Gen Z Still Eating Fresh Food Fast

 

Who did not know that teenage males liked fast food? One person that was not sure was Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who stated “eating habits are evolving in such a way that the undercurrents of daypart menu choice are not clear.”

In a new expansive Piper Sandler survey titled, “Taking Stock With Teens” in which a poll was based on responses taken between August 17th and September 16th from 10,000 teens across 44 U.S. states, with an average age of 15.8 years found for the fourth year in a row that Chick-fil-A was the number one pick of all teens.

Starbucks came in at No. 2 for teens, followed by Chipotle which tied with McDonald's at 5%. Surprisingly to Johnson, Olive Garden came in as the fifth favorite.  Now, interestingly, food remained the most important category for upper-income male teens — capturing 21% — followed by clothing at 16% and video games at 14%. 

Get this for females, clothing remained the top choice at 29%, up a whopping 200 basis points compared to last fall, followed by food at 21%, then personal care with 10%. One most note however that teen females second choice was food at the same percentage as males at 21% in the Piper Sandler survey.

What was the value of teen spending? Well, it was up 6% compared to fall 2020, with the average teen spending approximately $2,274 dollars per a year. 

Talking about teens there is one more interesting survey that found the plant-based protein market is slowly gaining young consumers' attention. According another new survey conducted by Tastewise, 14% of teens consume plant-based meat, down one percentage point from Spring of 2021, with Impossible Foods as the No. 1 choice for teens with 40%, followed by Beyond Meat) at No. 2 with 31%, then Kellogg's Morningstar Farms capturing 22% of plant-based meat eating teens.

Now pay attention to this there are still lots more opportunity to grow however, of the 86% of teens who do not consume plant-based meat, 38% are willing to try it, slightly up from 35% in the fall of 2020.

According to Alon Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Tastewise, this is just the beginning for the plant-based market. He sees a "$14 billion opportunity over the next decade, where the question is not 'if' every foodservice business must offer plant-based alternatives, but 'when' and which technology will prevail."

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Dunkin Expanding the ‘halo’ of Better-for-You

 

Consumer like fresh fast food, they like drive thru’s, and they like Inspire Brands restaurant retail outlets for all of the right reasons including craveability, creativity, consistency according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Back in the day the Grocerant Guru® introduced regular readers of this blog about a new avenue of fresh food distribution that was about to take off.  That company was, Farmer’s Fridge.  Now that fresh food vending company, is testing some of its salads, bowls and breakfast items at select Dunkin’ locations elevating choice for Dunkin’s retail customers while extending the ‘halo’ of better-for you according to Johnson.

Farmer’s Fridge in its first test pilot restaurant program is taking place at six Dunkin’ stores at which a limited selection of items are on offer behind the counter. Eventually, they will be available in grab-and-go cases rather than the traditional Farmer’s Fridge stand-alone vending fridges.

Meghan Hurley, head of marketing for Farmer’s Fridge stated, “Dunkin’ was exploring new, healthy food options focused on plant-forward ingredients,”... “Our CEO was introduced to the Dunkin’ folks in 2020 and the idea was launched.”

Regular readers of this blog know that, Farmer’s Fridge has traditionally set up its vending operations in airports, college campuses, office buildings, hospitals and similar venues. There are now about 350 installations, but this is the first venture with a QSR.

So, Dunkin’ is offering two Farmer’s Fridge salads and two bowls, including a harvest salad, Greek salad, pesto pasta and a burrito bowl—the last a combo of black beans, a brown rice-quinoa blend, fire-roasted corn, roasted fajita veggies and guacamole. Also on the menu are chia pudding, apple-cinnamon oats and a yogurt parfait. None of these were developed specifically for Dunkin; these items were already in the fridges, said Hurley.

Fresh and sustainable in its vending operations, all the food is packed into recyclable glass jars. Dunkin’ customers can either recycle these at home or bring the jars back to the store where the purchase was made.

