When the temperatures drop, your customers start craving hot, delicious meals. Satisfy these cravings and increase repeat business by tapping into the most popular type of cold-weather entrée: comfort food. By curating a menu packed with hearty and nostalgic recipes, you can make your restaurant the go-to spot on brisk winter days.

Make your guests feel right at home

Comfort foods are familiar dishes that make your customers feel calm and cozy. Some evoke a sense of nostalgia, bringing up cherished memories of childhood meals and family dinners. Others use rich flavors and creamy textures to make customers feel warm and relaxed—especially when it’s cold or blustery outside.

While comfort foods vary from culture to culture, each one is strongly linked to pleasant feelings and nostalgic experiences. These positive associations appeal to people who are seeking self-care and emotional soothing. Incorporating your customers’ favorite recipes into your restaurant’s seasonal menu can turn an everyday dinner into a happy escape.

A comfort food menu can also have other benefits, including:

• Broader customer base. Because of its familiarity and universal appeal, comfort food appeals to a wide range of diners from a variety of ages and backgrounds. It’s a great way to get both new and existing customers in the door. Integrating trendy December food holidays into your comfort-food marketing strategy can amplify the message and help you reach a larger audience. 
• Increased emotional connection. Customers often associate comfort meals with positive memories and a palpable sense of home. These warm feelings can create a powerful emotional bond that establishes your restaurant as a place of safety and relaxation. Before long, you might notice customers stopping in to wind down after a busy weekend or to enjoy comfort-food lunch specials to center themselves during a stressful work day.
• Higher sales during seasonal changes. During the cold weather of late fall and winter, customers actively seek out meals that help them warm up. When your menu offers a selection of hot, filling dishes, it can boost sales during months that might otherwise be slow.
• Longer dining times and higher ticket averages. Comfort food is often hearty and satisfying, which encourages guests to linger longer at your restaurant. The more time they spend chatting with friends, the more likely they are to order drinks and dessert and drive up the average order value.

Popular comfort foods

The comfort food recipes you select for your restaurant will depend on your typical cuisine and customer base. Some people find comfort in a shrimp dinner; for others, cheese is a must-have ingredient.

For the biggest impact, choose recipes with a broad appeal, such as:

• Macaroni and cheese. A popular kids’ food, this dish is loaded with cheese and carbohydrates. You can elevate it to restaurant-worthy fare by adding different types of cheese or mix-ins such as bacon, mushrooms, and lobster.
• Fried chicken. Salty and crunchy, fried chicken is an indulgent and comforting treat. Serve fried chicken tenders with waffles for a southern twist, or pair them with green beans, sweet potato tots, cornbread, or macaroni and cheese.
• Mashed potatoes and gravy. With their rich, creamy texture, mashed potatoes feel like a taste of home. Top this dish with your chef’s best gravy recipe for the perfect savory finish. 
• Spaghetti and meatballs. Spaghetti is a dinner staple in many families; your customers often crave it when they want to feel calm and safe. Pair a hearty helping of pasta with tender meatballs, a house salad, and garlic bread for a meal that’s packed with nostalgia.
• Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Another childhood favorite, this meal is simple but filling. Upgrade the soup by roasting tomatoes with onions, garlic, and herbs before blending with a touch of heavy cream. For the grilled cheese, consider adding peppers, onions, mushrooms, or bacon for an extra-special treat.
• Chicken pot pie. This cold-weather classic is hot, creamy, and satisfying. Customize the recipe with vegetables and herbs of your choice and top it all off with a flaky, buttery pastry crust.
• Shepherd’s pie. Made with a thick layer of mashed potatoes and cheese on top of a base of meat and vegetables, shepherd’s pie is incredibly filling. It’s easily prepared in batches so the flavors have time to set before serving.
• Meatloaf. If you’re looking for a comforting alternative to steak or burgers, a vintage meatloaf is a great option. Serve it with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables and your customers will feel like kids again.
• Beef stew. There’s nothing like beef stew to warm you up on a cool day. Load the rich broth with root vegetables and serve with crusty bread; it’s the ideal winter lunch or dinner.
• Lasagna. Layers of noodles, cheese, and tomato sauce make this an impossibly comforting recipe, especially for people from Italian backgrounds. Your kitchen can prepare large pans in advance and heat them up with a fresh layer of hot, bubbly cheese.
• Biscuits and gravy. A Southern classic, biscuits and gravy features thick cream, savory sausage, and rich, buttery biscuits. It’s most commonly served at breakfast and brunch, but you can offer it all day.
• Ramen. Ramen is made with hot, savory broth and heaps of noodles — what’s not to love? This soup dish is a beloved part of Japanese and Chinese cuisine; your kitchen crew can use fresh vegetables and herbs to adjust the flavor profile to align with your usual menu.
• Pad Thai. Sauté rice noodles with a salty sauce, egg, and fresh vegetables to create this popular dish, which is a popular comfort food in Thailand. Add chicken or shrimp for a more filling result, and top with a squeeze of lime juice and a few chopped peanuts.

As you’re considering different comfort foods, think about how you’ll promote them to customers. One strategy is to see if your top contenders are featured on the list of national food holidays and social media holidays. Because these unofficial celebrations tend to generate a great deal of online activity, they can be effective marketing hooks.

Designing a menu that focuses on comfort food: Steps to follow

When it comes to designing a comfort food menu, there are no limits—you have complete freedom to create new dishes or upgrade classic comfort food recipes. If you’re overwhelmed by the options, use these steps to bring order to the process:

1. Know what dishes your audience wants to eat. Your customers’ preferred comfort foods will vary based on their background and upbringing. Discover the most-wanted dishes by sending out email surveys and polling followers on social media.
2. Choose the menu theme. A theme can help you create marketing campaigns that attract attention and pique customers’ curiosity. Consider options such as “childhood comfort foods” or “homey winter favorites.”
3. Balance your dishes. While comfort foods are often high in fat, salt, and calories, it’s important to find balance. Pair indulgent dishes with lighter, fresher sides, or find ways to incorporate more vegetables and whole grains into each recipe.
4. Optimize the menu layout. Organize dishes into categories to help customers find the type of food they’re craving. Use plenty of white space to make the text easier to read.
5. Write delicious descriptions. Evoke nostalgia and positive emotions with compelling menu descriptions. Describe the food in a way that makes customers crave the comfort they remember from childhood.
6. Test and update your menu as needed. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new dishes and make adjustments based on customers’ responses. Talk to diners in person, or use a QR code linked to a survey to get unfiltered feedback.
7. Promote your menu on Grubhub. Comfort food is even more relaxing when customers can enjoy it in their own homes. Partner with Grubhub to streamline delivery and ensure the food arrives efficiently.

With Grubhub, it’s a breeze to offer your comfort food menu for both takeout and delivery. With our cutting-edge promotions and loyalty tools, you can get special deals in front of both new customers and repeat diners. Ready to launch your comfort foods? Promote your new menu on Grubhub today.