Why Secret Menus Are a Hit and 4 Tips To Implement One

A secret menu makes customers feel special, and their “exclusivity” element boosts customer loyalty and keeps hungry patrons revisiting your eatery.

Think about McDonald’s Land, Sea, and Air Burger. It’s a multi-layered sandwich that combines a Big Mac (land), McChicken (air), and Filet-O-Fish (sea) into one hearty burger. 

Or how about the animal-style burger by In-N-Out? The scrumptious burger with a mustard-grilled beef patty, extra pickles, and a generous Thousand Island spread on each side. Delicious, right? 

But why did you never see these dishes on their paper and QR code menu? That’s because these yummy treats belong to the secret club. It’s a collection of off-the-menu items for those in the know. 

So, what makes secret foods a hit with restaurants? Let’s find out. 

What is a secret menu?

A secret menu is a list of food or drink menu items not included in a restaurant’s standard menu. These dishes are reserved for regular customers and those in the know to make them feel special. 

They help keep the spark alive in a restaurant-and-consumer relationship by treating regulars a bit extra. It's almost like having a VIP membership at your favorite restaurant that not everyone else has.

You can ask for chef’s specials, experimental cuisines, and even custom cocktails. 

Let’s take Starbucks Pink Drink, for example. This secret fast-food drink menu item features a Strawberry Acai base coupled with coconut milk for a creamy texture. Green coffee extract is also added for the signature caffeine boost, along with passion fruit and freeze-dried strawberries. 

Customers fell in love with the idea, snapping the summery drink and sharing it across their Instagram feeds. 

Thanks to the rising sales and revenue, the secret edition got Starbucks Vice President Vivienne Long, saying: “We’re thrilled that the beloved Pink Drink is joining the Starbucks menu, just in time for the warmer spring months.”

Added to the coffee chain’s secret menu in June 2016, the Starbucks Pink Drink found a forever home on the menu in 2017. This is how a secret menu adds popularity and loyal customers to your restaurant if done right. 

Why exclusive menu items are a hit: The scoop

Social media buzz

With Gen Z taking over social media platforms, foodstagramming, or the practice of sharing food pictures online, is also becoming mainstream. 

A StudyFinds survey suggests that one in three people order food just to snap-and-share, not to eat! Consumers are all about announcing their meals with photogenic pictures these days, making social media for restaurants the 21st-century cookbook. 

The same applies to secret menus, which are often aesthetic enough to deserve a spot on our Instagram feeds. 

Think about the animal-style fries by In-N-Out topped with grilled onions. Or, Chipotle’s quesarito with extra cheese layered on top of a huge burrito. This way, a secret menu promotes organic food photography, which is a free advertising tool for restaurants. They bring lots of foot traffic when added to your QR code menu platform. 

Word-of-mouth marketing

When customers find out about a secret menu item, they feel like they’re part of an insider club at their favorite restaurant. This “special” feeling motivates people to share their finds with friends and loved ones, making them part of the experience. 

The result is positive social proof that improves your restaurant’s revenue and leads to a healthy dining experience. 

After all, 38% of millennials are more likely to trust (and visit) restaurants suggested by friends and family. 

Besides, word of mouth generates $6 trillion in revenue and accounts for 13% of all sales. In other words, it is even more powerful than paid ads for marketers and restaurant managers. 

Exclusivity and customer loyalty

Things that are meant to be kept secret are even more enticing to share. 

The same extends to secret menus. It makes customers feel special and exclusive since they know about an off-the-menu item not everyone else knows. This gives them a story to share, inspiring their followers and friends to try out the dish in the process. 

Once a customer has a positive experience with a secret menu find, they’re likely to return — except this time, they will also bring their friends and family members along. 

Such customers become brand ambassadors for your restaurant, driving traffic and sales. 

The idea is simple: when you make customers feel special, their loyalty to your brand boosts, too! 

4 tips for implementing an exclusive menu

Mix and match existing ingredients

As mentioned earlier, a secret menu is a cost-effective way to get the word out about your restaurant. 

