MENUS 2014
Turning Trends into Money Makers
Presented by Nancy Kruse
The Kruse Company
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Atlanta, GA
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Menus 2014
Objectives
• Review menu directions
• Assess changes impacting R&D
• Address shifting consumer demands
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Menus 2014
Agenda
I. Foods with Benefits
II. Veggie Chic
III. Reality Bites
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I. Foods with Benefits:
Key Points
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Overview
Protein
Skinny
Super
Power
Outlook & Implications
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Foods with Benefits:
Overview
Menu Health Equation Evolving
• Yesterday: Subtraction Model
– Take it out: salt, fat, sugar
• Today: Addition Model
– Put it in: fruits, vegetables, grains
• Tomorrow: Defined Benefits Model
– What’s it do for me, functionality
Note: not mutually exclusive
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Foods with Benefits
1. Protein Rich
• US largest market for highprotein products
• 20% new product intros at retail
grocery in 2012
• Technomic menu mentions:
+67% past 5 years
Chobani Soho’s
Smoked Salmon & Dill Greek Yogurt
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Protein Bar’s
Signature Grilled Protein Bar-rito
• All-Natural Chicken or Tofu
• Low-Cal Whole Wheat Wrap
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POD UK’s
Portable Protein
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Foods with Benefits:
2. Super
Metz Culinary Management’s
Super Natural Salmon Sandwich
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Panera Bread’s
Fat-Free Superfruit Power Smoothie
• Superfruit Purée
• Organic Greek Nonfat Yogurt
• And Ginseng
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Big Bowl’s
Spicy Cashew Chicken
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Foods with Benefits
3. Skinny
PHENOMENON CROSSES CATEGORIES
Baja Fresh
Skinny Wahoo Bowl
Benihana
New Year’s Skinny Dining Promotion
Kona Grill
Skinny Sashimi, Skinny Ceviche
Ledo Pizza
Skinny Avocado Tuna Salad
Melting Pot
Skinny Dipping Fondue Menu
Pie Five Pizza Skinny Pie
Ruby Tuesday Skinny Lavender Lemon Drop Cocktail
Taco Bueno
Chicken Skinny Bowl
Wing Zone
Skinny Dippers
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Sbarro’s
Skinny Slice
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Chili’s
Skinny Margarita
• Sugar-Free Triple Sec
• Fresh Lime Juice
• 110 Calories
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Cheesecake Factory’s
SkinnyLicious Soft Chicken Tacos
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Foods with Benefits:
4. Power
Panera Bread Offers Power Menu
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Uno Pizzeria & Grill’s
Chopped Power Salad
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Almonds
Soy Nuts
Pepitas
Dried Cranberries
Carrots
Goji Berries
Raisins
Red Grapes
Plum Tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Spinach
Chicken
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Taco Bell’s
Power Protein Menu
• 20+ Grams of Protein
• Fewer Than 450 Calories
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Foods with Benefits:
Implications & Outlook
• Functional foods will increase on menus
– Powerful consumer drivers
• Category broad, ill-defined
– Multiple opportunities to address
• Flashpoint for fads
– Evaluate carefully
• Monitor evolving trends
– Impact/appeal to your patrons
– Promote smartly
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Implications & Outlook:
Gender-Based Marketing
“Brogurt” Appeals to Men
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II. Veggie Chic
Key Points
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Overview
Avocado Everywhere
Cruciferous Crossover
Root Revival
Implications & Outlook
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Veggie Chic:
Overview
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Why Produce? Why Now?
Center-of-Plate Volatility
Culinary Sensibility
Consumer Health Interests
Diet Trends, Fads
Range of Options
Versatility/Flexibility
Availability/Formats
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Veggie Chic
1. Avocadoes Everywhere
AVOCADO MENU MENTIONS
GOING UP, UP, UP
Source: Technomic, Inc. Menu Monitor
1,553
Entrée
1,331
355
282
Appetizer
Add-On
All Other
83
67
30
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Q2-2013
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Q2-2011
Avocadoes Ubiquitous
On Menus…
Burger King’s Avocado Swiss Whopper
Steak ‘N Shake’s California Burger
Whataburger’s Avocado Bacon Burger
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…As Condiment
Usage Increases
Chick-fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap
With Avocado-Lime Dressing
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California Pizza Kitchen
Puts Avocado Front and Center…
Avocado Club Egg Rolls
White Corn Guacamole
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…Cheesecake Factory
Breads and Fries It
Portabella Mushroom,
Avocado & Zucchini Fries
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Crop Bistro & Bar’s
The Avocado Deviled Egg
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Pie Five’s
Chicken Awesome-Cado Pie
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Popbar’s
Avocado PopSorbetto
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Curra’s Grill’s
Avocado Margarita
• Frozen Margarita Mix
• Avocado Pulp
• Cilantro
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Veggie Chic
2. Cruciferous Craze
California Pizza Kitchen’s Brussels + Bacon Pizza
Herbed Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Romano Cheese
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Barnwood’s
White Pizza with Broccoli & Red Pepper
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Stella 34 Trattoria’s
Cavolfiore Pizza
Meyer Lemon, Breadcrumbs
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No. 7 Subs’
Brussels Sprouts Sandwich
Granny Smith Apples, Crushed Peanuts
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No. 7 Subs’
Broccoli Sandwich
• Fresh Mozzarella
• Thai Basil Pesto
• Fried Lemon
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No. 7 Subs’
Roasted Cauliflower Sub
Fried Shallots, Romaine, Chutney Mayo
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Sarma’s
Brussels Sprouts Brava
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Mellow Mushroom’s
Sriracha Broccoli Slaw
With Chicken Curry Pops
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Brennan’s of Houston’s
Chicken-Fried Cauliflower Steak
Purple Majesty Potato Salad, Vegan Mushroom Gravy
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Did Kale Craze Open Door
For Cruciferous Crossover?
