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The colder seasons call for a seasonal drinks menu, although everyday teas and coffees are the mainstay of the drinks offer for most restaurants, now is the perfect time to refresh the menu with ‘seasonal specials’, making use of the popular flavours for the Autumn and Winter seaosns. 

IBC Simply offer a whole range of flavoured Simply syrups, which are all vegan and nut free, (sugar free and organic options are also available) and can be used in lattes, hot chocolates, cappuccinos and other hot beverages to create an extra pop of flavour. This can elevate a standard beverage to something quite special, which customers are happy to pay extra for. Similarly, other soft drink options such as lemonades and milkshakes can also be transformed with a shot of syrup, enhancing the flavour and attracting a higher price point.

For the Autumn-Winter season, think classic favourites like Simply Pumpkin Spice and Salted Caramel and combine with delicious Simply sauces and toppings like marshmallows, cinnamon or diced caramel pieces to create Insta worthy, premium drinks that attract attention and really impress. 

Seasonal favourites

Some flavours such as Black Forest can be run through autumn and winter and make a great addition to mochas, lattes, or hot chocolates.  Try making a seasonal frappe with IBC Simply Vanilla Frappe liquid or powder and a shot of Simply Black Forest Syrup, top with whipped cream, chocolate curls and a cherry for a delicious chilled drink with a retro vibe.

To help drive sales, it’s important to maintain an interesting drinks menu all year round and to remember that not everyone enjoys teas and coffees. 

Interesting alternative hot drinks for the cooler months include fruit and spiced based Simply Winter Warmers which come in a range of flavours from Spiced Apple to a classic Lemon and Ginger, or Mulled Fruits. To serve, just add hot water. They also work equally well when added to alcohol and it’s this versatility that makes them so useful to restaurants.”

Check out the website for more recipe ideas using the Simply range for both hot and cold drinks.   https://www.italianbev.co.uk/recipe/

Top 6 hacks for creating an enticing and profitable soft drinks menu

1.       Stock up on back bar essentials

Every restaurant can use a stock of classic flavoured syrups such as Simply Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel.  These are popular all year round and are perfect for adding interest to everyday lattes, hot chocolates and even frappes.

Iced teas are on trend right now and a great addition to the menu. Your team will love them because they are so simple to use. Just add water to IBC’s Simply Iced teas and a garnish and they are good to go – and very profitable too.  

If you do not have space for a countertop blender then look out for ready to serve, pre blended drinks such as IBC’s Simply Liquid Vanilla Frappe.  For a delicious indulgent treat, pour over ice and combine with syrups, sauces and toppings to make a range of tempting flavours.

Customers buy with their eyes and eye-catching presentation is therefore really important so use sauces and toppings to add pops of flavour, colour and texture to drinks and desserts. For example, Simply Luxury Chocolate Sauce is a must have, not only does it taste great, it’s perfect for finishing hot and cold drinks. Or use freeze dried fruits such as real strawberry pieces as a pretty topping or addition to cold drinks like lemonade and iced tea.

2.         Plan your menu

It’s great to fill the menu with classic recipes all year round but adding seasonal flavours is an easy way to keep things current and will encourage customers to come back for more.  With over 70 flavoured syrups available, including seasonal favourites such as Egg Nog, Christmas Pudding and many more there’s endless scope for creativity. 

Just add 15ml of Simply syrup to lattes, hot chocolate, frappes.   

3.         Use POS to promote seasonal drinks and increase sales

Branded POS material such as table talkers can be a very effective way to help drive sales by promoting seasonal menu items such as new seasonal drinks or special offers.  IBC Simply can support customers with POS materials from design through to ordering the finished product.

4.         Engage with customers to upsell

Making time to engage with customers makes it much easier to upsell other products, for example asking customers if they’d like a flavoured latte instead of a classic latte. This additional spend is a way to increase profits which, although small, certainly adds up over the course of a busy weekend.

5.         Make your hero drinks Instagram worthy

Don’t ignore the power of social media! Making sure your favourite menu items are Instagram worthy will encourage customers to share photos of their food experience. It also will mean you always have fresh content to share on your own channel and customers can help to create a buzz by snapping and sharing their images too.

6.         Give your customers more choice

Although restaurants clearly benefit from stocking a core range of popular flavours, research consistently shows that customers are keen to try more unusual drink choices across the beverage menu.

Experimenting with more interesting combos and mixing it up with toppings and sauces to add texture, colour and flavour twists in order to create stand out drinks will undoubtedly tempt customers to experiment more.   

Find out more about the whole Simply range at www.italianbev.co.uk