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New Menu Items Roll Out at these Popular Chains

Mar 05, 2024

Consumer tastes and preferences are constantly shifting, so staying relevant and attracting customers requires a dynamic approach to menu development. This involves continuously innovating and introducing new menu items. Sometimes, these new menu offerings become go-to fan favorites, while others develop into seasonal, limited-time offerings, or simply disappear forever. Let’s take a look at the latest new offerings from popular chains.

 

Chicken is In

Burger King is launching two spicy chicken menu items for spring and summer. The new offerings include the Fiery Buffalo Royal Crispy Wrap and the returning Fiery Nuggets. These items feature crispy white meat chicken coated in a spicy Buffalo glaze, complemented by a creamy Buffalo sauce, tomato, and lettuce in a tortilla wrap. The items will be available nationwide starting March 7 for approximately $2.99 each. Burger King’s Chief Marketing Officer, Pat O’Toole, expressed excitement about the new flavor addition, emphasizing its popularity and the decision to make wraps a permanent menu item. This announcement coincides with Burger King’s response to Wendy’s proposed “surge pricing,” with Burger King offering free Whopper burgers and asserting their commitment to fair pricing.

Taco Bell supports emerging culinary talent through TBX, a program spotlighting three talented chefs who will collaborate on reinventing the iconic Crunchwrap Supreme. The Cantina Chicken Menu introduces flavorful oven-roasted chicken seasoned with Mexican spices and features five new items, including the Cantina Chicken Burrito and Cantina Chicken Quesadilla. Furthermore, Taco Bell is rolling out many bold new flavors in 2024, including Cheesy Chicken Crispanadas and Crispy Chicken Nuggets. Iconic collaborations with brands like Cheez-It® and Tajín® promise to delight fans with surprising menu items packed with sweet and spicy flavors.

 

Sandwiches and More

Panera is gearing up for a significant menu innovation, introducing nine new items, including the much-anticipated bacon mac & cheese pasta. The bakery chain is also adding four sandwiches and four salads to its upcoming update. Moreover, 12 current items, such as the Bravo Club Sandwich and Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt, will receive enhanced recipes as part of “Panera’s New Era.” These modifications aim to infuse “more delicious flavors” into the menu in what Panera describes as its “biggest menu transformation” yet. The new entrees will feature guest-inspired flavors, new salad dressings, meats, cheeses, spice blends, and hearty grains. The revamped menu is set to launch on April 4, with MyPanera rewards members receiving exclusive sneak peeks ahead of the official release.

In January, Subway introduced a major menu update with the launch of Sidekicks, a collection of three new footlong snacks. These snacks, created in collaboration with Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s, offer a twist on classic treats and provide the perfect complement to Subway’s signature footlong sandwiches or as standalone snacks. The lineup includes the Cinnabon Footlong Churro, Auntie Anne’s Footlong Pretzel, and the return of the Footlong Cookie. Douglas Fry, President of Subway North America, highlighted the significance of Sidekicks in enhancing the Subway experience and teased further culinary innovation for 2024. This initiative is part of Subway’s ongoing transformation journey, which began in 2021 with ingredient pantry overhauls and continues to prioritize enhancing the guest experience. Dave Mikita, President of International and Retail Channels at Focus Brands, expressed excitement about the partnership with Subway and the opportunity to delight guests with these beloved snacks in new and craveable ways.

 

 

Sources:

Parade.com
Prnewswire.com
Usatoday.com
Subway.com
Openai.com

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2024 Flavor Forecast: Ube Takes Center Stage in Culinary Trends

Dec 21, 2023

We’re eager to discover the new tastes, ingredients, and dining trends that will influence guests’ palates in 2024! In our last post, we talked about how tahini would be used in various ways in the coming year, and in this article, we’ll dive into another trending ingredient you’ll be sure to see making its way into menus—ube.  Ube is crowned ‘2024 Flavor of the Year’ according to T. Hasegawa, a top 10 food and beverage manufacturer.

