R&I’s 2007 Menu Census: Variety Show
What’s in, what’s out and what’s coming up on menus? R&I’s 2007 Menu Census has the answers—along with a few surprises.
By Allison Perlik -- Restaurants & Institutions, 11/1/2007
>> Check out the Menu Census Cookbook
|
When a survey of nearly 1,000 operators identifies mini burgers and sweet-potato fries—both barely blips on the radar a few years ago—as two of the hottest up-and-coming items, it is clear how abruptly consumer tastes change and how nimble operators must be in responding.
R&I’s 2007 Menu Census findings illustrate how carefully operators listen to consumers’ often-conflicting requests and, remarkably, how willing operators are to augment and adjust menus.
Diners say they want choices that they perceive to be lighter or more healthful, but they won’t give up on old favorites. They want menu items that are new and exciting but that still have overlays of familiarity. They crave foods that are fun, shareable and handheld.
The results are menus in all industry segments that offer more variety, excitement, health-consciousness and inventiveness without forgetting that burgers and fries have lost none of their consumer appeal.
This year’s Menu Census reveals several key themes about how operators manage to keep customers happy and sales strong. Food choices that carry healthful halos, for example, have become must-haves across dining segments. Entrée salads are widely cited as increasing in sales, and salads rank high among menu items that operators are considering adding.
Whole-wheat pasta—an example of a better-for-you food that at the same time is traditional—tops the list of grains, pastas and legumes that operators are considering as menu additions, while yogurt and fruit plates are among breakfast items operators cite as increasing in sales.
Breakfast is big but often brief for many consumers, which explains why portable items—breakfast sandwiches, burritos, wraps and smoothies—show such sales growth.
Handheld choices designed to eat and share in dining rooms are popular as well. Appetizer menus lead the way in answering the call for handheld options; now lettuce wraps, pot stickers, egg rolls and spring rolls join perennially popular chicken tenders, wings, onion rings and mozzarella sticks.
Innovation on the Side
The emergence of foods that meet diners’ desires for new flavors and presentations is not limited to entrée selections. Consumers are being offered—and are ordering—a wider selection of starters and side dishes that expand culinary horizons.
Mini burgers, spring rolls and other fork-free fare expand appetizer menus beyond brisk-selling fried foods. Seafood-based starters have become the top-selling category among first courses, thanks in particular to the growing popularity of crab cakes and calamari. In fine-dining venues, increasing consumer interest in oysters and other raw-bar options, as well as in raw proteins such as steak tartare and seafood seviche, suggests consumer palates continue to be adventurous.
Among sides and accompaniments, long-time favorites including macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes show strong diner support. At the same time, operators also are introducing less-traditional choices such as polenta, couscous and risotto.
The fact that dessert flights and bread pudding rate among the top five dessert dishes operators may add shows that that tricky menu balance of cutting-edge and comforting already is being achieved.
Healthy
Consumer tastes may evolve slowly rather than quickly and radically, but foodservice menus have proved much more nimble. Diners say they now eat more healthfully, despite indications that indulgence often trumps good intentions. But what R&I’s 2007 Menu Census finds is that consumers can’t complain that they don’t find enough healthful foods on menus. More fruits and grains are available; healthful preparations such as stir-frying, grilling and baking are more common.
The magnitude of the menu shifts is most evident with salads. In the 2003 Menu Census, about 20% of foodservice menus included fruit salad, but this year that percentage has nearly doubled to 37%. The share of operations preparing spinach salads jumped from 8.6% four years ago to 34.6% this year.
Lighter dressings also are more common: The percentage of operations offering balsamic vinaigrette, for example, has risen to 52.7% from 30.7% in 2003. Caesar dressing is on more menus and ranks as a best seller at more than one-third of operations.
Entrée salads have seen similar growth. Asian chicken salads now are available on one in four menus, compared with one in 10 four years ago. Asian-style chicken salads are the most-often-cited choice—especially at limited-service restaurants (thanks in part, no doubt, to the success of McDonald’s Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken)—when operators are asked what they are thinking of adding.
