We’re testing new platters at CloverKND. Reception has been extremely positive. Maybe better than what we saw with the original meatball test. This photo is from the customer feedback wall at Kendall. It’s been super positive so far. And I love how the customer at Kendall Square are taking the opportunity to give us feedback on other things. Note nobody is complaining about the construction happening next door. You guys are so polite!!
When we first launched platters we had one restaurant: the original CloverHSQ. We had some customers asking for sandwiches in a “boat.” We had been doing this since the first truck, basically the sandwich ingredients on a bed of lettuce. It wasn’t a great offering. So we thought we would try to upgrade.
Meanwhile, a lot has changed since 2012. We know many of you want greens for lunch and dinner. And we’ve been stubbornly avoiding that. I was in favor of composed salads that are heartier. But I think I was too stubborn on this and it’s led people who otherwise would be enjoying Clover to find another place to eat. I think it’s one of the larger mistakes I’ve made over the past 2-3 years.
We have been spending months trying to figure out our best approach to this. We’re working with greens we can actually source from farmers in the area. Not 100% of the greens 100% of the time, but the idea is that when greens are available from local farmers we’ll have a platform that can incorporate those. We also wanted greens that are more nutritional, and have a lot of flavor. Some people think flavor is nutrition: that is when you can’t taste much it might be you are eating something without much nutrients. I don’t know if this is true, but it probably is at least part true.
Chris (VP Food) and Olivia (Food Dev) led most of this work and have been doing an amazing job. I’ve been testing every other day since launch and it’s been a really exciting meal each time. We’re noticing that it’s a really engaging meal. Lot’s of flavors and textures. You have to pay attention to every bite. No mindless eating for this one. Let us know what you think when you give it a try.
