Thirsty the Smoothie Keg just Might Be for You

 

The success of the grocerant niche is based in large part on convenience, time, and the ‘halo’ of better for you according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who believe that the Smoothie Keg just might be the right product at the right time to drive incremental top line sale and bottom line profits.

Smoothie King's Smoothie Keg has the potential to be a hit with consumers for a few reasons:

·         Convenience: The keg offers pre-portioned smoothies, eliminating the need for daily blending and simplifying portion control. This could be a big win for busy consumers who want healthy and convenient on-the-go options.

·         Variety: Smoothie King could offer a variety of flavor options in the keg format, catering to different taste preferences and dietary needs. This could be especially appealing to people who enjoy smoothie variety but find it tedious to buy or make different ingredients every day.

·         Freshness: Smoothie King might use flash-freezing technology to preserve the freshness of the ingredients in the keg. This could be a selling point for consumers who are concerned about the quality and nutritional value of pre-made smoothies.

·         Reduced Waste: Depending on the packaging, Smoothie Kegs could potentially reduce waste compared to individual smoothie cups. This could resonate with environmentally conscious consumers.

·         Subscription Potential: There's a possibility Smoothie King could offer subscription services for Smoothie Kegs, delivering refills to customers' doorsteps. This would provide further convenience and potentially build customer loyalty.

However, there are also some potential challenges:

·         Price: The keg and refills might be more expensive than buying individual smoothies, which could be a turnoff for some consumers.

·         Availability: Freezer space can be limited, so consumers might not have room for a bulky keg. Additionally, Smoothie King would need to ensure widespread availability of the kegs and refills in their stores.

·         Taste and Texture: Some consumers might prefer the taste and texture of freshly blended smoothies. Smoothie King would need to ensure the kegged versions maintain a high quality that rivals fresh smoothies.

Overall, Smoothie Kegs have the potential to be a success story for Smoothie King, but the company will need to address potential drawbacks like price and availability to fully capture the market.

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Grocerant Niche Better for You Beverage Growth

 

Beverages have evolved from a side order, too an entrée, with the halo of ‘better-for-you’ according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Johnson continued, “I cannot think of a chain restaurant that has a drive thru that does not offer at least a mini-meal option with a beverage as a meal solution today.”

Yes, times they are a Changin’ once again, as fast casual, and fast-food restaurants are offering smoothies as meal solutions.  Once more they are evolving their menus to include smoothies that are less sweet and more focused on specific health-related purposes through interested plant-based ingredients, herbs and spices targeting consumers looking for food discovery and grocerant niche portable food with the halo of better for you.

Matt Dugan, corporate executive chef at Vitamix, stated, "In lieu of sweetness, people are becoming open to new and different combinations of flavors in their smoothies, for example, basil and strawberries or mango and chipotle". "The American palette, especially among the younger audiences, of Gen Z and Millennials s become more enterprising, curious, and open to new, unfamiliar flavors."

Beverage chains are growing up and garnering a larger share of stomach. In 2020, Dallas-based smoothie shop Smoothie King opened a record 263 new stores globally to reach more than 1,300 stores worldwide and closed out the second half of the year with a 12.2 percent-increase in comparable sales. Smoothie franchises such as Tropical Smoothie Café also reported double-digit growth last year. They are now more than just a beverage chain; they are a meal replacement option for many consumers today.

While Gen Z and Millennials like food discovery they also line menu option with the halo of better for you. Many of today's smoothie customers have specific health goals and expect smoothies to help them in their journeys.

Rocky Gettys, vice president of product development for Smoothie King, stated, "People are not just seeking out healthy foods — they are looking for a combination of ingredients that will serve a tangible and specific purpose," … "That places a particular onus on made-to-order smoothie chains to deliver a product that connects the dots."

Empowering choice today includes, menu concepts based on purpose can include smoothies designed for pre- or post-workout, immune health, joint health, energy, weight loss, protein and muscle building and more.

The move toward purposeful smoothies is expected to continue, according to Vitamix and Smoothie King, which predicted that new areas of consumer interest may include brain health and skin health as well as seasonally relevant areas of interest, such as cold and flu in the winter and energy and hydration in the summer.

As the smoothie market adjusts to consumers' concerns about excessive sugar, sweet ingredients such as sorbet, honey, purees and syrups are likely to play a less prominent role grocerant niche food retails from fast food to grocery outlets, expect to find recipes with kale, spinach, carrots and other vegetables will continue to gain ground.

Gettys continued, "The blending of tropical fruits with greens is a real winner in today's smoothie market". ."You have to remember that while a smoothie must be healthy, it also needs to taste good. So, mixing the antioxidant richness of vegetables with the allure of tropical flavors is the sweet spot for smoothies right now."