Better-for-you foods are on offer throughout the day:
- Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit plates make the top 5 among breakfast foods that operators say are increasing in sales. Hotel restaurants, especially, cite both items as sales builders, and 19% of fine-dining restaurants report strong sales for morning fruit-plate offerings.
Oatmeal ranks in the top 10 among foods increasing in sales, and organic cold cereals rank second among breakfast items under consideration for addition to menus. Granola/muesli and smoothies also are among foods operators are thinking of adding. Turkey bacon, yogurt parfaits, and chicken or turkey sausage are among the top 10.
- Lunch: Grilled chicken-breast sandwiches are on more commercial-sector menus than are hamburgers. Turkey sandwiches are among the top 5 sandwiches operators cite as increasing in sales. Veggie burgers are increasing in sales at college/university dining programs.
- Dinner: Grilled beef, chicken, fish and shellfish entrées are increasing in popularity, and a wider variety of fish species is on menus. Salmon is one of the most popular entrées of any kind. Lentils are offered on more than one-quarter of menus, and whole-wheat pastas continue to show gains.
Ethnic
Taking a close look at ethnic flavors on American menus is no easy task. With Americans’ overwhelming embrace of ethnic ingredients such as chipotle chiles or Parmesan cheese, it can be hard to tell where American flavors end and inter-national flavors begin.
Yet this just goes to show how ethnic foods continue to gain ground on American menus. Appetizers are particularly probable melting pots, with lettuce wraps, pot stickers and hummus placing among the top 10 appetizers that operators are thinking of adding to their menus. Entrées are more conservative, with familiar Mexican, Italian and Asian items strong in nearly all segments.
Says General Manager Frank Tognotti of Amaranta Cocina Mexicana in Los Angeles, "Americans feel the need for diversity in their dining habits, but, for the most part, within a certain comfort zone."
Between the commercial and noncommercial segments, the biggest differences aren’t in the use of ethnic flavors but in the application and featured ingredient. Pasta with shrimp is a top seller among commercial restaurants. In comparison, more than 40% of noncommercial operators say spaghetti sells more than other pasta dishes. Along similar lines, popular beef tacos in the noncommercial segment become steak fajitas in the commercial segment. Meanwhile, both commercial and noncommercial segments rank Asian stir-fry as a hot-ticket item.
R&I’s 2007 Menu Census shows a snapshot of ethnic menu items:
- Asian: Curry continues to gain ground in fine-dining operations, while commercial operations across the board have taken a shine to skewered meat preparations such as the satay sampler at Chino Latino in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, interest in Asian noodle bowls is growing in the noncommercial sector. Spurred by their variety and healthful image, Asian stir-fry sells well across the board.
- Italian: Meat and vegetable lasagnas are increasing in sales, leading some operators to add take-and-bake menu items to their grab-and-go selection. Pasta with shrimp reflects the growing trend of upscale menu touches, particularly in commercial dining. Meanwhile, operators are most likely to add ravioli as a new Italian entrées.
- Mexican: Although longtime menu favorites such as chiles rellenos, fajitas and quesadillas get upscale treatment with organic ingredients and new proteins, fish tacos are the segment’s runaway success story. While 19.4% of operators who menu Mexican entrées serve fish tacos, 14.7% of all operators plan on adding them to their menus.
Breakfast
Consumers continue to find eggs incredibly edible. Nearly 98% of breakfast-serving operators offer eggs in one form or another, and egg-based dishes take the first three spots on the list of breakfast items operators say are increasing in sales. Whether scrambled and wrapped up in a tor-tilla to make an easily held, drive-thru-friendly meal or fried up with diced ham and peppers for a savory Sunday-morning treat, eggs rule the roost at breakfast.
Omelets/frittatas, breakfast sandwiches, and scrambled, poached or fried eggs—Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the increasing-in-sales list—show up near the top of other best-of-breakfast lists, as well. Everyday cracked and cooked eggs are the No. 1 most-menued breakfast item, and they rank No. 1 by a wide margin on operators’ list of top sellers. To answer to those seeking a lower-cholesterol egg breakfast, 47.8% of breakfast-serving operators, including 65.8% of family-dining restaurants, menu egg substitutes.