In a press release an Inspire Brands spokesperson stated “Dunkin’ is committed to delivering a wide variety of delicious, convenient menu choices to help keep our guests running all day long, including options that make it easier to eat on-the-go," "We are currently testing Farmer’s Fridge prepackaged salads, grain bowls and breakfast items inside a total of six restaurants in the Chicago and New Jersey markets. The test is designed to gather valuable feedback from consumers, franchisees and their employees to help inform future decisions.” Farmers Fridge in the minds-eye of our grocerant guru® has developed top-of-mind awareness for better for you fresh food within the vending sector and sees no reason they can’t be a perfect fit at Dunkin outlets.

Like all of us, with many of its fridges in locations that immediately shut down at the start of the pandemic, Farmer’s Fridge had to quickly transform its business model. “We lost 70% to 80% of our business that first week, but by the end of March, we built an e-commerce site on Shopify and launched self-delivery in some markets,” said Hurley. “People still wanted healthy food fast, so we were serving the same occasion as we did at the office.”

The company also relocated some of its fridges in hospitals and universities to make them more accessible to frontline workers and quarantining students. Farmer’s Fridge also debuted a Chef Collab series, using well-known restaurant chefs to create recipes for the fridges and home delivery. “When restaurants shut down, we asked the chefs what they would make at home, and they developed dishes for us,” said Hurley.

The lineup includes Andrew Kim, Paul Kahan, Missy Robbins and Stephanie Izard. Girl and the Goat’s Izard created a tofu bowl. It worked.  Almost a year later, Farmer’s Fridge business is back to pre-pandemic levels, said Hurley, but sales are going through different channels. With about half the fridges currently inactive, the company is currently doing more wholesale, e-commerce and delivery.

Hurley continued, “In 2021, “we want to take a step back and build out these channels,” ... “The menu team also wants to focus on product development and develop recipes based on trends and customers’ needs. The Dunkin’ fridges are just in test right now, but we hope to partner with other restaurants in the future.” How are you expanding the increasingly valued customer touchpoint of ‘better-for-you?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Grocerant Guru gets GLAZZED at Dunkin’

Success does leave clues according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  When it comes to integrating braded marketing messaging with relevance no one is doing it as well as Dunkin is right now.  Talk about being on trend and driving new electricity.

Now plant-based lovers can get their hands-on merchandise designed by Dunkin’s employee of the month on Dunkin’ Shop, this my friends are contemporary relevance with brand integration. Got Glazzzed at Dunkin! It’s just great.

Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat ambassador, Snoop Dogg, are continuing their collaboration by debuting Dunkin’s newest merch collection. The Beyond Collection by Dunkin’ x Snoop is out and this limited-edition online pop-up of exclusive apparel will be available to Dunkin’ and Snoop Dogg fans nationwide.

Plant-based lovers can get their hands-on merchandise designed by Dunkin’s employee of the month on Dunkin’ Shop. This Snoop-approved swag includes a green tracksuit by Snoop’s outfit in Dunkin’s newest nationwide commercial, joggers featuring Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat icons and the word “Glazzzzy” down the leg, a bomber jacket, beanie and more.

Snoop Dogg still has his hand on the pulse of consumers and kudos to the marketing team at Dunkin brands for developing a partnership that edifies it brand messaging with relevance.  Well Done.

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, Online ordering, delivery, plant based foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow?  

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  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

Dunkin’ Brands Planting Success One Menu Item at a Time

Copycat menu items don’t drive incremental sales today according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. What does drive sales are new menu items that are ‘plant-based’ according to Johnson.

Dunkin’ Brands is now offering plant-based food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert. Yes, even Dunkin’s Baskin-Robbin’s division has plant-based offerings.  So, Baskin-Robbins is dipping into the plant-based dessert category with the launch of two new non-dairy flavors. Both Non-Dairy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Non-Dairy Chocolate Extreme will be available for ice cream customer in-store beginning August 1.

