Artisan Restaurants are Appetizing to Customers

There is something to be said about a restaurant that prides itself on being an “artisan restaurant,” only buying raw ingredients from suppliers. The freshness of the products can lead customers unaccustomed to gourmet foods, and foodies, to have an overall better impression of the food. Foodies will appreciate the effort and uniqueness of the products. Businesses can name the products as “house” or “homemade” foods, for which customers may be willing to pay a higher price. However, for many products, it may not pay to have an area in house and allocate the time and manpower to make the foods. Having a restaurant bakery involves dedicating a decent-sized section of the kitchen to one or more specialized workers. This may be worth the sacrifice to a business that prides itself on not having dessert suppliers, rather creating sweets on premise.

Homemade Food that’s Worth It

Many businesses feel that artisan bread is better bought from a supplier, rather than made on premise. A restaurant bakery geared for making desserts still will not have the diversity of ovens required to make a wide range of breads. By buying breads from a supplier, a business can purchase the best quality available, without having to deduct time, money, and large amounts of space from their business. Bakers who focus full-time on making bread will produce an overall wider and more uniform range of breads. Ice cream is another constant dilemma for businesses that pride themselves on bakery products. Ice cream machines can be on the expensive side, but the ability to experiment with flavors and textures, making savory or sweet versions of the classic favorite, are valuable to some businesses. Other products like homemade sauces and spreads, such as pesto, vinaigrettes, tapenades, etc, are better made in house. The freshness of such products will make a significant difference, and the ability to tweak the recipes for the individual business will add depth to the dishes in which they are used. With a good quality food processor, making all types of dressing and spreads barely adds time to prep work in the kitchen.

Culinary and Quality Value Added

There is definitely an added value to food in restaurants that make as much as they can from scratch. However, it is very rare that a business can afford to create all the food in house. Homemade food can be expensive when time, equipment, and space are factored into the costs. That being said, some products are worth making the extra effort to make in house. The creative flavor combinations that can be created can add excitement to the menu and interest customers to return seasonally, when new flavors are produced.

Filed under: Resource Central • Recipes • How-To • General

Tags: artisan bread, artisan foods, artisan restaurant, dessert suppliers, do it yourself cooking, foodies, homemade food, homemade sauces, ice cream machine, restaurant bakery