why do restaurants remove a popular item from menu?

i've been encountering this a lot lately. it could be an appetizer or an entree. when questioning management they say it was one of our most popular menu item, yet they remove it. and then management doesn't have an answer. is it for economics reasons?

Sometimes it is.....menu items aren't much different from other consumer products, in that they not only have to be popular with guests, but profitable as well...a lot of thought and planning goes into developing a menu item [at least it should]....some may do it better than others...someone may create a very popular dish, but soon realizes they're not making any money from it, then do a cost analysis and realize that to price it at a level that would generate an equitable profit, no one would buy it....or ingredient costs may suddenly rise and it no longer becomes profitable to maintain the item on the menu and it will be removed, rather than cut corners and compromise quality....lots of reasons can come into play...

I'm probably telling tales out of school, but - it's probably simply fatigue. Chances are good the kitchen staff got REALLY tired of making it and the servers got REALLY tired of selling it and serving it - and we all got tired of smelling it, in our clothes and in our hair. Got tired of prepping it. Got excited about something new and different. Hoped the new thing would be as popular as the old thing, but even if not, we are changing that menu every once in a while. But that's a hard thing to explain nicely to a patron.

So, the best method is to take it away "seasonally" and then bring it back next year - and tell the patrons it's gone now but it'll be back in a few months. Also, if possible, you keep the stuff on hand to make it for your very best regulars if they just can't live without it in the meantime.

That's the way it works at an independent restaurant, anyway. In a corporate situation, the top sellers just stay. Forever.

This has happened to my wife and I a lot. We usually quit going to a restaurant that stops serving a dish that made it a destination for us to begin with. We don't like to make a fuss. We'll just stop coming.

I suppose the owners of Azaleas got bored with their menu and just had to drastically change things . Didn't work out so well for them. Unfortunately.

This seems a tricky business. I can't seen how it's good thing to change the menu willy nilly. Personally, I'd much rather pay more for a favorite dish, than to just have it disappear.

In the case of Lou Lou, we almost quit going altogether because they moved and then dropped the Autumn Salad, my wife's favorite. We have returned to the fold since they've opened the Douglass Loop location, and have brought that salad back, only calling it Seasonal Salad. It still irritates me though, that I can't substitute a small portion of a salad for the sides that come with the wraps. Irritates. Every. Single. Time. And why can't I get a half portion of the spinach salad if I want, like the good ol' days? It's maddening.

This is not science, but often, once it's gone, the thrill is indeed gone.

This has happened to my wife and I a lot. We usually quit going to a restaurant that stops serving a dish that made it a destination for us to begin with. We don't like to make a fuss. We'll just stop coming.

I suppose the owners of Azaleas got bored with their menu and just had to drastically change things . Didn't work out so well for them. Unfortunately.

This seems a tricky business. I can't seen how it's good thing to change the menu willy nilly. Personally, I'd much rather pay more for a favorite dish, than to just have it disappear.

In the case of Lou Lou, we almost quit going altogether because they moved and then dropped the Autumn Salad, my wife's favorite. We have returned to the fold since they've opened the Douglass Loop location, and have brought that salad back, only calling it Seasonal Salad. It still irritates me though, that I can't substitute a small portion of a salad for the sides that come with the wraps. Irritates. Every. Single. Time. And why can't I get a half portion of the spinach salad if I want, like the good ol' days? It's maddening.

This is not science, but often, once it's gone, the thrill is indeed gone.

Willy nilly?
Menus change for hundreds of good reasons, even if the item is a popular... and I think other people have already hit on this in the earlier replies.

But it sounds like you should quit frequenting chef-driven restaurants.
If things didn't change on menus we'd all be still eating the same food our grandparents ate, or the menu would just keep on getting continually longer.

