How do restaurants truly separate themselves from others across the street?

Restaurants strive to contrast others in the industry, whether it's through their menus or their atmosphere. The intricate process to create a distinctive menu takes a lot of thought, time and passion

It takes months to create the perfect burger recipe that’s unlike anyone else’s.

Josh Dyer, an executive chef for a decade and a line cook for 20 years, got his start at Cora’s Breakfast with zero experience, and later became a chef de cuisine at one of Canada’s Michelin-starred hotels, The Dorian. An out-of-doors glass-walled fine dining and tasting restaurant. From catering for weddings to movie premieres, Dyer developed a strong personality in his menu designs.

“Developing menus is probably my favourite part of the job, working with the team to create new recipes. When I develop menus. It really does start with a blank page often,” said Dyer.

“It’s a brainstorming process, it’s what’s in season, what’s unique, what are trends in the industry? And I just built a page of ideas.”

Menu design doesn’t always need a fancy background; it takes creativity and a secure understanding of what your audience wants.

Matthew Ostrander, a general manager, started as a dishwasher at The Keg and worked his way up to General manager in 20 years before switching to The Porch. A summery Mediterranean open floor oasis, Greek-inspired cuisine. When it comes to menu design, Ostrander has a different approach.

“It’s a team effort; we have a graphic designer/marketing team. They mostly just do menus now, but a lot of it is more than that. I give more general feedback and then kind of see where things come out,” said Ostrander.

When it comes to menu design, industry trends come close behind. Keeping up with industry trends can be pivotal for success in the restaurant industry; it can help improve equipment or supply efficiency, attract and retain customer loyalty, and outpace the competition.

There are several ways to stay up to date with trends, such as speaking with your customer base or conducting research to expand the restaurant’s capabilities.

“Being aware of what’s going on in the market, dining out, trying different things,” said Dyer.

“Travelling is a big part of it. Just staying on top of and being involved in the community, networking, talking to other chefs, it’s a collaborative environment here in Calgary, like, of course, we have restaurants that are competitive, but at the same time, we’re here to support one another.”

Avocado Toast Dish - Image taken by Josh Dyer

Ostrander had a separate approach to staying up to date with trends, but achieved the same success.

“It’s less of watching trends and just like talking to your guests and trying to promote creativity within your restaurant,” said Ostrander.

“But I think talking to people, and actually asking people, hey, what you know, what are they looking for? What are they? What are they? What do they want? And actually just asking the right questions.”

Seeking the betterment of the restaurant is always the top priority, but it’s frankly about how to set themselves apart, to contrast with the several restaurants down the road strip or the hundreds of locations around the city. What really makes their menus worth trying and coming back to?

“We have the highest rooftop patio in the city. So the atmosphere is certainly unique, but also the dining experience,” said Dyer.

“We try to bring back that European-style dining and more of a comfortable, non-stuffy way. Chefs, tasting menus, palette cleanser, bread service, some surprises and delights along the way.”

Not all restaurants are on the 27th floor away from restaurants down below; most are wall-to-wall neighbours with each other, methodologies have to be contrary to those you share the sidewalk with.

“I think we do a really good job of balancing the line between being casual and more of a 17th Avenue bar and also being a nice restaurant,” said Ostrander.

“So they got a nice Greek Mediterranean restaurant. So for me, I think a lot of places either choose one or the other, and we’ve done a good job of capturing both.”

The Porch and the Dorian hold one of the highest ratings in their respective areas in Calgary and are always focused on improving, making menu changes or shifting courses with trends, and staying ahead of competitors.