Innovation in Action
Fried on Fresh
Entrée salads really hit their stride in summertime, with new salad introductions peaking in the warmer months to take advantage of fresh vegetables and greens1.
Datassential recently reported that salads are the number one item on lunch menus, even outranking…
Hot Ideas for Your Cinco de Mayo Menu
Holidays like Cinco de Mayo tend to stir up demand for festive Mexican favorites. Party packs, sampler platters, and other volume positioning are logical ways to present limited-time offers (LTOs). Put together a mix-and-match sampler of mini-Mexican appetizers like...
Save Time and Labor with These 7 Items
Using ready-to-eat (RTE) products in your restaurant operation is a great way to save time and labor back-of-house as the industry continues to recover from the impact of COVID-19. In 2020, the virus led to the closure of 17% of restaurants (or about 110,000...
What are Foodservice Consumers Craving in 2021?
As we move into 2021 with cautious optimism, 68% of consumers say they are “very excited to dine in” at restaurants again once they feel it’s safe. Technomic reports that industry sales declined by about $267 billion in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that...
Culinary Trends For the Year Ahead
Plant-Based Options are the Rage in 2021 One culinary trend often goes hand-in-hand with another; and in 2021, the popularity of plantforward foods is a perfect match for the global flavors customers are craving. More than half of consumers believe restaurants should...
The 3 Most Popular Appetizers of 2020
Even with all the changes restaurants experienced in 2020, some things stayed the same. In operations throughout the industry, salads, soups, and wings remained the most commonly menued appetizers. Salads Salads were on appetizer menus in 83.6% of restaurants in 2020....
Update Your Menu for Success Now and in the Future
If 2020 had been a “normal” year, many restaurant operators would be expanding their menus or even opening additional locations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into nearly everyone’s plans. The virus has had a massive impact on foodservice, with...
3 Tips on Choosing Your Frozen Foods Supplier
Foodservice operators learned through COVID that working with trusted suppliers who are willing to assist them through even the toughest circumstances are vital to their survival. Many food processors dealt with their own plant closures due to COVID outbreaks, raw...
There’s More to Mozzarella Sticks Than Cheese
One of the most popular menu items at restaurants and sports bars throughout the country is a basket of hot, fried mozzarella sticks. Up 3.6% over the past year to 12.7% menu penetration1, mozzarella sticks could be the item your operation is missing. The most...
5 Ways to Explore the World of Fusion Foods
We tend to think of fusion foods as a relatively new trend, ushered in by celebrity chefs and the food truck boom of recent years. The truth is, foods that blend culinary worlds have been around for centuries. The most well-known example of a “fusion” dish actually...
Fried Pickles—Comfort Food with a Modern Twist
Like many food legends, the history of the fried pickle is murky at best. However, the most common tale places the credit on an Arkansas drive-in around 1963. As the story goes, the eatery’s owner looked across the street at the local pickle factory, and in a burst of...
Finding Food Supplier Partners: Key to Growing Your Restaurant Chain
Did you know that despite the COVID pandemic, nearly 12,000 new restaurants opened between March and December in America?1 Those who see themselves at the helm of a growing restaurant chain have an unquenchable spirit to win. For those on their trek to greatness, a...
An Amazing Menu is Crucial to Restaurant Success
Many people dream of opening a restaurant. Serving beautifully plated food to smiling, happy customers; getting involved in the community; being financially successful … it’s like something out of a movie. But as the saying goes, “If it was easy, everyone would do...