Ube, a beautifully vibrant purple yam native to Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, is renowned for its distinct color and subtly sweet flavor. While thriving in warm, tropical climates and primarily cultivated in countries like the Philippines, Hawaii, and select regions in Africa and South America, ube has transcended borders, becoming a trendy ingredient in many cuisines worldwide. Initially found in specialty or Asian markets, its popularity has surged, making it increasingly accessible in certain Western countries.

 

Traditional Uses of Ube

Ube is a versatile ingredient in Filipino cuisine, often used in desserts and sometimes in savory dishes. One of the most popular uses is in “ube halaya,” a sweet jam or pudding made from mashed ube, combined with condensed milk, butter, and sometimes coconut milk, resulting in a rich and creamy dessert. Ube is also commonly used in ice cream, giving it a distinctive purple color and a unique, slightly earthy taste. Additionally, it’s used in cakes, pastries, and bread, adding flavor and a striking purple hue to these dishes. Ube can be incorporated into savory cooking, added to dishes like ube-filled buns, or used in certain stews for added color and a subtle sweetness.

ube dessert

 

We’re Seeing Purple at These Restaurants

Cafe 86, a restaurant chain focusing on the Filipino purple yam, ube, is expanding into Northern California from its Southern California and Las Vegas roots. With its second Bay Area location in Mountain View and a third planned for Daly City, the chain showcases ube prominently in its menu. Ube-based desserts and drinks like ube crinkle cookies, ube truffles, ube butter bars, and ube-flavored beverages are featured, alongside traditional Filipino treats like Halo Halo.

San Francisco’s talk of the town is an $18 ube sourdough loaf by Rize Up, a SoMa-based bakery. The loaf’s viral Reddit post sparked discussions on the city’s high costs, even with 878 comments and nearly 5,000 upvotes. The loaf, praised for elevating ube beyond a mere novelty, flies off shelves despite its hefty price. The Standard’s review finds the bread’s crust akin to an amethyst geode, exuding traditional sourdough aroma and taste with a subtle sweetness and earthiness from the ube. Though divisive in opinion—some adore it while others find the purple hue off-putting—Rize Up’s founder, Azikiwee Anderson, attributes the idea to ube-flavored ice cream and three years of recipe experimentation. Despite its cost, around 200 loaves sell weekly, with the bakery justifying the price by emphasizing the support for their staff and culinary training.

Yes, there are even more ways to use ube! This holiday, you can push aside apple pie and opt for an Ube blondie pie from Baking With Ish, or ube cinnamon rolls from Ubenabon.

Did we get your culinary wheels spinning yet? Ube can be a great addition to your restaurant menu. The possibilities are endless!

 

 

Sources:

Latimes.com
Sfstandard.com
Paloaltoonline.com
Perishablenews.com
Openai.com

 

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Spooky Halloween LTOs

Oct 12, 2023

Spooky season is in full effect! How are restaurants celebrating? Here are a few ways big-name chains are modifying their menus to ring in the Halloween spirit.

 

Burger King is introducing a Halloween promotion called Trick or Heat, featuring glow-in-the-dark buckets with ghost and ghost pepper designs. These buckets are available for $1 at select restaurants in Nashville, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Atlanta starting on October 13. Additionally, they are offering a Trick or Heat meal bundle in celebration of Friday the 13th, which includes a Ghost Pepper Whopper, 4-piece Ghost Pepper Chicken Fries, a small fry, a small drink, and a Hershey sundae pie for $13.

 

Wendy’s is bringing back its “Boo! Book” Halloween coupon book, offering five coupons for free Jr. Frosty treats without any purchase necessary, along with an additional coupon for a $1.99 Kids Meal with any purchase, all for just $1. These coupon books can be purchased at Wendy’s locations, drive-thru windows, online, or in the app until October 31, 2023, or while supplies last. The coupons are valid until December 31, 2023. The Boo! Book also supports a charitable cause, with $0.90 of every dollar spent going to Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas’ Foundation for Adoption.

