What’s Trending is Perfect for Limited Time Offers

Menu items come and go by time of the year too hot concepts featured item.  What is unmistakably clear is that driving customers in to seats or the drive-thru requires menu magic and much of that magic come from limited time offers (LTO’s) according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®.

So what’s the best way to keep up with the undercurrents of menu magic?  Foodservice Solutions® team follows a Culinary Visions Panel report  "What's Trending in Foodservice: Cultural Contradictions Driving the Trends," that explores the dining out expectations, attitudes and tendencies of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers yearly.  

In the most recent Culinary Visions Panel found:

1.       Unforgettable Food Experiences. Today's food-centric culture has paved the way for fully immersive experiences like food festivals, street markets, food emporiums, food trucks and more. Because of this, food serves as both the attraction and the entertainment. The goal is to have food experiences worthy of sharing via online and in person.

2.       Food as Fuel. The fast-paced and over-committed lives of today's consumers have fueled visits to fast-casual and quick-service restaurants. Consumers also eat to provide themselves with energy to get through the day.

3.       Loving Local. Consumers are will to pay more for locally sourced food when dining out in their continued desire for local and sustainable food. However, consumers enjoy exploring new cultures through food, including exotic spices, unique ingredients and global cooking styles.

4.       Healthful, Yet Indulgent. Today's consumers expect meals to be both healthy and delicious when dining out. They are unwilling to trade taste for healthfulness, but they do prefer to limit certain ingredients vs. completely eliminating them. Despite the talk surrounding healthfulness, consumers also love restaurants that offer "over-the-top" menu items and believe that indulgent foods are worth the splurge.

5.       Childhood Nostalgia Meets Adult Sophistication. When dining out, consumers search for nostalgia and crave foods that remind them of their childhood. However, this doesn't change the fact that consumers also admire artistic food presentations, sophisticated flavor combinations and avant-garde cooking techniques.

6.       Simplicity and Transparency. Consumers like foods they can taste and ingredients they can understand. This means they desire fresh ingredients prepared with simple techniques and elegant presentations. Yet, consumers are also drawn to the simplicity of rustic, home-style foods and crave authentic flavor experiences.

Foodservice Solutions® team of industry leading experts can help you interpret how these findings can help you drive new customers into you stores while creating incremental customer relevance to drive both top line sales and bottom line profits. 

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard.  For brand, or product placement assistance our Grocerant Guru® has the skill-set you are looking for.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869