Page 57 - MENU Magazine - March/April 2018

From pop-up restaurants to secret eateries, guests are driving an increase in unique dining expe- riences. Follow their lead and bring a taste intrigue to your operation.
There’s a restaurant in Toronto accessible only through a hidden door in a comic book store. An eatery in Montréal that seats diners around an indoor wave pool. A country market in Coombs that serves food beneath a grass roof grazed by a herd of goats.
In an increasingly competitive landscape, these operators have devised creative ways to stand out. They’ve gone beyond food and service to o er a unique dining experience. And they’re not alone.
“It’s something of a trend,” con rms Denis Bour- beau, a Quebec-based director of marketing and pro- curement for Gordon Food Service. “Much of it is being driven by younger generations, who have a sense of adventure about dining and seek experiences that they can share with friends and through social media.”
“They’re explorers,” adds Ontario-based Gordon Food Service corporate chef David Evans. “For them, it’s about discovering something di erent.”
But the appeal isn’t just restricted to millennials, says Murray Penner, a Gordon Food Service director of marketing and procurement in Delta, British Colum- bia. “Boomers have the time, money and appetite to indulge in what can be pretty elaborate experiences.”
Indeed, when it comes to creating these out-of-the- ordinary concepts, the sky’s the limit—just ask the company that goes around Canada serving dinners at a 22-person table hoisted by crane into the open air, 46 metres above the ground.
Here are a few tips for serving up a unique dining experience.
CHECK OUT 5 WAYS RESTAURANTS CAN
OFFER A UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCE
CONTINUED ON PAGE 58
FRESH
The Rise of Unique Dining Experiences
Guests visit Pajo’s of Richmond, BC for the oating dock, sh and chips and great service.
Courtesy of Gordon Food Service
MARCH / APRIL 2018 MENU 57