Both flavors contain no artificial dyes, which have been absent from all Baskin-Robbins ice cream since 2017 as part of Baskin-Robbins’ and Dunkin’ Brands’ commitment to serving high-quality menu items. The Non-Dairy flavors are also free from preservatives, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and are Kosher

Plant-based food sales increasing in double-digits across the country, and are expected to reach $140 Billion over the next 10 years. Baskin-Robbins non-dairy indulgences will join Dunkin’s plant-based breakfast bowls, plant-based sausage and chicken sandwiches. Dunkin’ Brands is looking a customer, ahead are you?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Technology Driven Briggo Solves the Restaurant Labor Shortage

What’s next for Briggo?  Where will they open the first robotic coffee drive-thru?  Up early on your way to work and in a hurry?  Briggo just might be the next ‘restaurant’ coffee competitor filling your cup with fresh brewed coffee according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Briggo is rapidly expanding beyond their current footprint in Austin, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth creating a platform for fresh fast coffee that might be hard to compete against according to Johnson.  Briggo is once again expanding the Grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Drink fresh prepared coffee.  Currenlty, Briggo is ideal for high-traffic locations such as airports and corporate HQs where quality and convenience are in high demand.

When Briggo, announced the opening of their second robotic Coffee Haus location at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA). The team at Foodservice Solutions® asked what is next?  The simple answer is a drive-thru?  How will you compete with that?  Will your service be as fast? Will your coffee be as consistently made? 

Did you know that Briggo, way placed on Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, successfully activating the Airport Experience Conference in Las Vegas, and once again becoming a viral hit for SXSW Festival visitors both in Austin’s Airport and at Austin’s Convention Center. Furthermore, Briggo will be a featured customer demo at the annual Dell Technologies World later this month in Las Vegas.

Leveraging digital technology ordering ahead from the Briggo mobile app or on the Coffee Haus touchscreens, customers become their own barista by customizing their favorite coffee and tea drinks once again elevating grocerant niche personalization and customization. Using the precision and efficiency of Briggo’s robotic technology, the drinks are crafted within minutes from Briggo’s custom whole-bean blend, fresh dairy and gourmet syrups. So once again we ask, are you looking a customer ahead? Does your coffee house look more like yesterday than tomorrow?

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

McDonald’s Breakfast is Big and getting Bigger

Few retailers have the insights or brand strength to take on companies the ilk of Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast sales or catering but McDonald’s is one company that is doing just that with well-established branded products the ilk of Egg McMuffin, McGriddle, Fruit ’N Yogurt Parfait.

So McDonald’s is now testing breakfast catering in 195 restaurants in the Orlando area. The bundled morning meals include more than a dozen pre-selected catering trays serving everything from Egg McMuffins to pancakes to parfaits.

Offices can now order catered breakfast meal bundles for early morning meetings instead of ordering Donuts or Expensive Coffee.  Like ti should be breakfast catering is only available during breakfast hours. The packages, available for delivery through UberEats or for pickup, target groups of 6, 12 or 18 and larger.

A McDonald’s spokesperson via press release said “Prices are determined at the individual restaurant level and may vary,” According to a restaurant along Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando,. A catering tray for a party of 12 dubbed “Early Fiesta” cost $38.85. It includes 12 sausage burritos, 6 parfaits, 6 Fruit & Maple Oatmeals, and 6 Baked Apples Pies.

The McDonald’s Florida experiment comes as fast-food chains are focusing more on off-premise sales fighting to regain breakfast sales losses to Convenience Stores and Grocery Store service Deli’s according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

Regular readers of this blog know that in  March, Dunkin’ Donuts began offering catering in 16 locations in Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The bundled Dunkin’ Donuts packages, geared for parties of 10 or 20, range in price from $30 to $96. Plates, silverware and an exclusive “DD” branded tablecloth come with each catering order.

How is your brand expanding its reach?  Can you leverage dayparts to drive sales?  Can Delivery or Catering become your new electricity that drives top line sales and bottom line profits?  The team at Foodservice Solutions® can help you identify, quantify, and qualify new points of distribution, new products, and new daypart opportunities. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us  Are you looking a customer ahead? 

Dunkin’ Donuts New Electricity = Partnerships

Success does leave clues and at the beginning of this year Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® called 2018 the year of partnerships. Chain restaurants the ilk of Dunkin’ Donuts continue to prove Johnson to be spot on as Dunkin’ expands product innovation within its relationship with Coca-Cola.

What is the key driver for foodservice moving forward?  In the minds-eye of Johnson, there is one dominate element that will power success within retail foodservice over the coming years.  Johnson calls it the new electricity that is partnerships specifically strategic partnerships.   

