Grilled Cheese Insights

After doing a bunch of internet research on my overnight shift at the Inn at Sunset Cliffs, my friend, Dave suggested I do a grilled cheese taste test.  That way I could get some feedback on what toppings & types of bread that people liked on their grilled cheese.  

So, I set a date for a Saturday night in mid-October 2011 at my apartment on West Pt. Loma & invited just about everyone I knew in town.  Believe it or not, most people love grilled cheese & also love to eat free food that they don't have to cook themselves.  While I didn't charge anyone to eat, I spent about $65 out of my pocket on cheese, bread & charcoal to make enough sandwiches for every to try.

I put together a menu of 8 different grilled cheese sandwiches & printed out surveys at work for anyone who sampled to fill out.  Only ten surveys were returned legible enough to read, but they gave me great insight into what my potential customers were looking (and willing to pay) for.

The main takeaways from the survey were:

• Cheese combinations don't matter as much as having meat on a grilled cheese
• Sourdough seemed to be the fan favorite bread (among Wheat, Rye, Hawaiian & Potato)
• Charcoal takes too long to heat up & propane is much easier
• People love Tomato Soup & is a must for a side
• Ketchup, Hot Sauce, Ranch & Marinara are popular side sauces