 

McDonald’s is reintroducing its “Boo Buckets” in four different Halloween-themed designs (monster, skeleton, mummy, and vampire) as part of their Happy Meals, starting on October 17. These colorful buckets come in orange, white, purple, and green, with the purple vampire bucket returning for the first time since its original release in 1986. The Boo Buckets were previously a Happy Meal staple during Halloween and made a comeback in 2022.

 

Now through October 31, Krispy Kreme is offering Scooby Doo Doughnuts. These delightfully decorated doughnuts come in the following flavors: Spooky Monster Cookies n’ Kreme™, Jinkies! Halloween Orange Sprinkle, Mystery Machine and Scooby Dooby Doo Doughnut.

 

Sources:

Restaurantbusinessonline.com
Krispykreme.com
shefinds.com
nbcchicago.com
openai.com

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Summertime LTO Drinks

Jun 22, 2023

In the dynamic and competitive restaurant industry landscape, including special Limited Time Offer (LTO) beverages on a menu holds immense importance. These carefully crafted and curated drinks bring excitement and anticipation, enticing customers to explore new flavor profiles and indulge in unique experiences.

Now that summer is here, it’s a great time to share seasonal inspiration for your beverage menu offering. Check out these non-alcoholic drink ideas that will appeal to a vast crowd of patrons. Click here for mocktail recipes.

Summer Beverage LTO Ideas

Watermelon Lemonade:

Recipe: Blend fresh watermelon chunks and strain the juice. Mix with freshly squeezed lemon juice, water, and sweeten to taste with honey or sugar.

 

Iced Tea with Fresh Fruits:

Recipe: Brew your green or black tea and let it cool. Add sliced fruits like lemon, orange, berries, or peaches for a burst of flavor. Sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.

summer tea

Strawberry Mint Lemonade:

Recipe: Blend fresh strawberries with lemon juice and water. Add a few sprigs of fresh mint and sweeten with sugar or honey.

 

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie:

Recipe: Blend fresh or frozen pineapple chunks with coconut milk or coconut water. Add a splash of lime juice and sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.

 

Cucumber Limeade:

Recipe: Blend peeled and chopped cucumbers with lime juice, water, and sweetener of your choice. Strain the mixture and serve over ice.

 

Mango Iced Tea:

Recipe: Brew a strong black tea and let it cool. Blend fresh mangoes with a bit of water to make a puree. Mix the mango puree with the cooled tea and sweeten it if desired.

 

Sparkling Berry Punch:

Recipe: In a large pitcher, combine sparkling water with a mix of fresh berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries). Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and sweeten it with honey or sugar if desired.

 

Citrus Spritzer:

Recipe: Mix equal parts of freshly squeezed orange, grapefruit, and lime juice. Add sparkling water and sweeten with a touch of agave syrup or honey.

 

Peach Iced Tea:

Recipe: Brew a strong black tea and let it cool. Blend fresh peaches with a bit of water to make a puree. Mix the peach puree with the cooled tea and sweeten it if desired.

 

Coconut Water with Lime and Mint:

Recipe: In a glass, combine coconut water with a squeeze of lime juice. Add fresh mint leaves and stir well.

 

Going Further

 

Feel free to experiment with functional herbs and spices to turn these tasty drinks into a healthy tonic. Some ideas include adding adaptogens like mushrooms and ashwagandha. Throw in a culinary twist and transport your patron’s tastebuds—play with Mexican and Asian ingredients, for example. Add coconut, tamarind, mochi, or yuzu to your LTOs.

tamarind
Tamarind

You can even cut down on some of the preparation by using canned non-alcoholic cocktails and then dressing them up as you please.

 

There are so many options for a tasty summer LTO beverage menu! We hope you are inspired to venture into the test kitchen to try some of these recipes.