After all, you don’t need to design a marketing strategy, pay for customer acquisition, or even monitor KPIs. It becomes even more economical when you use existing items to create your off-the-menu collection. 

This way, you don’t need to purchase extra ingredients for your secret contactless menu. 

Even if the special items do not become that popular, the restaurant will not suffer a loss. Plus, every restaurant has a certain familiarity with its customers — a signature style or flavor profile that people love. 

So, when you create restaurant menu ideas, remember to maintain this familiarity. 

Here are a few ideas of how you can use existing ingredients for the secret menu optimization: 

• Top the regular burger with loaded fries. Add cheese, bacon bits, and green onions on the sides. 
• For breakfast, take a pizza crust and layer it with scrambled eggs and sausage. Add bacon and cheese. 
• Add some ingredients from chicken parmesan to a sub sandwich. These may include mozzarella, marinara, and breaded chicken. 
• Slice your cinnamon rolls and prepare them as French toast. 

Use social media for teasers

Ideally, your secret restaurant menu shouldn’t be so secret that nobody knows how to order it. It shouldn’t also be announced publicly or else it will lose its exclusive feel. 

The bottom line is to leave a trail of clues that subtly hint your customers at the secret menu. 

Maybe your menu could have a small QR code menu at the bottom — scanning which will reveal the special items. Or you could place discreet table tents on select tables so only the customers who notice will ask for them. 

As per restaurant social media statistics, around 50% of diners state that social media decides where they eat. 

Also, 22% of these accept that they revisit restaurants just because of their digital presence. 

With this many hungry customers searching for their next meal, social media is the best place to market your secret food items. Here are a few social media food and cocktail trends to do this: 

• Schedule Instagram countdowns for secret menu drops 
• Post snippets of behind-the-scenes preparation by the chefs 
• Post food pictures with hints in the captions (“New secret menu treat: S____”) 
• Run competitions for customers to guess secret menu items in comments 
• Upload seasonal secret menu teasers (like a refreshing drink in summer)

Throw in seasonal secrets

Seasons play a huge part in when, where, and on what we splurge our hard-earned money. Naturally, the best way to attract customers to your secret menu is to sprinkle the seasonal magic. 

Complement summers with light, refreshing drinks (like Strawberry soda or mint mojito) and fruit-based desserts. In the winter, go extra on warm, hearty meals like soups and stews. 

This way, you can show that your restaurant is up-to-date with changing trends and preferences, keeping it fresh in customers’ minds. 

Get creative with names and descriptions

The goal of any hidden menu collection is to make customers stop and think, “I’ve got to try that.”

Of course, you can’t list all the ingredients on the printed or digital menu QR code displays. 

But you can choose a name that says it all. It’s all about stimulating the customers to try (and remember) the dish and giving them something to talk about. To do this, start by getting to know your audience. 

Are they food bloggers, families with kids, or health-conscious eaters? 

Then, customize the names to speak to their interests and preferences. Also, make the name as descriptive as you can without boring the customer. 

For example, choose “Fiery Dragon Chicken Sandwich” instead of “spicy chicken sandwich.” This gives them a better idea of what to expect, making them likelier to try out your secrets. 

Other tips include:

• Add humor or fun elements (“Egg-citing Sunrise Wraps” for breakfast)
• Highlight major ingredients (“Lavender-Infused Honey Pancakes”)
• Use alliteration or repeating sounds (“Crispy Crunchy Chicken”)

Make your secret restaurant menu a hit with MENU TIGER QR code menu software

If you want to build customer loyalty and expand your brand's reach, having a secret menu is your way to go. It attracts regular patrons who become your restaurant’s ambassadors, sharing your secrets with their friends. 

But, how do you turn your secret menu into the talk of the town? The answer is MENU TIGER’s interactive restaurant menu software. 

All you need to do is print a small QR code on table menus, the side of your in-store signage, or table tents. 

Then, teach customers how to scan a menu, which will take them directly to your secret offerings. Have a new secret item that’s just too good to wait? 

The platform facilitates real-time updates, enabling restaurateurs to adjust their menu on the go. Add mouth-watering pictures and detailed descriptions, and watch your customers place orders in no time! 

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