The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh food, sous vide meal components, portable meals, meal kits, sustainable oils, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing.

Retailers the ilk of Supermarkets, Restaurants, Conveniences Stores, Dollar Stores, and Department Stores that selling food and want to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing portable prepared fresh food.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Dunkin’ Donuts addition of Cookies & Cream to its popular and fast-growing line of bottled, ready-to-drink iced coffee beverages produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company is another example of how to expand your brands reach.

Cookies & Cream is available now at grocery stores, convenience, drug store and mass retail channels, and at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout the U.S, Cookies & Cream joins Dunkin’s other RTD coffee flavor offerings: Original, Mocha, Espresso and French Vanilla.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Where is your new electricity coming from?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Dunkin's Tactical Non-Traditional Growth

Selling hand held food for immediate consumption requires a focus on your customer predilections, shopping patterns; partiality for you branded products according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. If you want to sell incremental food and beverages to your customers you must open units where your customers are going.

Last year Dunkin’ Donuts, franchisees opened more than 86 new non-traditional locations across the United States. Non-traditional locations are a marketing tactic within Dunkin’s strategic plan for growth. 

One specific non-traditional location was hotels where they opened in hotels the ilk of Great Wolf Lodge, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino located in Las Vegas and Biloxi. Other non-traditional locations included grocer Price Chopper and 12 rest stop and travel center restaurants across the country.

Chris Burr, director of non-traditional development, Dunkin’ Brands  stated “Non-traditional restaurants continue to be an integral piece of what truly keeps America running on Dunkin,’ by consistently introducing and providing our level of convenience and service to the on-the-go customer in markets nationwide,”

Burr continued “We’re excited about the strong growth of the non-traditional sector in 2017, from being able to provide our signature cup of coffee at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, to offering our selection of baked goods to the students on the University of Hawaii campus, we’re eager to see where 2018 will take us.”

Non-traditional locations are a key part of Dunkin’s new electricity to drive top line sales and bottom line profits according to Johnson.  In the minds-eye of Johnson, there is one dominate element that will power success within retail and foodservice over the coming years and that is partnerships.

Johnson calls it the new electricity that is partnerships specifically strategic partnerships.   The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh food, grocerant consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing.

Retailers the ilk of Dunkin to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable in some form.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

A KISS for Dunkin’ Donuts

Regular readers of this blog have heard it time and time again KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson has found another company that is getting back to basics.  That company is Dunkin’ Donuts.

Last week Dunkin’ announced that it will simplify menus across system restaurants. Dunkin’ was faced with stagnant same-store sales and traffic.  So Dunkin’ Donuts is turning to a multi-year plan to differentiate itself through convenience and simplification.

When they posted U.S. same-store sales increase of 0.8 percent for the second quarter of this year, driven by an average ticket increase offset by a decline in traffic they knew it was time to do something.  The bright spot for Dunkin’ was breakfast sandwich sales which increased due to Dunkin’s wake-up wraps and core sandwiches with egg and cheese offerings.

On the beverage side sales were driven by the iced coffee and ice tea categories, as the brand has experienced an increase in cold brew sales and launched its fruited ice tea and frozen coffee. What does simplification mean?  Customers can expect less new menu items and a focus on convenience and broad accessibility.

Dunkin’ will simplify menus across system restaurants, removing items such as afternoon sandwich selections and bakery items like danish and cookies, in an effort to reduce operational complexities at locations

David Hoffman, president of Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. and Canada, said during the conference call that the brand is beginning a multi-year plan to “transform Dunkin’ into a beverage-led, on-the-go brand.” Hoffman said the brand believes this simplification can reduce labor turnover and allow operators and employees to focus on the basics of customer service. The streamlined menu will roll out to restaurants in two waves beginning in August, with a goal to reach 1,000 locations through October.

Hoffman continued “Simplification will continue to be a cultural mindset for our system,”  It was clear to the team at Dunkin’ the brand need to focus on customers offering “unparalleled convenience,” through initiatives like curbside delivery and mobile ordering, third-party delivery, and an increase in drive-thru’s.

Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed, Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us