Perfecting your menu: How the Hedgehog Concept helps restaurants thrive

Starting a restaurant is exciting. I remember when I first started mine. I had a dream: to serve everyone in the community. But, trying to be everything to everyone backfired in a major way. In an effort to make everyone happy, I disappointed everyone. That is, until I learned about the Hedgehog Concept, a mental framework that catapulted us to massive success.

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Customers come back to places that do something special. So, I figured out I needed to do fewer things but do them exceptionally well. What that translated to was saying “no” more often than I could have ever imagined but the results were astounding.

Common mistakes

Chasing every trend: Trends change. If we try to follow all of them, our restaurant can become confusing for customers. More than anything, our customers value consistency.

Losing the original dream: Sometimes, in the rush to add more, we forget why we started the restaurant. Maybe it was to share family recipes or create a cozy hangout spot.

Not listening to feedback: Ignoring what customers have to say can be a big mistake. They often tell us what’s working and what’s not.

Learning from the Hedgehog

There’s an old story about a fox and a hedgehog. The fox keeps trying different ways to catch the hedgehog. But the hedgehog always does one thing: it rolls into a spiky ball. The fox’s many tricks don’t work against the hedgehog’s one great defense.

This story is featured in an amazing book called “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. In the book, Collins explains how the best companies, like the hedgehog, do one thing and do it really well. They don’t get distracted.

The lesson? Restaurants, like companies, need to find that one thing they’re fantastic at.

Steps to recognize your strength

• Find your passion: What made you open your restaurant? Maybe you love Italian food or plant-based meals. Remember that love.
• Be the best: Think about what you can do that no other place can. Maybe you have a secret sauce or a unique way of serving dishes.
• What makes money: It’s essential to know which meals or services bring in the most profit. When your passion and profits align, that’s your restaurant’s magic spot!

Making your restaurant’s special thing shine

• Talk to your customers: They are your best advisors. Knowing what they love (or don’t love) can guide your choices.
• Use data: Check which dishes sell the most or which times are busiest. This data helps you make smart decisions.
• Keep evolving: While it’s good to have a specialty, be open to trying new things based on what customers want.

Helpful tip: Your team sees and hears a lot. Their feedback can be pure gold. Listen to them.

The magic of being unique

Having a special thing makes your restaurant memorable. It gives customers a reason to come back and tell their friends. Maybe it’s a dish only you make or an experience only you offer. Find it, and you’ll have fans for life.

Growing by letting go

Once you’ve found your special thing and your restaurant is buzzing, remember to share the work. Let your team handle things they’re good at. This way, you can think big and plan for more amazing days ahead.

In the end, don’t try to be everywhere. Like the hedgehog, find your one strong point and shine in it. Your restaurant will not just be good; it will be great!

Click below to download our Hedgehog Concept worksheet, providing you with the framework we discussed here.

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Fill out the form to get the Hedgehog Concept worksheet