The hype over whole grains and yogurt apparently resonates with many diners, too. Yogurt ranks No. 4 on the increasing-in-sales list, and oatmeal/hot cereal grabs the No. 10 spot, just slightly ahead of yogurt parfaits.
The R&I Menu Census reveals additional insights into consumers’ leading breakfast picks:
- Omelets/frittatas: A customizable indulgence, omelets and frittatas are No. 4 on operators’ best-sellers list and are the top increasing-in-sales item. The breakfast favorite is especially popular at family-dining restaurants; 44.7% of family-dining operators placed omelets among their top 3 best sellers, and more than one-third noted that omelet/frittata sales are trending upward.
- Breakfast sandwiches with egg: McDonald’s inspired combination of eggs, meat and bread at breakfast more than 30 years ago created a sensation that still wows diners. Versatile and filling, breakfast sandwiches offer diners portability and operators a point of differentiation.
More than one-quarter of breakfast operators (26%) report that sales of breakfast sandwiches are increasing. The popularity increase is slightly more marked (28.6%) among fine-dining establishments, which are catching on to a quick-service breakfast favorite.
- Bacon: What better to accompany eggs than bacon? Smoked, peppered or maple-flavored, bacon takes the No. 2 spot on breakfast operators’ best-sellers list. What’s more, bacon earned its second-highest subgroup rating on that list from hospitals.
- Pancakes/French toast: Diners are still showing some gusto for the griddle. Pancakes beat French toast by a decided margin on the best-sellers list—pancakes sit at No. 5; French toast ranks at No. 16, behind even bananas. French toast leads at fine-dining restaurants, casual-dining restaurants and schools; pancakes claim an advantage at family-dining restaurants, hotels and hospitals.
Sandwiches/Breads
Exactly when the coup occurred that changed the face of American cuisine is impossible to know. But at some point during the two years since the last Menu Census, one more menu was revised, a tipping point was reached and the deed was done: Hamburgers no longer were the most ubiquitous American sandwich.
Among commercial operations, the grilled chicken-breast sandwich now is the most-often menued (on 77.9% of menus versus 76.9% of menus that include a hamburger); on the noncommercial side, the turkey sandwich is No. 1 by virtue of appearing on 92.4% of menus (compared with 91.8% for the hamburger).
Although burgers may have lost their crown, their popularity is undiminished. Cheeseburgers are the top sellers on commercial and noncommercial menus, with plain hamburgers ranked third on both. Specialty burgers are increasing in sales on the commercial side and mini burgers are near the top of the list of sandwiches restaurants are thinking of adding.
R&I’s 2007 Menu Census also reveals several other, if less revolutionary, sandwich and bread trends:
- Club sandwich: The classic layered look is back in vogue. Among commercial operators that menu sandwiches, the venerable club trails only hamburgers and cheeseburgers as a top seller and also is No. 3 on the list of sandwiches commercial operations say are increasing in sales.
- Turkey sandwich: Simple yet elegant, turkey sandwiches appear among the top sellers for both commercial and noncommercial operations. Turkey reappears on the list of sandwiches that are increasing in sales for both industry segments as well.
- Panini: The Italian grilled or pressed sandwiches couldn’t be hotter, topping the list of sandwiches operators are thinking of adding in both commercial and noncommercial segments. Hospitals, schools and corporate-feeding venues are especially eager to add Panini.
- Focaccia/specialty breads: Foodservice operators have focaccia and artisan/specialty breads at the top of their wish lists, with slightly more commercial operators saying they’re thinking of adding artisan breads, and focaccia holding a slight edge among noncommercial operations.
- Wraps: Ranking No. 1 on the increasing-in-sales lists of both commercial and noncommercial operators, wraps continue to be consumer favorites. Sales of wrap sandwiches are especially strong at cafeteria/buffet and college/university operations.
- Philly cheesesteak sandwich: The City of Brotherly Love’s gift to American cuisine is hot, and it looks like it will stay that way. The chopped-beef-and-cheese concoction is among the top 10 on both the top-seller and thinking-about-adding lists for commercial operators. —S.H.
