad_randall]

Have you sampled them before? Maybe cook up a pizza once a night right before the rush and offer a slice to dine-in or pick-up customers as they wait. I’m guessing most people outside of Detroit and outside the pizza industry are unfamiliar with that style. Getting people a taste could get them over the fear of trying/wasting $ on something new and get the ball rolling for you.