![]() If your guest response to plant-based meat replacements on your menu has fallen short of your expectations, you may be part of a trend. A recent Restaurant Dive report mentions that at grocery stores, repeat buyers of plant-based meat are becoming harder to find – and even those who buy it aren’t giving up conventional meat. Meanwhile, restaurants have been trying to figure out the extent of guest demand for these meat analogues. Some brands have dropped them and are instead focusing on offering a great experience with conventional meat, or simply innovating with whole vegetables to offer a less-processed plant-based meal. All of this goes to show that plant-forward consumers remain difficult to define – and it will be important to continue to collect data about how guests respond to your offerings along the protein spectrum. ![]() As awareness continues to grow around the connection between the food and drink people consume and the physical and mental benefits (or consequences) of it, an opportunity is opening up in foodservice. Food, in general, has become its own wellness category, viewed by many as a form of medicine that can protect the gut, brain and heart. In the process, consumers are becoming more aware of the specific foods, nutrients, colors and ingredient combinations they should be incorporating into their diets. Looking at your menu, are there gaps you can fill with delicious but also health-forward ingredients? ![]() In a report earlier this year, Michelin-starred chefs said that as the world has reopened to travel, cross-cultural cuisine is offering new and creative opportunities to restaurants. Think Thai-Spanish tapas and even Japanese-Italian dishes – combinations that pique guests’ curiosity and promise to enhance the experience of dining out with others. Trying this doesn’t require you to turn your menu upside down – it could be about hosting a guest chef from a partner restaurant to create dishes for a special event or creating a limited-time offer for your loyal guests. Are there opportunities for your restaurant to push the cultural boundaries of its menu? ![]() With the constraints of the pandemic still in people’s recent memories, consumers continue to crave experiences and connection. One way restaurants can provide both is through communal eating – but interpret that in different ways. You might physically seat different parties together for special events like chef’s tastings, or simply to maximize space in your dining room. You can also just include more shareable entrées, appetizer platters or beverage samplers on your menu to get people talking and help boost the communal experience of your restaurant. Or, your plating and presentation alone can spark conversation. Consider serving entrées or appetizers on tiered platters, or side dishes on a rotating board that helps everyone at the table experience what you’re serving. ![]() According to research from Technomic, 85 percent of restaurant operators are concerned about high food costs. Separate research from Datassential found that 63 percent of operators say they could use some help in developing new dishes and menu ideas. If you look at the restaurant business environment right now, operators are being asked to do what can feel impossible: Labor is tight, skills are hard to come by, food costs are high, and yet consumers are still looking for new and exciting dishes fast. As a result, restaurant operators need to somehow work magic with the items they have in their inventory. Are your ingredients working as hard as they could? You’re in a stronger position to do so if you have sauces, grains, pre-chopped vegetables and other items on hand that are cost-effective, can function across the menu and don’t take a lot of time (or training) to prepare. Looking for ideas to expand your menu in efficient ways? The Scoop product line from US Foods provides some options to explore. ![]() Although many consumers are still watching their wallets and trading down on restaurant experiences, plant-based foods could be one of restaurant operators’ secret weapons to drive traffic and build loyalty. According to a new report from the Good Food Institute, sales of plant-based proteins (specifically plant-based meat) are rebounding in U.S. foodservice. Further, the people buying these foods make about 30 more trips to restaurants every year and spend about $400 more than the average foodservice guest. That’s a valuable segment to target and transform into loyal visitors. The research found that about 10 percent of U.S. consumers bought plant-based meat alternatives at a foodservice location last year, but the vast majority did so just once, so there is a lot of opportunity for restaurants that present plant-based foods well to capture and expand market share. Restaurants offer the kinds of elevated dining experiences that can make plant-based meat alternatives (along with plants in their natural form) shine. Operators can innovate with seasonal vegetables in ways that are still surprising and craveable to guests and exceed what a person is apt to prepare at home. As you look at the plant-based options on your menu in the months ahead, where is there an opportunity to bring in traffic and improve loyalty? ![]() What is football season without the food? Whether your guests are indulging in their favorite appetizers at tailgates or around the TV, you can give people an extra reason to come together this fall. Try putting your own spin on some of the classic, craveable items of the season – or weaving in ingredients that are plentiful, in-season and less expensive. A recent report from Foodservice Director suggests guacamole elevated with roasted tomato and bacon, as well as pork and sweet potato quesadillas. ![]() When buffets were quietly closed during the pandemic, it might have been hard to imagine that in just a few years, they would come back better than ever in a number of ways. But that’s where we are now. According to a recent New York Times report, even though a number of buffet restaurants have closed in the past couple of years, sales, demand and investment are up at others and are catering to a wide range of budgets. Even if your restaurant hasn’t operated a buffet in the past, it’s a format worth considering. Innovations in buffet design and presentation in the past few years have made buffet service a labor-friendly, waste-reducing option for operators and an experience-rich option for guests. They are also a safe choice for groups trying to accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences and make everyone feel like they have gotten a good value. First, the service structure of buffets has evolved to include more individual portions and enhance food safety. It’s more common to see pre-portioned and -plated items that guests can grab and take with them — as opposed to dishing out large portions that are too much for them to finish. Presentation has also taken a step up, with more premium, Instagrammable options on offer, as well as food stations that lend themselves to theatrical food preparation by chefs. On the food safety side, the increased availability of self-contained hot and cold food storage units are helping operators maintain food temperatures with greater precision. The greater use of individual portioning supports food safety too, allowing guests to limit their time standing over (and likelihood of breathing on) the buffet line. ![]() Building a worthwhile dining experience isn’t just about the food. More restaurants and bars are trying to make the experience feel a little extra special — and well worth the cost of dining out — by changing up the glassware other elements of beverage service to help make the experience more memorable for both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinkers. Consider the bird-shaped cocktail glass at Bohemien Bar in Brooklyn, or the Smoke on the London Roaster coffee cocktail served in a red telephone booth at Barquila in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Other restaurants are scoring points for presentation with creative fruit purées and garnishes. Everything from toasted marshmallows, to caramel apple slices, to strips of bacon, to gummy bears are appearing as fun finishing touches in drinks to make the experience of dining out feel more worthwhile. ![]() New data from Square has shown that more than 10 percent of all dining dollars are spent from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. So Saturday brunch has replaced Friday lunch as the top period for restaurant visits. As a result, there is opportunity in brunch. More restaurant operators are expanding their offerings or even launching a brunch menu for the first time. If you’re looking to draw more brunch traffic, consider expanding your beverage menu with some light, colorful beverages (boozy and non), as well as some shareable food boards and other options that appeal to groups and could give people a good reason to gather with friends. |
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