Appetizers
The perennial chicken powers—wings and strips/fingers/tenders—hold the No. 1 and No. 2 spots as most-menued appetizers, but they may have to make room in the starter spotlight for the It appetizer of the moment: mini burgers.
Bite-size burgers rank only No. 32 in appearances on appetizer menus, but they come in at No. 8 among appetizers that operators say are increasing in sales and No. 1 among appetizers operators are thinking of adding to their menus. Crab cakes, too, are riding a wave of popularity—62.4% of fine-dining restaurants offer them, and they are No. 2 on the list of appetizers operators are considering adding. Additionally, they place fourth, behind only chicken wings, chicken strips and calamari, on the list of appetizers operators consider to be among their top three best sellers.
Chicken is king at both commercial and noncommercial operations: 38.8% of commercial operations and 31.3% of noncommercial operations menu chicken strips. At casual-dining restaurants, chicken wings are menued slightly more often than chicken strips—wings show up on 50.2% of menus; strips appear on 45.7% of menus.
Additionally, across restaurant styles, mixed platters are gaining ground. They rank second to chicken wings among appetizers that operators report are increasing in sales.
Also of note from R&I’s 2007 Menu Census data:
- International inspiration: Appetizers that incorporate flavors from abroad abound on the list of thinking-of-adding items. Bruschetta, Spanish-style tapas, Asian lettuce wraps, pot stickers and hummus all find spots among the top 10 items being considered for addition to menus.
- Seafood sensation: The top four appetizers increasing in sales at fine-dining restaurants? Calamari (20.7%), crab cakes (19.5%), seared tuna (18.3%) and oysters/raw bar (15.9%).
- Fiesta time: Beyond chicken, combo platters and calamari, nachos and quesadillas lead the sales-growth list at casual-dining restaurants.
- Calamari: The eminently poppable rings rank fourth on the increasing-in-sales list. Among establishments that serve appetizers, just under 21% of fine-dining operators and 16.8% of hotel operators report seeing rising calamari sales—making calamari No. 1 on the list for fine-dining restaurants and No. 2 for hotels.
- Mozzarella sticks: College students love their fried cheese. Mozzarella sticks are No. 3 on the top-sellers list for colleges and universities, behind chicken strips and chicken wings.
- Chicken tenders: More than four in 10 family-dining operators (41.7%) place chicken strips/fingers/tenders on their top-sellers list. Tenders lead by a large margin over wings and mozzarella sticks, which tie for No. 2 at 28.3%.
Center-Plate Proteins
Consumers love their proteins—all of them. R&I’s 2007 Menu Census finds that beef, veal, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, fish, shellfish and even game birds make appearances on industry-segment lists of what sells well, is increasing in sales or is being considered for addition in 2008.
Grilled skinless chicken breasts are hot sellers from fine dining to healthcare, and steak continues to be popular everywhere. Where it is menued, salmon sells well. Where it isn’t menued now, it will be soon. Crab cakes are as in-demand as entrées as they are as appetizers. Sushi is hot on college campuses, but so are meatballs and chicken tenders.
A few other old-school dishes—among them chicken and beef pot pies, catfish, meatloaf and beef Stroganoff—also show signs of a return to prominence in various industry segments.
Here’s a quick roundup of center-of-the-plate trends around the industry:
- Fine dining: Sales of salmon, tuna and duck are rising; watch for beef short ribs, duck, more fish (especially striped bass or sea bass) and surf ’n turf to join menus.
- Casual dining: Salmon, grilled chicken and rib-eye steaks are solid sellers; pulled pork, flat-iron steak, crab cakes and even duck are under consideration.
- Family dining: Grilled chicken breasts and pork ribs and chops are stars; more chicken (fried pieces, wings), tilapia, rib-eye steak and crab cakes are among foods that may be added.
- Cafeteria/buffet: Steaks, chicken wings and barbecued pork ribs sell well; barbecued brisket and prime rib top the might-add list.
