The Success of Secret Menus

09/26/2023

If you’ve ever gone to Starbuck's, McDonalds, or In-N-Out, you’ve probably heard of secret menus before. A secret menu consists of hidden or popular customized menu items that a restaurant can make but doesn’t advertise. Most places that have secret menu items haven’t created them on their own; customers asked for different customizations, and they became popular over time. And since they’re usually created by customers themselves, they gain popularity over time and spread best through word of mouth.

For example, making regular menu items “animal-style” at In-N-Out isn’t part of the menu, but many people would think it is because of how popular it is. It’s been around for so long that no one knows where it came from, not even In-N-Out. Former In-N-Out Vice President, Carl Van Fleet says it first surfaced sometime in the early 1970s, but since the company didn’t create it themselves, they have no idea who did. Regardless, it’s stood the test of time, proving just how popular secret menu items could get.

Benefits of Secret Menu Items

The hard part of succeeding with secret menus is how to market them; you want people to know about them, but not so much that they won’t be “secret” anymore. It takes striking the right balance, being both accessible and exclusive.  There isn’t a guaranteed way to get it right, unfortunately, but when it works, it works. Secret menus:

• Create exclusivity – customers like feeling like insiders when they shop. Secret menus give them that sense of being “in the know”.
• Generate buzz and interest – people love secret menus. It excites them; the prospect of ordering something that isn’t on the menu is exciting.
• Give your chefs, baristas, bartenders, and others the opportunity to experiment with new ingredients and flavors without committing to adding them to the menu.
• Let chefs, baristas, bartenders, and others take advantage of seasonal ingredients – creating a secret limited-time menu is the perfect solution.
• Increase business and revenue.
• Reward customers for their loyalty – those in the know receive exclusive and unique dining experiences.

While marketing a secret menu has proven to be difficult, creating one doesn’t have to be. With ImaMenu, you can do just that by enabling limited-time access, adding a countdown clock, and/or adding a menu passcode with a passcode enable message. Sign up for free to get started.

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