Your daily specials run whatever ingredients you have too much of, and you're making minimal profit on them. I've helped restaurants engineer specials strategically, and using up excess inventory is only one reason to create specials. Here's how to make them actually increase revenue and profit.
Create specials that use your lowest-cost ingredients prepared in appealing ways. Pasta dishes, rice bowls, and vegetable-forward entrees have twenty to twenty-five percent food costs compared to thirty-five percent for protein-heavy items. A butternut squash ravioli special with brown butter sage sauce costs you $4.50 and sells for $22. That's profitable, not just inventory management.
Price specials slightly below regular menu items to drive orders. If your menu entrees run $26-32, price specials at $24. The lower price signals value, customers order them more frequently, and you still maintain healthy margins on well-engineered specials. Specials priced equal to or above menu items rarely sell well unless they're genuinely premium.
Rotate specials predictably so regulars know what to expect. "Fried chicken Tuesdays" and "Fish tacos Fridays" build anticipation and drive traffic on specific days. Random specials nobody can predict don't create dining patterns. Predictable favorites bring people in on slower days specifically for those items.
Use seasonal ingredients at peak availability when they're cheapest. August tomato specials using local produce cost half what December tomato specials cost with shipped ingredients. Asparagus specials in spring, butternut squash in fall, citrus in winter—timing specials to ingredient seasons maximizes margins while marketing as "fresh" and "seasonal."
Test potential permanent menu items as specials first. If you're considering adding short ribs to your regular menu, run them as a special for four weeks. Track sales volume, food cost, kitchen timing, and customer feedback. Successful specials graduate to the menu. Unsuccessful ones disappear without reprinting menus.
Train servers to recommend specials enthusiastically and first. "Before I tell you about our menu, tonight's special is pan-seared scallops with risotto and it's amazing" plants the idea before they've mentally committed to something else. When servers mention specials as an afterthought, they don't sell. Lead with them confidently.
Make specials visually impressive and Instagram-worthy. People post pictures of unique dishes, not your regular menu chicken. A special with dramatic plating, unexpected ingredients, or beautiful presentation generates free marketing when customers share photos. Build in visual appeal intentionally.
Limit specials to one or two items maximum. Seven daily specials overwhelm customers and dilute your kitchen focus. One excellent special gets attention and sells volume. Seven specials split orders and complicate prep. Less is more when it comes to specials that actually move.
Use specials to fill capacity on slow days. Monday night dead? Create a Monday special that's compelling enough to drive traffic. "Half-price wine bottles on Mondays with any special entree" gives people a reason to come in when they'd normally stay home. Strategic specials smooth out your week.
Change specials frequently enough to stay interesting but not so often servers can't learn them. Daily changing specials are exhausting for staff to memorize and communicate accurately. Three times weekly gives you variety without the chaos. Customers see enough rotation to return regularly without constant menu confusion.
Calculate actual food cost before running specials. You think that salmon special is profitable, but did you account for the sauce ingredients, garnishes, and side items? Run the full recipe cost including everything on the plate. If food cost exceeds thirty-two percent, adjust portions, ingredients, or price.
Market your specials everywhere customers see your restaurant. Website homepage, social media daily posts, Google Business Profile updates, table tents, email to your list. Specials buried on page three of a physical menu don't sell. Prominent promotion drives orders and generates excitement.
Managing strategic specials with proper costing, seasonal planning, and effective promotion while running daily operations is why most restaurants default to "whatever inventory we need to use up" thinking. RestaurantDestinations.com directories connect customers with your restaurant, but profitable specials strategically engineered to drive specific behaviors and margins is what separates successful restaurants from struggling ones.
Quick Action Checklist
Special Planning:
- Calculate full recipe cost including all components
- Target 20-28% food cost (lower than regular menu)
- Price 10-15% below average entree price
- Choose 1-2 specials maximum (not 5+)
- Plan specials 2-3 days ahead (not day-of)
Types of Specials to Create:
- High-margin items (pasta, rice bowls, veggie-forward)
- Seasonal ingredients at peak availability
- Menu tests (potential permanent additions)
- Slow-day traffic drivers (Monday/Tuesday specials)
- Excess inventory rescue (but maintain quality)
Presentation:
- Make visually impressive for photos/social media
- Plate with dramatic colors or height
- Use unique garnishes not on regular menu
- Portion generously (perceived value matters)
Staff Training:
- Train servers to lead with specials enthusiastically
- Provide specific talking points (not just "we have specials")
- Teach pronunciation of ingredients/preparation
- Share tasting notes so servers can describe authentically
- Update training when specials change
Promotion:
- Post to social media with photo day-of (Instagram/Facebook)
- Update website homepage with current specials
- Post to Google Business Profile
- Create table tents highlighting specials
- Email to loyalty program members
- Train host to mention specials when seating
Predictable Rotation:
- Create anchor specials for specific days (Taco Tuesday, etc.)
- Change specials 2-3x per week (not daily)
- Bring back popular specials monthly
- Retire specials that don't sell within 2 weeks
Tracking:
- Monitor special sales daily (track # ordered)
- Calculate profitability weekly (actual food cost vs. sales)
- Gather customer feedback from servers
- Identify which specials could become permanent menu items
- Track which promotion channels drive most special orders