Restaurant Operations
How Chinese Restaurants Can Help New Diners Order
New diners do not need the menu to be simplified into generic food. They need a path into the restaurant.
Support methods
| Method | Example |
|---|---|
| Good first order | For two: one house specialty, one vegetable, one rice or noodle. |
| Format explanation | Hot pot: choose broth, ingredients, sauce, then cook at the table. |
| Dish notes | No fish in fish-fragrant eggplant. |
| Spice notes | Ma-la means numbing-spicy, not only hot. |
| Staff scripts | Train staff to explain the most unfamiliar dishes quickly. |
| Menu pathways | Create mild, vegetarian, first-time, and group-order paths. |
Sample pathway
New to Sichuan food? Start with: 1. Cucumber salad 2. Mapo tofu 3. Dry-fried green beans 4. Rice Want it milder? Ask for less chile oil and avoid ma-la dishes marked very spicy.