- Limited service: Grilled chicken and fried fish are increasing in sales; fried shrimp and pulled pork are among future possibilities.
- Hotels: Filet mignon, prime rib and salmon are stronger sellers; duck, veal chops, crab cakes and calamari are being considered by those that don’t have them.
- Healthcare: Tilapia, grilled chicken breasts, salmon and roast beef show growing popularity; chicken pot pies, pulled pork and fish (tilapia, halibut, salmon) soon may join more menus.
- College/university: Grilled chicken, tilapia, sushi and pulled pork are among the hot on-menu foods; scallops, pork chops, chicken/turkey sausage and more sushi are in the menu pipeline.
- Schools: Proven favorites (chicken tenders, baked fish portions, fried shrimp and roast beef) reign, with chicken and meat pies, beef Stroganoff and chicken wings on the list of might-add meals.
- Business and industry: Salmon, tuna and roast turkey are solid hits in corporate settings; coming next are calamari, crab cakes, chicken burgers and chicken pot pies. —S.H.
Salads
There’s something to be said for tradition, even—perhaps especially—when opting for a salad rather than a meat-based dish at a restaurant. Classic salads such as cobb and Caesar earn top rankings on both the best-sellers and increasing-in-sales salad lists. Caesar salads with shrimp or chicken rank first among salads commercial operators say are increasing in sales. On the noncommercial side, another old favorite, chef salad, ranks at the top.
Easily marketed as being fresh and flavorful as well as a lighter choice at lunch, salads see rising popularity especially at business-and-industry (B&I) operations, schools, hospitals and casual-dining restaurants. Caesar salads are gaining popularity at family-dining operations; cobb salad is strong in casual dining.
What do diners want to top their greens? Ranch/buttermilk dressing reigns supreme, but balsamic vinaigrette earns the No. 2 spot on the list of salad dressings increasing in sales, and raspberry-based (or other fruit-based) vinaigrettes take the No. 4 spot on that list while ranking No. 1 among dressings operators are considering adding.
- Other Menu Census insights into specific salads:
- Caesar: Among all subgroups, hotels are most likely to report an increase in sales of Caesar salads—three in 10 noted a sales boost. Caesar salads with shrimp, chicken or another protein are more likely to register rising sales than their non-protein-enhanced siblings, but even plain Caesar salads see more-consistent sales increases across restaurant genres than almost every other salad type.
- Steak: Care for some steak with your lettuce? Hampered only by their poor showing at schools and cafeteria/buffet restaurants, steak salads rate strong on the census for most operators. They place fifth on operators’ thinking-of-adding list among salads included in the survey, and they tie with Caesar salads and a house signature salad as No. 3 on casual-dining operators’ increasing-in-sales list.
- Grain-based: Not surprisingly, colleges and universities lead the way in serving and selling salads that feature tabbouleh, couscous, rice or other grains. Among operators that offer salads, more than one-third (34.8%) of higher-education institutions say they menu at least one grain-based salad, slightly ahead of business and industry operators (30%) and well ahead of all commercial restaurant operators (6.1%).
- Specialty: Salads featuring increasingly well-known greens such as arugula, radicchio and endive register their strongest increase in sales at fine-dining restaurants, but specialty salads’ popularity is climbing respectably at hotels, too.
- Taco: Schools give the crunchy salad a significant ratings boost on both the best-sellers and increasing-in-sales lists, but strong-and-growing sales also are reported at limited-service restaurants and hospitals. —C.L.
Sides & Soups
Memorable accompaniments can mean the difference between meals that stand out and those that are just plain standard. That’s why even though french fries once again rule as the top-selling menu side, this year’s Menu Census offers plenty more news worth noting about attention-getting sidekicks.
Macaroni and cheese, for one, is making an impressive run on menus, with nearly 40% of operators ranking the nostalgic favorite among their top three sellers in the grains, pastas and legumes category. In the noncommercial sector, that figure jumps to 60%.
Also finding favor on the accompaniment front are sweet-potato fries, currently on 18% of menus and capturing the top spot among potato dishes operators are thinking of adding to their repertoire. Sweet potatoes, actually not potatoes at all but rather an edible root, also show up on menus with increasing frequency in mashed and baked recipes as well.