That ‘halo’ extends according to Dugan who added, "We are seeing a fast-growing interest in anything plant-based. It's not just vegans and vegetarians who are interested in plant-based nutrition. There is a broad-based awareness that vegetables, berries, seeds and whole grains play a very important role in our diet."

The use of herbs and spices to help manage sugar content in smoothies is on the rise. Blending ingredients such as ginger, cinnamon or cocoa adds healthful ingredients as well as flavor, lessening the need to add sugar for a great taste. Despite these emerging trends, customization is key for smoothie menus.

Empowering a consumer-focused interactive participatory look and feel so it’s clear too Dugan that, "No smoothie operator wants to play nutrition police and force consumers into a rigid set of guidelines. We're here to give people flexibility to choose what is right for them,". "That's why you are going to see more customizable options on smoothie menus, even as the menu overall becomes less sweet and healthier."

Getty’s went on to say, "The best model for customization is one that holds some ingredients stable while inviting choice on some others," … "For example, customers can substitute one fruit or vegetable for another; choose among nut butters; or choose between milk and other non-dairy options, like oat milk and almond milk. We are always open to substitutions at Smoothie King, but we also want to steer our customers toward what tastes good."

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  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

Smoothie King Pours the Holiday Cheer

It’s that time of year when the Holiday’s take center stage and eating-out becomes as important as what you eat.  This year Smoothie King is celebrating the holiday season with the launch of their new seasonal meal replacement blends at all store locations beginning November 14 through December 26 to help you stay fit and maintain the holiday spirit.

The new menu items fit that bill according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® the new items include; Slim-N-Trim Cranberry, The Activator Gingerbread, and Vegan Apple Cinnamon are all limited edition smoothies tailored to fit guests’ purposes: Slim, Fitness and Wellness, respectively, as part of a sensible diet and regular exercise routine. 

Mitchell Grittman, Food Scientist for Smoothie King  stated “With the holiday meal replacement blends containing up to 27 grams of protein and all being less than 400 calories per 20 oz. cup, guests can enjoy the holiday flavors we all crave without the guilt,”.  “Each of these holiday meal replacement blends deliver on Smoothie King’s Cleaner Blending initiative by containing no gluten, no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils, and no ingredients prohibited by any regulatory lists monitored by NSF.”

In case you did not know Smoothie King blends all smoothies with a specific purpose in mind.  Whether your goal is to slim down, firm up, stay well, replace a meal, or just take a break, they have a smoothie that can help fulfill everyone’s purpose as part of a sensible diet and regular exercise routine. 

Smoothie King also offers a number of nutritious Ready-2-Eat or Ready-2-Drink retail products, including sports beverages, energy bars, vitamins, supplements and more.  Mix and Match meal bundling drives retail growth in every category of retail foodservice today.

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 a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

It the season for a ‘Better for You’ beverage Smoothie King

Foodservice Solutions® grocerant niche leadership defined the ‘better for you’ fresh prepared food space back in the day.  Companies the ilk of Smoothie King run with it and today they have over 900 units.  Smoothie Kings ‘Healthy Rewards’ loyalty program edifies the brand with customer focused relevance according to our own Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson. 

Recently Smoothie King re-introduced a fall favorite ‘Immune Builder Pumpkin Spice’ smoothie.  This quintessential fall flavor is back and with this new Immune Builder Pumpkin Spice will join the menu alongside Immune Builder Orange and Immune Builder Mixed Berry. The Immune Builder Smoothies are blended to help guests support their immune systems as fall approaches and the new school year begins and that is ‘better for you’ according to customers.  

Mitchell Grittman, Food Scientist for Smoothie King  stated “The Immune Builder smoothies are chock-full of vitamin C, giving guests a tasty way to help support their immune systems,” … “The Pumpkin Spice flavor was a perfect fit and our use of organic pumpkin sets this smoothie apart from other pumpkin flavored drinks on the market.”

Grittman continued “The Immune Builder Pumpkin Spice Smoothie is rich in iron and calcium, blended with organic pumpkin, carrots and super grains, includes Herbal Immune enhancer, and contains more than 300 percent of your daily vitamin C. Smoothie King’s better-for-you pumpkin blend has 370 calories, 14 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and only 9 grams of added sugar per 20-ounce cup. The Immune Builder Smoothies are featured in the “Wellness” blend category on the Smoothie King menu, with each flavor fulfilling your daily vitamin C per 20-ounce cup.”

Remember  that Smoothie King blends all of its smoothies with a specific purpose in mind. Whether your goal is to slim down, firm up, stay well, replace a meal, or just take a break, Smoothie King has a smoothie that can help fulfill everyone’s purpose as part of a sensible diet and regular exercise routine. Is your company looking for ways to edify your brand with the halo of ‘better for you’?

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