It's pretty bold to make the assumption that every time you dine at a place that the menu isn't stuck in antiquity... unchanged.
I mean, At Denny's or Waffle House... It wouldn't surprise me in the least. Nor at a Chinese takeout place... but at Lou Lou?
Come on man. If you're even looking at this website I'd like to make the assumption that you "get this" and are seriously into food and dining... Perhaps I am mistaken?

I mean, dining should be an experience and you should relish in trying new things!
Who cares if they're out of/don't have the salad? Don't pout, don't get up and leave, don't refuse to return!
Savor life and eat and be merry.
Don't grumble about the salad being gone.

GIVE NEW FOOD A CHANCE.


Furthermore, stopping to go to a restaurant entirely because they changed their menu and don't have what you want is pretty extreme - and petty.
Obviously you enjoy the food there enough, so why not try something new?
Hell, even fast food places change their menu.


Frankly, I see the note about the salad at Lou Lou now being called the "seasonal salad", but if it was the exact same as the "autumn salad" why on Earth would you want to eat things that our in season in autumn at any other time of the year? It's silly. Don't go looking for the tomato salad in December, or the pear salad in June. It's that simple.



I realize that every word I've said is probably been in vain, but it's really shocking to me how silly you guys can be about "what's on the menu" and how extreme some people are when they're not satisfied (by refusing to return).

You'll find if you apply the same logic to a grocery store, you'll quickly run out of places to locate food.


/end rant.

One of the things that frustrates me as a chef is the fact that I'll run a special and get the response "You should put that on the menu all of the time"...And we accommodate the request and inevitabley it doesn't sell....

Steve, I don't know about the "half portion" of spinach salad, but I'll double-check for you on the tiny side salad of any variety being available at the Loop - we do that multiple times every day at the St. Matthews store in place of the pasta salad or the cajun crisps!

And the "autumn salad" is very, very, popular, so we did in fact change the name of it to "seasonal salad" - and it's been on the menu for the last year and a half at least, so I'm not sure when you were missing it - perhaps the first few months we were at St. Matthews, but that was awhile ago. I'm sorry you've been so disappointed - did you happen to mention it to anyone in management, or just fume about it? We do all kinds of special things for our regulars, and it sounds like you're something of a regular, so we want to please you!

I'll get back to you later today about substituting the small salad for a side at the Loop store. As for half-salads, I'd say we're not going to put a half-salad on the menu any time soon. But I'll check!

Willy nilly?
Menus change for hundreds of good reasons, even if the item is a popular... and I think other people have already hit on this in the earlier replies.

I didn't start this thread; so, I'm probably not the only one that has lost a favorite menu item.

But it sounds like you should quit frequenting chef-driven restaurants.
If things didn't change on menus we'd all be still eating the same food our grandparents ate, or the menu would just keep on getting continually longer.

Condescend much? Yes. We'll take our $500-$800 per month restaurant budget and start going exclusively to chains because we're not appreciative enough of chefs.... NOT!

It's pretty bold to make the assumption that every time you dine at a place that the menu isn't stuck in antiquity... unchanged.
I mean, At Denny's or Waffle House... It wouldn't surprise me in the least. Nor at a Chinese takeout place... but at Lou Lou?
Come on man. If you're even looking at this website I'd like to make the assumption that you "get this" and are seriously into food and dining... Perhaps I am mistaken?

Every time we go to any restaurant we ALWAYS ask about the specials before ordering. That doesn't preclude us having favorites, does it?

I mean, dining should be an experience and you should relish in trying new things!

Not always. Sometimes it's about your comfort food. A chef should understand that he's taking a risk every time his menu changes. Some folks will like it more, some folks will like it less. The former will probably come back more frequently, and the others might just fade away. If you completely revamp your menu, then it's the biggest risk of all. That's why I mentioned Azalea.

Who cares if they're out of/don't have the salad? Don't pout, don't get up and leave, don't refuse to return! Savor life and eat and be merry. Don't grumble about the salad being gone.

We didn't grumble or pout. We even returned a few times, but it never clicked for us at the new Sears Ave. location. That was just the one reason that also meshed with the topic of this thread.

