![]() Despite red wine’s long-held reputation for health benefits, mounting evidence has shown there is no healthy level of alcohol consumption. More consumers are abstaining from alcohol as a result, According to GlobalData research, 16 percent of consumers are actively trying to cut back on alcoholic drinks and 39 percent say they consume these drinks only in moderation. Take this as an opportunity to fine-tune your beverage menu by adding not only naturally alcohol-free beverages but also non-alcoholic wines. While they can be hit-or-miss, these wines are finally getting some respect from the wine industry. There are some hidden gems to add to your menu that may help you stand out to guests who would love to have a guilt-free glass of wine with dinner. ![]() As consumers seek more functional benefits in the food and drink they ingest, grocery companies are seizing an opportunity that can apply to many restaurants too: marketing food as medicine. Foodservice Director reports that following last year’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, the grocery delivery company Instacart recently announced two initiatives to “enhance collaborative care, promote healthy choices and deliver nutritious foods.” In practice, this means Instacart tools will allow healthcare providers to literally prescribe food products to patients much like they prescribe medication. The grocer Food Lion also opened a “food pharmacy” this year. If your restaurant brand is focused on delivering fresh, nutrient-dense foods, there may be opportunities for your business to find new income streams or forge new community partnerships with other organizations eager to support public health. ![]() In recent months, a number of restaurant executives have been seeing potential for rapid growth in the breakfast segment – particularly as people have returned to the office and to school with greater regularity after the pandemic. CEOs from brands ranging from Starbucks to McDonald’s to Wendy’s have spoken out about the strength of the daypart in earnings calls – and other brands are tapping into opportunities for both innovation and for showcasing fresh ingredients that the breakfast menu can deliver. Specifically, restaurant brands are offering creative twists on traditional breakfast dishes, featuring lifestyle-focused options for plant-based, gluten-free and high-protein diets, and even boosting check totals through new alcoholic beverage options beyond the mimosa. A recent Restaurant Dive report mentioned Snooze’s Bountiful Buddha Bowl, a plant-based concoction of a vegetables, black rice, quinoa, kale and golden raisins, as well as First Watch’s brunch-themed cocktails, including a Pomegranate Sunrise and Cinnamon Toast Cereal Milk. There is also room for growth in breakfast delivery as more brands adapt their menus and their technology to off-premise early morning diners. ![]() Gimmick or not, ice cubes that have been infused with all things edible and eye-catching is all the rage. These specialty cubes, which encase edible flowers, herbs, fruit and other items, went viral when a fashion influencer made a video showcasing nine different types of specialty ice cubes in her freezer. While they can add visual punch to your cocktail menu, they can also add interest and layers of flavor to lemonade, iced tea and iced coffee (try adding frozen cubes of coffee to avoid watering down the drink’s flavor). ![]() Bread is one of those foods that inspire strong feelings in people. But people who love it really love it – and will go out of their way to get it. So why not let that inspire the bread products on your menu? Could you fine-tune your appetizer menu with a salty focaccia? Bake a simple bread in-house to elevate your sandwich menu (and lure bread-loving guests who smell it baking)? Could you even swap out the kind of bread or roll guests expect to see in a dish – and replace it with something fun and flavorful? ![]() Many foods that are popular with consumers right now walk the line between health and indulgence: Take cauliflower wings, black bean burgers or broccoli mac and cheese – all comforting, but without the guilt that can go along with some comfort foods. The dips, spreads and sauces on your menu can also incorporate the best of both worlds, combining flavor and comfort without sacrificing health. Think about weaving seasonal vegetables into colorful hummus varieties or yogurt-based dips, or creating a flavorful dipping sauce with immune-boosting spices. ![]() Burgers are a blank canvas – and ripe for splashy presentations that make for eye-catching, mouth-watering photos. If your burger selection needs an injection of creativity, the potential combinations are endless. Change up the protein. While eggs may still be impractical, you can still stack a burger high with a mix of proteins or experiment with bread of different textures. Upgrade it with bacon or incorporate its smoky flavor into a jam. Try a new cheese, top with pickled or fermented vegetables, or offer a different take on classic onion flavor by preparing onions in a different way. A sweet or savory aioli can also offer greater variety without a lot of labor – search the US Foods website for a wide range of variations that can help elevate the flavor of your burgers. ![]() Adding seafood to a dish can help you upgrade your menu with healthy, budget-friendly protein. It can also give you a good story to tell guests at a time when more consumers seek out foods with a lower environmental impact – recent research has found that seafood is a low-emissions protein in relation to other animal proteins. If you’re looking for seafood that can help you upgrade your menu in climate-friendly ways, talk to Team Four and also look to Seafoodwatch.org, which recommends --- and allows you to search for – domestic and imported sources of seafood that are fished or farmed in environmentally sustainable ways. ![]() As consumer work habits have shifted over the past few years, restaurant dayparts have blurred too, making it feel appropriate to eat meals at in-between times previously relegated to snacks and drinks. But while this shift has, in theory, created some opportunities for restaurants to appeal to guests between meals, other challenges – notably inflation – have made operations more difficult in recent months. Although signs point to the U.S. experiencing decreased inflation and (as of the timing of this writing) possibly avoiding recession, economic uncertainty has still affected how consumers are spending in restaurants. Guests’ desire for value has meant that when they go to a restaurant, they are more likely to do so for a meal than for a snack. But that doesn’t mean your snack menu is obsolete. In fact, it could actually help you upsell to your guests and increase perceived value if you change how you frame these items. For example, try offering snack-sized portions on your appetizer menu or position them as small plates that can help guests feel like they are maximizing the experience they are getting for their bill total. Or, as a recent Restaurant Business report advised, you can offer some of these items as add-ons or combo deals. ![]() More restaurants are shrinking their menus in an effort to maximize efficiency – and that places some extra pressure on each menu item to deliver on value and experience. If you’re struggling to cut popular menu items from your roster, is there an opportunity to combine complementary foods to create a memorable dish that guests aren’t likely to find elsewhere? Developing some hybrid dishes may help you retain the best features of several popular items in an appealing new format. |
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