Speed of preparation is a factor that can lost in all the discussions of menu, improving service, upselling and creating customer advocacy. How does the amount of time necessary to prepare a menu item relate to other items on the menu? The experience of the guests will be impacted substantially if different people in a party order items that require different preparation times.
In a global perspective all items should be prepared in such a way that they essentially have the same preparation time once ordered. I understand that is not possible for all items, however as much as possible the items on your menu should require identical preparation times.
How can you achieve this you ask? This is where prep becomes very important. Clearly there are quality, texture, taste and architecture considerations, however adding menu items whose prep time is not in sync with other items is a recipe for bitter taste in the customer experience.
