Chicken Tenders with a Side of Red Flag
by David Klemt
Red flag! AI-generated image.
Chef Brian Duffy doesn’t mince words, and when it comes to restaurant menus, he has zero patience for mediocrity and the absence of creativity.
During his latest live menu read at Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025, Chef Duffy once again shared his unfiltered thoughts and tips in real time.
Reviewing menus submitted prior to his live menu read, Chef Duffy went after tired ingredients, uninteresting items, pricing, and menus that scream “I was designed by a supplier!”
For those who have yet to witness a Duffified live menu read, the process is simple. A call for menus is sent out, people send over their menus, and they’re put up on a large screen at the Bar & Restaurant Expo’s F&B Innovation Center or in a classroom.
A key element is that Chef Duffy doesn’t see the menus ahead of time; his thoughts are off the cuff and in the moment.
It’s important to note that not every menu is eviscerated. Chef Duffy points out strengths, and offers suggestions to make good menus great. And, without fail, attendees paying attention will walk away with a pile of helpful tips.
Oh, look, chicken tenders. Yay.
Which came first, the chicken tenders or the apathy?
“If chicken tenders are on your menu, you’re bastardizing your brand.”
That line alone set the tone for the session. Chef Duffy’s point? If you’re trying to build a unique, memorable food program—and you should be—then you can’t fall back on the same tired menu items as everyone else.
If your reports show that chicken tenders are at the top of your sales, that’s a justification for keeping them. However, at least consider getting creative with accompanying sauces, presentations, and enhancements so you stand out from the competition.
Chicken tenders may be “safe,” but safe isn’t what guests remember, photograph, post about, or come back for specifically. Not to slander big brands, but chicken tenders are what people expect from full-service national and global chain restaurants.
Meet with your culinary team, get creative, stand out.
Your first five items reveal everything.
Chef Duffy says he can tell, just from scanning the first five menu items, whether your menu was designed by you or handed down by the food purveyor.
The latter is a problem.
“Your menu is your brand,” Chef Duffy reminded the F&B Innovation Center. “It tells your story, your values, your creativity—or your lack of all three.”
As he has said before, your menu is also your billboard.
That means you need to ditch generic descriptions, rethink your item layout, and stop outsourcing identity to third-party salespeople.
“Everybody has the same shit on their menu,” Chef Duffy said just a year ago. “We’ve been told what to put on our menu buy our purveyors.”
Being honest with yourself, is your menu actually yours, or have you ceded control of your brand to your suppliers?
Pricing should be as intentional as plating.
“I’m all for a funky number, my friends,” Duffy said.
This statement was in response to a menu with less-standard pricing. Whole numbers ending in 0 or 5? Not exactly blowing anyone’s hair back. Rational numbers ending in a 5 or 9? Been done, haven’t they?
Chef Duffy’s reasoning is psychological: Funky numbers can create curiosity. Perhaps more importantly, nontraditional numbers communicate that the pricing wasn’t slapped on from a cost spreadsheet; it was considered.
Of course, you don’t have to pour nonstandard numbers all over your menu. There’s nothing wrong with sprinkling them around instead.
Just be sure that you’ve costed your items down to the temp picks in your burgers, and bev-naps that accompany your drinks, when pricing your menu.
Retire the balsamic.
If your go-to vinaigrette is still balsamic, it’s time to move on.
“It was cool in 1986,” Duffy quipped.
If that statement offends or surprises you, it may be time to check out some flavor trend news and reports. Also, ask your culinary team what they think about the dressings accompanying the salads and other items leaving the kitchen. Anything but enthusiasm should tell you that they have some ideas for more on-trend accompaniments. (Note: A disinterested kitchen is a disengaged kitchen. Get your team excited!)
I’m not saying, and Chef Duffy wasn’t suggesting, that tradition should be tossed in the trash. However, adhering strictly to decades-old tradition in the culinary world puts you, your menu, and your brand at risk of obsolescence.
You have a responsibility to embrace flavors that reflect today’s culinary trends and consumer palates if you work in F&B.
The same goes for buzzword-laden menus and what he calls “culinary white noise”—ingredients and terms that sound impressive but say nothing.
A box, a name, and a story.
When it comes to designing your menu, Chef Duffy likes to see creative item names, detailed but punchy descriptions, and a visual cue—like a box—surrounding (and therefore calling out) featured items.
Why?
Because you’re not just listing food, and that mindset needs a seismic shift.
Restaurant operators, their culinary and bar teams, and their service staff are curating a guest experience. The layout of your menu should help guide the guest journey, telling and reinforcing your brand’s story.
There’s limited real estate on a menu—including digital versions—so every millimeter requires careful consideration to maximize the results.
There’s no room for confusion.
Okay, this next one baffled not only Chef Duffy but every person who attended his live menu read. Honestly, if you have any idea what this meant, please email me with your thoughts.
One menu—remember, this is real life—that Chef Duffy reviewed included the phrase “choice of meat bar bbq” (written here exactly as it was on the menu). And where was this listed? Under the chicken wings.
Seriously, what does that even mean? If a room full of F&B professionals can’t figure it out, something has gone terribly wrong.
Put simply, ambiguity kills confidence. If a guest has to guess what they’re ordering—or worse, ask a server who also doesn’t know—you’ve very likely lost their return visit.
There’s nothing wrong with building mystery. Plenty of chefs, bartenders, and operators come up with item names and descriptions intended to pique guest curiosity.
But here’s the thing: That’s an intentional, curated choice. These items and descriptions are meant to provoke a response. It’s part of the experience, and each server and bartender can answer questions about such items confidently.
Put more simply, there’s a difference between, “Ooo, what’s that?” and, “Um, what’s that?”
Final Bite
Your menu is your voice, so make it count.
Chef Duffy’s latest live menu read was less a menu critique and more a rallying cry this year.
Stop giving up control of your inventory, menu, and brand to your purveyors. If you’re going to have the same dishes as other operators, at least get creative with the ingredients, sauces, and other accompanying items. Revisit your pricing strategy. And, hey, while you’re at it, revisit your dressings and other items, and determine if they’re still adding value.
Whether it’s weird pricing, boxed features, or creative naming conventions, every detail matters. Your menu doesn’t just feed your guests—it frames their expectations, defines your concept, and tells the world your brand story.
And if all else fails, just remember: Lose the chicken tenders and balsamic vinaigrette.
Image: Canva