GIVE NEW FOOD A CHANCE.

I DO. ALL THE TIME. IT'S NOT A CONTRADICTION TO ALSO HAVE FAVORITES.

Furthermore, stopping to go to a restaurant entirely because they changed their menu and don't have what you want is pretty extreme - and petty. Obviously you enjoy the food there enough, so why not try something new? Hell, even fast food places change their menu.

You make unwarranted assumptions. We didn't quit going because of that one salad. We gave it a few trys. It just wasn't our Lou Lou's anymore. I don't see how this makes us petty, that we didn't want to drive several miles further for a place that we enjoyed less. They were the ones that moved, and changed not us. They didn't run their plans by us before they did it either. Does that make them petty?

NOTE FOR THE OBLIVIOUS: We're happy that they're doing well! No hard feelings!

Frankly, I see the note about the salad at Lou Lou now being called the "seasonal salad", but if it was the exact same as the "autumn salad" why on Earth would you want to eat things that our in season in autumn at any other time of the year? It's silly. Don't go looking for the tomato salad in December, or the pear salad in June. It's that simple.

You do realize that lettuce isn't in season in winter. Right? How many restaurants do you think are serving salads with lettuce in them right now, in the middle of February? What's silly is thinking we can't use any of the technology invented over the last 200 years, so we can eat greens and vegetables out of season, or fly in fresh seafood for that matter. Personally I like seafood, and fresh veggies year round. And I don't feel silly about it in the least.

I realize that every word I've said is probably been in vain, but it's really shocking to me how silly you guys can be about "what's on the menu" and how extreme some people are when they're not satisfied (by refusing to return).

Like I said before. It was more a "drifting apart" than a "refusing to return". Varanese picked up a lot of our business during this time. Does your "try new food" include trying completely new restaurants? Are we allowed, in your universe, to shift our spending to new restaurants that suit a fancy just a little better?

You'll find if you apply the same logic to a grocery store, you'll quickly run out of places to locate food./end rant.

I don't like it when a grocery does it either. I might even shift some business to another grocery that gives me more of a reason to return. Happens. All. The. Time. Still gotta eat though. So. I'll get what I like, wherever I can.

A chef has to understand that their restaurant is more than the food. It's about making connections with people. Most of those connections might not ever be apparent. Sever too many of those hidden connections all at once, and your restaurant might not make it. Ask Azalea.

Steve, I don't know about the "half portion" of spinach salad, but I'll double-check for you on the tiny side salad of any variety being available at the Loop - we do that multiple times every day at the St. Matthews store in place of the pasta salad or the cajun crisps!

Thanks Marsha. We have been going to the Loop location and enjoy it more than St. Mathews. (sorry!) I even asked specifically about this and was told no substitutions. So, appearances aside, I do try.

BTW, I only mentioned Lou Lou's as an example since you'd already replied on this thread and so that was the first thing that came to mind. I wasn't really trying to pick on y'all. And I'm happy that the new locations are successful.

And the "autumn salad" is very, very, popular, so we did in fact change the name of it to "seasonal salad" - and it's been on the menu for the last year and a half at least, so I'm not sure when you were missing it - perhaps the first few months we were at St. Matthews, but that was awhile ago.

Yes. We went three or four times to the St. Mathews before it just didn't seem worth it anymore. And, it just wasn't any one thing. It was the loudness. It was the salads. The wait staff didn't seem as good. We always sat in the bar at Clifton, and it just wasn't the same. It's just one of those things where we lost our connection. If it was just the salad, then we probably would've kept coming and mentioning it every time.

I'm sorry you've been so disappointed - did you happen to mention it to anyone in management, or just fume about it? We do all kinds of special things for our regulars, and it sounds like you're something of a regular, so we want to please you!

You are a nice person. It's not your fault. It's not Lou Lou's fault. These things happen all the time. Nothing stays the same. Sometimes you like the changes better, sometimes you don't. C'est la vie.