Roger Williams University’s
Tuscan-Style Spaghetti
With Kale
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Veggie Chic
3. Root Revival
Hot Scandinavian Restaurants Take Center Stage;
Put Focus on Root Vegetables
Noma in Copenhagen
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Memorial Sloan Kettering’s
Beet & Potato Gratin
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Root Revival:
Carrots Cropping Up
American Cut
Au Bon Pain
Crossroads
DeepWood Restaurant
Domenica
LYFE Kitchen
Mei Mei Kitchen
Partake
Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Sitka & Spruce
Stone Oven Bakery
Willi’s Wine Bar
Carrot-Glazed Carrot
Carrot Ginger Soup
Spicy Moroccan Carrots
Carrot Risotto
Roasted Carrot Pizza with Goat Cheese
Kale-Carrot Side Salad
Smoked Carrots with Black Sesame Purée
Caramelized Carrots with Pepita Brittle
Hummus & Carrot Chips
Roasted Carrot Salad with Chickpea Purée
Curry-Carrot Soup
Tunisian Roasted Carrots with Pine Nuts
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Massachusetts’
Farm-to-School Project
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Smashburger’s
Veggie Frites
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Narcissa’s
Carrots Wellington
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Carrots Also In
Doughnuts, Drinkables
Doughnut Plant’s
Carrot Cake Doughnut
Smoothie King’s
Berry Carrot Dream
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Veggie Chic
Implications & Outlook
1. More Produce at Breakfast
Au Bon Pain’s Hummus Breakfast Sandwich With Fresh Spinach
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Corner Bakery’s
Morning Offerings
Avocado & Spinach Power Panini Thin
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Anaheim Scrambler Bowl
Implications & Outlook
2. Decommoditized Sides
Top Round Roast Beef’s
Fresh Cuts Fried in Beef Tallow
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Fresh-Cut Fries
Shaking Up Sides
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University of Maryland’s
Cuban Potato Salad
Black Beans, Green Olives, Lime Juice, Cumin
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Applebee’s
Fresh-Cut Garlicky Green Beans
Chunky Roma-Pepper Relish
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III. Reality Bites
Key Points
“Real” Foods the Next Wave
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Overview
Products
Process
Presentation
Implications & Outlook
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Reality Bites:
Overview
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Organic
Natural
Sustainable
Artisanal
Rustic
Authentic
Local
Regional
Heirloom
Selected Buzzwords
• Homemade
• Handmade
• Seasonal
• Farm Grown
• Farm to Table
• Craft(ed)
• Small Batch
• Unprocessed
• Fresh!
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Reality Bites
1. Product
BREAD FASHIONS CHANGING
Arby’s
Whole-Grain Honey Wheat
Au Bon Pain
Ancient-Grain Ciabatta
Blue Cow Kitchen
Grilled Rustic White Bread
Crisper’s
Artisan Bread
Jason’s Deli
9-Grain Artisan, Organic Wheat Wrap
McAlister’s Deli
Harvest Wheat
Panera Bread
Artisan Rye, All-Natural White Bread
Piada
Natural, Organic Flour
Mendocino Farms
Rustic White Bread
Quizno’s
Artisan Sandwich Breads
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Applebee’s
Artisan Grilled Chicken Ciabatta
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Golden-Oldie Grains
Reappearing on Menus
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Amaranth
Barley
Farro
Freekeh
Groats
Millet
Oats
Quinoa
Wheat Berries
Orange County, FL School’s
Quinoa Wrap
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Rattlesnake Club’s
Buckwheat Risotto
• Pear-Cipollini Chutney
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The Rivers School’s
Wheat Berry, Lentil & Kale Salad
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Comeback Kid:
Butter Rides Real Wave
• Butter consumption +24% past decade
• 5.6 lbs per capita 2013 vs. 4.1 lbs in 1997
• “Wholesome, pure, not a lot of other ingredients”
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Reality Bites
2. Process
TGI Friday’s Sizzling Sirloin & Spinach Skillet
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Gordon Biersch’s
Baby Brats
Made with House-Brewed Beer
• Märzen Lager
• Märzen Mustard
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Pizza Hut’s
Hand-Tossed Pizza
“One of a Kind, Every Time”
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Campania’s
Neapolitan Pizza
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Clyde Common’s
Barrel-Aged Cocktails
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Hot Lips Pizza’s
Housemade Soda
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Reality Bites
3. Presentation
Wendy’s Natural-Cut Fries
• With Sea Salt
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Domino’s
Show Us Your Pizza Promotion
Real Photos from Real Customers
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LYFE Kitchen’s
Herbs
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White Castle’s
Full-View Kitchen
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Reality Bites
Implications & Outlook
• Quality expectations shifting
– “Real” foods growing
• Powerful consumer drivers
– Both boomers, millennials
• Signifies better-for-you
– Standards of identity not established
– Challenge and opportunity for operators, suppliers
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Menus 2014
In Conclusion…
• Common thread = stealth health
– Functionals, grains, produce, “real” foods
• More innovation around neglected categories
– Sides, grains, produce
• Foodservice will take leading role
– Watch indies, small chains, on-sites--esp. campus dining
– Also watch parallel demand for over-the-top indulgence
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