Spring is here. Patios are about to open. Menus need to change. And if you are still running your winter lineup into April, you are already behind.

This is the time of year that separates the operators who plan from the operators who react. The ones who plan fill their patios on the first warm weekend. The ones who react scramble to print new menus while their competitor down the street is already posting spring cocktail reels on Instagram.

Here is what we believe you should be doing right now. Not next month. This week.

Take 10 minutes today. Pull up your current menu. Look at every item and ask three questions.

What is the food cost on this item right now? Yes most will say, I have no clue but that’s ok. Not what it was when you priced it six months ago. Right now. Chicken, dairy and bakery inputs have all moved. If you have not repriced since January, your margins are thinner than you think.

Does this item make sense for spring and summer? Heavy braises and cream-based soups do not sell when it is 22 degrees outside. Guests want lighter plates. Bright flavours. Vegetables that actually taste like something because they are in season.

Can this item travel? If you are not thinking about catering, takeout and delivery with every menu item, you are leaving money behind. Items that hold well, plate clean and pack without falling apart are worth more to your business than a beautiful dish that dies in a takeout container.

That audit takes 10 minutes.

Seasonal produce is your best friend right now. Asparagus, radishes, peas, fresh herbs, rhubarb, early strawberries. These items look good on the plate, they photograph well for social media and many of them carry lower food costs than the proteins that are climbing in price.

Build at least two or three dishes around seasonal vegetables as the star, not the side. A roasted asparagus salad with a poached egg and shaved parmesan costs you almost nothing relative to what you can charge. A spring pea risotto prints money compared to a steak entree at current beef prices.

On the protein side, get smart. Chicken thighs instead of breasts. Pork shoulder instead of tenderloin. Whole fish preparations instead of portioned fillets. These cuts deliver better flavour, lower cost and they tell a story of craft cooking that your guests will respect.

If you can source locally, say so. Thirty-one percent of Canadian restaurants have adopted local sourcing programs. That number is growing because guests care and because it gives you a marketing angle that chains cannot touch.

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Canadians are drinking less alcohol. That is not new information. But what is new is that the guests who are still ordering drinks are willing to pay more for a better experience. The "drink less but drink better" movement is real.

Here is what that means for your spring bar program.

Low-ABV cocktails are not a trend. They are a category. Spritzes, highballs and citrus-forward drinks built on aperitifs are dominating bar menus across North America. They are cheaper to pour, faster to make and they encourage a second round because guests are not getting hammered on the first one.

Non-alcoholic cocktails are a revenue stream you are probably ignoring. And I do not mean cranberry and soda with a lime. I mean properly built zero-proof cocktails using quality N/A spirits. These drinks can command $12 to $15 on your menu and the pour cost is almost nothing. Younger guests expect them. Older guests appreciate them.

Fresh herbs belong in your drinks. Basil, mint, rosemary, thyme. They are cheap, they are seasonal and they make a drink look and taste like spring. Muddle some basil into a gin cocktail, garnish with an edible flower and you have an Instagram post that does your marketing for you.

Smaller pours are gaining traction. Half-sized cocktails at half price. Wine by the 4 or 5 ounce glass. These options let guests try more, spend more per visit and feel like they are being responsible. A recent survey showed 79 percent of drinkers aged 21 to 34 would order a half-sized glass of wine at half price. That is a signal you should not ignore.

If you have a patio, this is your revenue multiplier for the next five months. But only if it is ready.

Walk your patio this week. Check every table, every chair, every umbrella. Replace anything that looks tired. First impressions on a patio matter more than inside because everything is visible from the sidewalk. Your patio is a billboard.

Get your patio menu dialed in before opening day. Not the same day. Before. A streamlined patio menu with items that work outdoors, hold up in sunlight and pair with cold drinks will outperform your full indoor menu every time.

Plan your patio content now. The first warm weekend is coming. When it hits, you need photos and videos ready to post. Shots of the patio set up. A drink being poured in the sunshine. A plate landing on a sunlit table. That content fills seats faster than any ad you could run.

Stop posting food photos with no context. Nobody cares about another overhead shot of a pasta dish. What they care about is a reason to come in.

Post about your spring menu changes. Tell people what is new. Tell them why. Tell them what is seasonal. Give them a reason to visit this week instead of next month.

Post a short video of a spring cocktail being made. Fifteen seconds. Bright colours. Fresh garnish. Natural light. That is the content that moves in spring.

Update your Google Business Profile. Right now. Add your patio hours. Update your photos. Add "patio dining" and "outdoor seating" to your services. If someone asks Google or ChatGPT where to eat on a patio near them and your profile does not mention it, you will not get recommended.

If you do catering, post about it. Spring is wedding season, corporate event season and graduation season. One post this week about your catering availability could land you a $5,000 booking you would never have gotten otherwise.

Spring is not a vibe. It is a business season. The restaurants that win it are the ones that walk in this week with a plan.

Audit your menu. Reprice your proteins. Build lighter dishes around seasonal produce. Refresh your drink list with low-ABV options and proper zero-proof cocktails. Get your patio ready before the first warm weekend. Update your online presence. Post content that gives people a reason to walk through your door.

None of this takes a massive budget. Most of it takes an afternoon. Some of it takes 10 minutes.

The operators who act this week will feel it in their numbers by May. The ones who wait will spend the summer wondering why the restaurant across the street is busier.

You already have the kitchen. You already have the talent. Now use the season.