 

Sources

nutritionaloutlook.com

openai.com

restaurantbusinessonline.com

 

 

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The Importance of Plating and Tips for Best Practices

May 23, 2023

Food presentation plays a vital role in the dining experience, and a restaurant cannot undervalue its importance. Beyond just satisfying hunger, diners crave a multisensory experience that engages their sight, smell, and taste. The presentation of a dish is the first impression a customer receives, and it has the power to entice and excite before the first bite. From vibrant colors and artful arrangements to carefully curated textures and enticing garnishes, thoughtful food presentation sets the stage for a memorable culinary journey. It communicates the chef’s creativity, attention to detail, and commitment to quality, elevating the dining experience to a higher level.

 

With the rise of social media platforms, sharing food photos has become a popular trend. A study by Maru/Matchbox revealed that 69% of millennials take pictures of their food before eating, emphasizing the significance of visually appealing dishes for social media sharing.

 

A restaurant can enhance its dish presentation and plating in several ways to create visually appealing and enticing meals. Here are some tips:

 

Consider the overall plating vision: Develop a cohesive plating concept that aligns with the restaurant’s style and cuisine. This can include consistent color palettes, plating techniques, or presentation styles that tie the dishes together.

 

food presentation tips

 

Attention to plate selection: Choose plates and serving dishes that complement the style and aesthetic of the cuisine. Consider the plate size, shape, and color to enhance the dish’s visual impact.

 

Use vibrant and contrasting colors: Incorporate various colors in the dish using fresh ingredients, such as colorful fruits, vegetables, herbs, or edible flowers. Create contrast between components to make them visually appealing.

 

Proper portioning and spacing: Pay attention to portion sizes and arrange the dish’s components in an organized and balanced manner. Leave enough open space on the plate to allow the food to stand out and avoid overcrowding.

 

Garnish strategically: Use edible garnishes like herbs, micro greens, or sauces to add color and texture. Garnishes should complement the flavors of the dish and enhance its overall presentation.

 

Pay attention to texture and height: Incorporate different textures in the dish, such as crunchy elements or creamy sauces, to add visual interest. Consider creating depth and dimension by layering or stacking ingredients to make the food visually dynamic.

food decor

 

Play with shapes and forms: Experiment with different shapes and forms of ingredients to add creativity and uniqueness to the dish. Use molds or cut ingredients into geometric shapes to create visual appeal.

 

Arrangement is important: Place the different components of the dish thoughtfully and strategically. Consider the ingredients’ natural flow and arrange them visually pleasingly, such as using the rule of thirds or creating asymmetrical balance.

 

Use the right tools: Select appropriate utensils or tools for each dish to enhance the overall presentation. For example, use tweezers for precise placement of delicate ingredients or a squeeze bottle for precise sauce drizzling.

 

Continuous training and refinement: Provide training to the kitchen staff on plating techniques and regularly evaluate and refine the presentation of dishes to maintain consistency and improve over time.

 

With each beautifully plated dish, a restaurant demonstrates its dedication to nourishing its patrons, stimulating their senses, and creating a lasting impression that will keep them coming back for more.

 

Sources:

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/200/basic-guide-to-food-presentation.html

Openai.com

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Building a Strong Local Community Connection

Mar 27, 2023

Restaurants play a vital role in the community by providing food and drink, bringing people together, and creating a sense of community. Building a strong local connection is essential for the success of any restaurant, and here are some tips for doing so:

 

Get involved in the community

Participating in local events and initiatives is a great way to build a strong local connection. This can include sponsoring local sports teams, participating in charity events, and hosting community events.

 

Source local ingredients

Sourcing ingredients locally supports the local economy and helps build a connection with the community. By working with local farmers and producers, restaurants can offer fresh, high-quality ingredients and build a reputation for supporting the local community.

ingredients

Showcase local art and music

Showcasing local art and music is a great way to create a unique atmosphere and build a connection with the community. This can involve displaying local art on the walls, hosting live music events, and collaborating with local artists and musicians.

