“Foodie Fridays” in Austin ~ 3-13-13 ~ Do you know about Secret Menus?
Want to feel like an insider? A person in the know? Have you ever overheard someone say "Shhh, it’s a secret!" I recently discovered that some restaurants actually have secret menus - a list of food items you won’t find on their menu boards. It really isn’t anything new, but, not many people know about them; more and more restaurants are adding these to their menu list. Senior Food Editor Bret Thorn of Nation’s Restaurant News says that “If you have a secret menu or if customers know the menu, they feel like insiders. You feel kind of a personal connection to the restaurant.” 
For example, Panera Bread offers “off-the-menu” dishes that are nourishing options to their regular menu. They are all an excellent source of protein and contain limited processed carbs. All you do is tell the associate taking your order that you’re ordering from the “hidden menu” and they’ll take care of it from there. For example, they have a Power Mediterranean Chicken Salad of all natural, antibiotic-free roasted turkey, baby spinach, tomatoes, applewood smoked bacon & diced eggs with fresh squeezed lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil; or how about “Power Steak Lettuce Wraps”: seared top sirloin, leaf lettuce, cucumbers, diced tomatoes & red onions, basil pesto and finished with lemon juice.
Now, not all of the hidden options at some of the fast food restaurants are as healthy. Check out these “secret items”:
Burger King’s Suicide Burger: 4 beef patties, 4 slices of cheese, bacon and special sauce
Subway has a Pizza Sub: tomato sauce, salami/pepperoni and cheese on any bread
McDonald’s McGangBang: a McChicken sandwhich wedged between a double cheeseburger
Starbucks even has a secret menu with Raspberry Cheesecake Frappuccino listed on it.
So, how do you find out about all these hidden items? First off, a lot of the restaurants that have the hidden menu items get the word out through their loyalty programs like Panera Bread. Also, by liking them on Facebook and following them on Twitter, you can get the inside scoop. See social media works for every business!
You can also check out these web sites for more information on what and where:
http://www.businessinsider.com/secret-menu-items-at-fast-food-places-2012-12?op=1 and
http://www.ranker.com/profile-of/secret-menu-items
These secret menus are a great marketing tool for the restaurants – they save money on printing all the materials and the customers feel like they’ve become restaurant insiders. It’s important to note, though, that it’s not at every restaurant in every chain, but, give it a try and you may not have to go back to that same-o, same-o!
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