How to Build a Snack Menu

One of the biggest hurdles breweries have to deal with to keep customers in seats longer is the fact that most don’t have full kitchens. Food trucks have been a lifesaver and a great partner to breweries, but using those for the only food option doesn’t allow for maximum profits. In addition to a food truck outside, a lot of our customers have seen great success with a snack menu. Customers love the ability to eat at the bar and personalize their snack selection. Here are a few simple steps to get your snack menu started and some recommendations for best sellers that your customers will love.

Building a Snack Menu in 5 Simple Steps

Select your snacks to offer.

We recommend having a mix of flavor profiles and textures. Sweet, salty and spicy with a snack for every taste bud. Let the customer have the ability to personalize their snacks by selecting 3-4 of their favorites. (see below for the best selling snacks for bars and breweries)

Create a snack menu similar to your beer menu so customers naturally want both.

If you display your beer options on a giant chalkboard over the bar, create a smaller chalkboard that clearly displays your snack options. If you use regular menus, add a featured box to the bottom with your snack menu.

Decide on pricing.

We recommend serving snacks by the scoop for $1. It’s a low enough price that customers will think nothing of adding an extra $3-6 to their order which can be a great add-on profit.

Think of how to display the snacks.

We love some of our brewery customers who simply have giant jars of the snacks behind the bar. It adds color to the bar and makes it easy to scoop up orders. For plating of the snacks, consider a trio bowl since most customers will order at least three snacks.

Finally, launch your snack menu and reap the benefits!

Consider rotating snacks to keep flavors fresh and customers excited.

Best Selling Snack Menu Items

Poppin’ Nut Crunch, Ah! Soy, Happy Hour Mix, The Big Cheese, Capitol Crunch, Sweet Heat, Okra Snacks, Wasabi Covered Peanuts, Gummy Bears, Swedish Fish, Chocolate Malt Balls

Interested in other ways to add snacks as a profit generator for your bar? Read more about:

How to Build a Snack Flight

How to Offer Retail Snacks