I'll get back to you later today about substituting the small salad for a side at the Loop store. As for half-salads, I'd say we're not going to put a half-salad on the menu any time soon. But I'll check!

Every salad is available in a half (small) size except the spinach salad. That's what's weird.

You're a peach Marsha, but seriously, don't waste any time for an anonymous schmo on a message board. I'm a "go with the flow" kinda guy, most of the time.

We lost our favorite menu item at BBC a while back and have begged for it to return, to no avail. It was the ahi tuna salad. Now that they revamped their menu it seems as though every salad has an overabundance of "sweet" items in it. I don't have a menu in front of me so I can't come up with a specific example, but there's like mandarin oranges, candied pecans and raspberry vinagrette or some other combination fruit and "sweet" items that in the description seem overwhlming. I would like to be able to choose from more than one "savory" salad. Anyway, we still go to BBC, but not as often, the new menu isn't as good as the old one.

Man, I wish I could have a $500-800 a month restaurant budget. Nice.

Man, I wish I could have a $500-800 a month restaurant budget. Nice.

Alas, we are addicts. Our retirement will surely suffer. Doesn't seem to matter.

(lordy, this is long. If you're not interested in Steve's earlier salad questions, you can skip it. )


Okay, Steve - I just wanted to get back to your questions since I've done a little detective work. Don't worry, it was just the work of a few minutes, and I'd like to resolve it for everyone reading.

We have two categories of salads at both locations of Lou Lou. One is what we call a "regular" salad and the other category is an "entree" salad (large salad with some sort of protein like fish or boiled eggs or ham). Entree salads include Cobb, Tilapia and the Wilted Spinach with Boiled Eggs, bacon, and hot bacon vinaigrette. All regular salads come in two sizes and all regular salads can be substituted in a side-size for the pasta salad/cajun crisps/sauteed veg option with a sandwich or wrap (with a $1 upcharge. The upcharge applies to a side-size cup of soup, as well.)

So that gives you five side options when you order a sandwich or wrap - more than that if you count the different kinds of regular salad there are to choose from). I questioned the manager at the Loop location pretty closely about this, and it's absolutely never been the case that you should not have been able to get a side-size regular salad with your wrap. So somehow, we made a mistake there. Sometimes I think new servers err on the side of what they think is caution by blurting out "no subs" instead of going to the kitchen to check availability if they haven't memorized the menu yet. So this one's obviously our fault - we didn't convey correct information about our own policy to you. I've asked them to reiterate this policy to all the servers at their next meeting.

Second issue is - why don't we have two sizes of the entree salads? Well, because it's hard to sell half a boiled egg or half a fish filet. And most people that order protein salads are having them as their entree so they enjoy the full portion. However, we will SPLIT any entree salad, and that means plated separately, not just bringing you two forks and an extra, empty plate.

And, finally, the person I talked to said that by all means, if a guest really really wanted a half spinach salad, we will do it! It just takes a little extra effort on the server's part because they have to ring in a small salad from the regular category to make the price come out right on the bill, then they modify the order or hot-foot it to the kitchen to get them to make a spinach rather than whatever they rang in. It's not unheard of to get bad information from a green server or a busy server, but Steve sort of made it sound like he'd asked repeatedly and been told no repeatedly on both these questions, and I hope that wasn't the case.

Again, Steve, I'm not trying to twist your arm into coming back, I just didn't want to leave the questions up in the air. We'd love to see you again, though!

Thanks Marsha. You are a great ambassador for Lou Lou.

Sorry for the thread jacking everyone.

Man, I wish I could have a $500-800 a month restaurant budget. Nice.

Alas, we are addicts. Our retirement will surely suffer. Doesn't seem to matter.

I hear cooking at home can produce a lot of interesting dishes and also save one a lot of scratch.

I hear cooking at home can produce a lot of interesting dishes and also save one a lot of scratch.

Yeah, but it sure isn't as much fun!!!