RECIPE / MENU R&D

Program Overview

At CKG Consulting, we believe that a menu is more than a list of dishes—it’s a strategic tool that defines your concept, drives guest satisfaction, and supports financial performance. Our Menu, Recipe & Retail Product Development Program is built for hospitality businesses that want to align their culinary offerings with brand identity, operational efficiency, and profitability.

Whether you're refreshing an existing menu, launching a new concept, or expanding into retail product lines, our approach combines culinary artistry with data-driven strategy to create offerings that perform in the kitchen and resonate with your target market.

Core Services

  1. Custom Recipe Development

    • Unique, brand-aligned dishes tailored to your audience

    • Balance of creativity, taste, plating, and production efficiency

    • Portion sizing and ingredient sourcing for cost control

  2. Strategic Menu Design

    • Cohesive menu layouts built around guest flow and ordering psychology

    • Seasonal and regional ingredient integration

    • Dietary and lifestyle preference alignment (e.g., plant-forward, gluten-free, allergen-aware)

  3. Profitability Optimization

    • Plate cost analysis and food margin improvements

    • Menu engineering to feature high-margin items

    • Waste reduction and purchasing efficiency recommendations

  4. Operational Integration

    • Standardized recipe cards, plating guides, and prep instructions

    • Staff training materials for consistent execution

    • BOH workflow and station alignment with menu flow

  5. Trend Adaptation

    • Research and implementation of emerging culinary trends

    • Competitive benchmarking and guest behavior insights

    • Agile menu strategies for evolving guest preferences

  6. Retail Food Product R&D

    • End-to-end development of packaged food products and retail SKUs

    • Ideation, formulation, shelf-life testing, and regulatory compliance

    • Labeling guidance (nutritionals, allergen statements, FDA guidelines)

    • Co-packer sourcing and scale-up coordination

    • Brand alignment for in-store, e-commerce, and wholesale channels

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What types of businesses is this program for?
A: Restaurants, cafés, hotels, food halls, ghost kitchens, multi-unit groups, and emerging CPG brands—any concept looking to improve or refine their culinary offerings or launch packaged retail products.

Q: Can you help if we already have a menu but need to improve performance?
A: Yes. We offer full menu audits that assess profitability, layout logic, guest experience, and operational challenges—then deliver a plan to improve.

Q: Do you provide on-site training?
A: We offer both on-site and virtual support. In-person services include line training, pre-shift run-throughs, and rollout support.

Q: How long does a full menu or product development engagement take?
A: Typically 4–6 weeks for a menu build and 6–12 weeks for retail product development, depending on testing and compliance requirements.

Q: Do you source ingredients or assist with vendor relationships?
A: We help identify sourcing options, optimize vendor lists, and create spec sheets—but you maintain control of vendor relationships unless otherwise requested.

Q: Will this help us reduce food cost?
A: Absolutely. Cost control is built into every part of our process—from portioning and prep to sourcing and pricing.

Q: Can you help us prepare for retail launch or co-packer readiness?
A: Yes. We guide formulation for scale, assist in finding co-packers, and ensure your product meets regulatory and shelf-life requirements.

From Menu to Market Success

With CKG Consulting, your menu and product line become true reflections of your brand and powerful contributors to operational and retail success. Let’s create something exceptional—on the plate, on the shelf, and on the bottom line.

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