 

Engage with customers on social media

Social media is a powerful tool for building a connection with the community. By engaging with customers on social media, restaurants can build a loyal following and create a sense of community. This can involve sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos, promoting local events, and responding to customer feedback and questions.

 

Partner with other local businesses

Partnering with other local businesses is a great way to connect with the community and attract new customers. This can involve cross-promotion, such as offering discounts to customers of other local businesses or collaborating on events or promotions.

 

Host cooking classes and other events

Hosting cooking classes and other events is a great way to build a connection with the community and create a unique experience for customers. This can involve hosting cooking classes, wine tastings, or other events that showcase the restaurant’s expertise and personality.

 

building local

 

Building a solid local connection is essential for the success of any restaurant. By getting involved in the community, sourcing local ingredients, showcasing local art and music, engaging with customers on social media, partnering with other local businesses, and hosting cooking classes and other events, restaurants can create a sense of community and build a loyal following, which will help you survive an economic downturn.

 

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Cell-Cultivated Meat – Coming to a Menu Soon?

Feb 25, 2023

Cell-cultivated meat, also known as cultured or lab-grown meat, is produced using cell culture techniques rather than by raising and slaughtering animals. The process involves taking a small sample of muscle tissue from an animal and isolating muscle stem cells, which are then placed in a culture medium to grow and differentiate into muscle tissue. The resulting meat can be harvested and processed into various meat products, such as burgers, sausages, and steaks.

 

Cell-cultivated meat has the potential to be a more sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional animal farming, as it requires fewer resources and eliminates the need for animal slaughter. It also has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of meat production, as it generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions and uses less water and land.

 

Although cell-cultivated meat is still in the early stages of development, several companies are working to bring it to market in the near future. However, regulatory and public acceptance challenges must be addressed before cell-cultivated meat becomes widely available.

 

The technology behind cell-cultivated meat is still relatively new and expensive, but there is growing interest and investment in the field. Some companies have already produced small quantities of cell-cultivated meat and are working on scaling up production to make it more widely available.

 

We may start seeing cell-cultivated meat in restaurants as more companies invest in and develop this technology. However, cell-cultivated meat may take some time to become widely available and affordable. The technology is still in its early stages, and the production process is expensive.

 

Several companies are currently working to scale up production and reduce costs, which could make cell-cultivated meat more accessible to restaurants and consumers in the coming years.

 

Additionally, some countries have already begun to explore regulatory frameworks for cell-cultivated meat, which could help pave the way for its commercialization.

 

The acceptance and adoption of cell-cultivated meat by restaurants and consumers will likely depend on various factors, including the final product’s taste, texture, price, and broader social and cultural attitudes toward meat consumption and food technology.

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New Food Equipment Technology

Feb 14, 2023

The days of long-winded menus, paper straws, and sneeze-shielded buffet tables are numbered. Make room for cooking robots, rotating pizza ovens, and salad dispensaries; these are just a few examples of food equipment technologies coming our way. With innovations that make dining more efficient, safer and fun, going out to eat might make a huge comeback.

 

Food equipment technology is on the rise again as more and more people venture out to dine after the lockdown in 2020, says Nation’s Restaurant News. There was no better place to see the showcase than at the 2023 North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) show in Orlando. After a five-year hiatus, the show featured equipment created to make both restaurant workers and patrons happy.

 

One of the most popular items at the showcase combined high tech with delicious food: a robotic pizza-making arm. The Middleby Robotics PizzaBot 5000 designed to offset the staff shortages still affecting the food industry, said Nation’s Restaurant News. With a four-part system, the PizzaBot can add sauce, cheese, and toppings to a pizza, has smart racks that detect temperature, and includes a conveyor oven. According to the article, it also functions as a nifty co-bot next to its human counterparts.

 

Another exciting addition to the food tech world brings up a solid question we’ve all been asking: Are buffets coming back? It’s quite possible with Vollrath’s new self-serve salad dispenser, says QSR. The touchless system looks like a tower of salad ingredients, each in its refrigerated case. At the bottom of each tower is a smart sensor that can detect if a bowl or plate is underneath, says the article, and each dispenser can be programmed to provide the desired amount of food to each customer.

