8 Food Presentation Tips For Your New Restaurant

While the Covid-19 pandemic put a damper on the restaurant industry, more and more people are going out to eat again after all this time. Establishments are reporting big crowds and revenues again. There is a thirst to be out in public after being cooped up for so long. While many restaurants closed down during this time, there are opportunities to fill market gaps if you have the right idea. 

Opening a restaurant is not easy, but it’s a great way to make good money and enjoy yourself. A restaurant is a wonderful business opportunity if you love food and meeting new people. However, to stand out in a crowd, you must do something different and do it extremely well. If you make even a small mistake, your customers won’t return, and your business will struggle to survive. 

The most important thing is having great food. Not only must it taste good, but it must also look good. Your customers won’t want to eat something that isn’t attractive on the plate. So good presentation is almost as important as the flavor. Luckily, here are eight food presentation tips for your new restaurant that will make your food look its best and impress your customers. 

Match Your Theme

If you have a theme for your restaurant, then your plating should go with that theme. For example, if your dining is high-end, you will need a modern-looking plate along with stylized plating choices that reflect the uniqueness of your fare. On the other hand, diners may enjoy a rustic presentation if you are opening an ethnic restaurant. Steakhouses should present their food on bulky platters with paper wrapping to give a blue-collar vibe. Diners choose a restaurant for the food but also the atmosphere, and your plating should reflect that. 

Tableware

Your tableware and utensils will also add to the vibe of your restaurant. Colors must be appropriate for your theme, and the size of your plates should reflect the size of the meal. That said, many avant-gardes and modern cuisine establishments choose large plates and smaller portion sizes. This is an option for you as well. Make sure everything is clean and your tables are neat and tidy. If you have different serving implements on your plates, such as food skewers, then make sure they are placed purposefully and not randomly. It will make your restaurant look more professional and give the sense that your employees pay attention to details. 

Add Dimensions and Layers

Having levels to your blocking in the theater is always a good idea. The same goes for the plates at a Orlando Japanese restaurant. Building upwards will give an attractive dimension to your dishes. You can stack different types of food or ensure that different items are stacked up instead of across. Having at least three heights with your plates is a good rule of thumb. As you get more experienced, you can try out having more. More complex layers and heights will add some personality to your dishes and make them more appealing to your diners. 

Slice Horizontally

If you are serving sliced meat, you want to show off how well it’s been cooked. In addition, you want your diners to see the inside and imagine the flavors awaiting them. The best way to do this is to slice meat horizontally at a 45-degree angle. This points the openly exposed meat to the eye so that they can get a good look. Slicing against the grain will also provide more tenderness to the meat when the customer takes a bite. Finally, the 45-degree angle perfectly captures and displays the drizzle if you have any sauce on your meat. 

Colors

Contrasting and complementary colors add personality and zest to a plate. For example, if you serve dark meat, add red tomatoes and green asparagus or spinach to give the dish pop. Complementary colors, such as yellows and light greens with a tortilla dish, also work. Always choose colors that are available in food naturally. For example, blue is not a common food color; if you have it on your plate, it will look artificial and processed. 

Make Everything Edible

Gone are the days when you would garnish your plates with inedible leaves or other accessories. When you add garnish, make sure that it can be eaten. Not only will this delight the taste buds, but it can also eliminate confusion. Not every diner will already know what’s edible and what’s not. The primary goal of any garnish you use should be to add to the dish’s flavors and not to the appearance. 

Textures

You can also have different textures, colors, and heights on your plates. Play sound with sauces and garnishes to give the diner an appealing presentation with a lot for the eye to take in. Add some crunch or light or thick sauce, which will change the appearance and taste of a dish. This is a great time to be creative and experiment with different things. 

Keep it Simple

If you are opening a new restaurant and are new to the business altogether, then keep it simple if you are in doubt about anything. Many newbies crowd their plates because they want to throw everything they can on there. Start with basic plating techniques, and then branch out as you become more confident in your abilities. Simple always works, and you can’t go wrong. However, you can make mistakes by trying to do too much. 

Opening a restaurant is a chance to stretch your creative muscles. Not only with the cooking and preparing of food, but also with how it’s presented. Use these tips to make your plates look delicious and appealing.