BEST MENU WINNER 2011: RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES AT CREDIT SUISSE

WINNER: RESTAURANT ASSOCIATES AT CREDIT SUISSE

ENTRY: OUTTAKES NIBBLES

THE BIG IDEA: The Nibbles menu at Credit Suisse was recognized for offering company associates a grazing menu that draws participation on its own merits while also driving sales at a time of day when many corporate dining programs see mostly “dead air.”

It's actually a fairly simple concept, a snack program for the afternoon that offers a simpler themed menu than the lunch served earlier. Set up after the lunch buffet closes at 2:30 at the venue's Outtakes convenience retailing location, Nibbles has a menu that includes Asian bites, sliders, quesadillas as well as assorted hummus, olives, cheese, etc. These serve either as a lunch alternative for those that couldn't eat earlier or as an afternoon pick-me-up. The selection also emphasizes meatless offerings, giving it special appeal to vegetarian/vegan customers who are often difficult to satisfy with a traditional foodservice program.

Many customers reportedly wait for the Nibbles bar to be set up after lunch, with the concept developing its own significant fan base, the gold standard for any menu concept. The Nibbles area then serves as a social space for associates to mingle and interact, fulfilling one of the values of an onsite foodservice for a client organization: a facilitator of creative friction, collaboration and team building.

The revamped Outtakes that includes Nibbles has boosted sales 61% and participation almost 28%.

PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS:

Marc Scheuer
Vice President of Culinary (Restaurant Associates)

Jay Silverstein DFS
Vice President of Conference & Dining Services for Corporate Real Estate and Services (Credit Suisse in New York)

Joe DiPhillipo
Executive Chef for Restaurant Associates at Credit Suisse

Syed Raza
Regional Director for Restaurant Associates at Credit Suisse