Soup, a complement well-suited to sandwiches and salads as well as more-elaborate entrées, is garnering interest in kitchens beyond most-often-menued choices such as chicken noodle, clam-seafood chowder and tomato. Seafood bisque, Asian soups and vegetarian chili are the top three recipes operators are thinking about adding.
More insights into on-trend sides and accompaniments abound in R&I’s 2007 Menu Census:
- Risotto: Nearly one-third of operators already serve this creamy, slow-cooked rice dish, and it ranks second among grains, pastas and legumes under consideration for menu addition.
- Asparagus: Menued at 43% of commercial and 58% of noncommercial operations, asparagus ranks among the top three vegetables that operators say are increasing in sales.
- Whole-wheat pasta: Given consumers’ steadily increasing interest in whole grains and more-healthful dining, it’s not surprising that whole-wheat pasta tops the list of grains, pastas and legumes that operators are thinking of adding to their menus. Noncommercial operators especially are keen on introducing whole-wheat pastas to customers.
- Mixed vegetables: Tomatoes, broccoli and carrots fly solo as the most commonly menued vegetables, but the choices chefs are considering adding to menus represent a mixed bag. Steamed or grilled vegetable platters, roasted vegetables and vegetable casseroles top operators’ lists.
- Couscous: Couscous is offered at a whopping 40% of noncommercial operations and the same percentage of fine-dining kitchens.
- Polenta: The versatile Italian staple made with cooked cornmeal is gaining ground on mainstream menus. It is among the top 10 grains, pastas and legumes operators are thinking of adding and currently is on nearly 20% of all menus. —A.P.
Desserts
Understanding what consumers want most at the close of a meal is as simple as A, B, C: apple pie, brownies and chocolate cake. Yet this doesn’t mean that desserts are in a time warp stalled in 1967. Smaller portions are gaining favor with customers for their low cost and built-in portion control—so too are signature desserts that differentiate operators from the competition.
Noncommercial operators show a much higher incidence of dessert sales, particularly through sales of apple pie, brownies and cookies. On the commercial side, apple pie takes the top spot, with more than a quarter of operators menuing the American classic. Following closely behind on menus are chocolate cake, carrot cake and ice cream.
Among these dessert categories, there’s plenty of room for interpretation.
"I think you can always stretch the menu," says Chef-owner John des Rosiers, who serves wood-oven-baked cookies with chocolate and goat cheese at Bank Lane Bistro in Lake Forest, Ill.
Yet many pastry chefs agree that it’s important to maintain crowd pleasers. "We push the envelope in some areas, but the soufflé is a staple, along with crème brûlée and chocolate desserts," says Jonathan Cartwright, executive chef and director of operations at White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Here’s a look at how R&I’s Menu Census trends translate on the menu:
- Apple Pie: As the perfect conduit for comforting flavors, apple pie ranks highest among best-selling desserts. At Lockwood Restaurant in Chicago’s Palmer House Hilton, it’s translated into an apple tarte tatin with star anise ice cream, salted caramel and apple chips.
- Cookies and brownies: Convenient as grab-and-go treats, cookies and brownies hold a steady sweet spot, particularly in noncommercial operations.
- Signature cakes: Although chocolate and carrot cakes remain popular, cakes with a unique spin continue to intrigue. At Wave Restaurant & Bar in Chicago, Executive Chef Kristine Subido serves a creamy spiced carrot cupcake.
- Dessert samplers/mini desserts: When des Rosiers added mini desserts four years ago to the menu at his South Gate Cafe restaurant, dessert sales increased 23%. The trend has caught the attention of contract foodservice operators such as Sodexho, and 5.6% of operators say mini desserts are under consideration.
- Ice cream: Among frozen desserts such as soft-serve ice cream, gelato, granita and frozen custard, classic ice cream is the strong favorite, particularly when given a homespun angle. St. Louis-based Hardee’s hand-scoops ice cream and blends milkshakes to order.
View All Blogs