 

Sustainability is on the rise, especially this year with on-premises gardens and hyper-local trends in high use, says Restaurant Technology News, which is why the Styrogenie is so amazing. This incredible machine liquifies styrofoam and turns it into an infinite amount of recyclable products, says Nation’s Restaurant News. Currently used for school lunches, countless fast-food restaurants can utilize it in numerous ways. According to the article, each tray or styrofoam item is turned into a small rectangle and picked up, distilled, and reused as another polystyrene product. This process helps create more products and keeps more garbage out of our landfills.

 

How could any food industry showcase be complete without representing the nation’s most beloved drink? Coffee. Hardtank nitro cold brew machines make cold brew coffee or tea in an hour, says Nation’s Restaurant News. This technology is incredible because it usually takes 12 to 24 hours to brew. The machine, which resembles a beer tap, recirculates water constantly, allowing extraction at any time. Having cold brew coffee anytime our heart desires is something to look forward to. Apparently, the world runs on it.

 

Going out for a meal has always been fun, but with these technologies added into the mix, it makes it an experience. Here’s to a year full of innovative, efficient, and fantastic dining.

 

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Egg Prices Soar Again: The Latest

Jan 16, 2023

Eggs are an everyday staple in most fridges across America. They’re the perfect protein, the food you grab before a storm, and the inexpensive go-to. Easy, tasty, and cheap, eggs have it all, but recently, they haven’t had the same price range consumers and restaurants are hoping for. Not so inexpensive right now, eggs are soaring to almost $7.50 a dozen in certain states, says the Washington Post, and experts aren’t sure when it will come down.

 

Prices have been stubbornly rising since the avian flu outbreak in 2015, and have continued to rise because of supply chain problems due to COVID, says the article. America has lost over 10 million egg-laying hens because of the latest flu outbreak. In total, the flu has “wiped out more than 44 million egg-laying hens…roughly 4 or 5 percent of production,” says the Agriculture Department. The detrimental loss of the chicken flock has put pressure on both restaurants and consumers.

egg costs

How Are Restaurants Responding to the Increase in Egg Prices?

 

Restaurants across America are still trying to regain their footing after COVID and inflation, and egg prices certainly aren’t helping. Although the price difference is concerning, restaurant owners are forced to get creative, says the Washington Post. There are no avoiding eggs on the menu, but the menu can pivot, like “doubling down” on less expensive options for eggs like pancakes. Some restaurants have had to forward the cost to customers, says WFSB, reworking the menu prices because of the increased costs of keeping pace with their production costs. According to CNN, some restaurants have decided to eat the cost themselves instead of passing it on to the customer, A mom-and-pop lunch spot in Rhode Island, which relies heavily on eggs for its menu, wants to hold the line and keep the customer happy, even if it means harder times for the restaurant, in the hopes that prices will go down soon.

breakfast

 

Another option for restaurants is switching out eggs for a similar product, said a restaurant owner to USN News. With two restaurants and two bakeries in Arkansas, eggs are a must-have, but switching to a frozen and cheaper alternative egg product has helped with some of the products. For fresh meals, however, eggs are still unavoidable.

 

Although it seems “hang tight” might be the phrase for 2023 egg prices, the silver lining here is that farmers have learned from their practices in the past regarding flu outbreaks in their egg-laying communities, says the Washington Post. The 2015 outbreak caught farmers off guard, but they were more prepared (even though it was worse) for the 2022 outbreak with practices that keep their chicken flocks safer and less contaminated. Recovery is becoming quicker and quicker, said the article.

 

High egg prices will remain for a little longer (estimated 4 to 6 months), says The Dallas Morning News; however, they could decrease later in the year should there be no more intense outbreaks and farmers can replenish their flocks. According to the article, eggs are still a relatively inexpensive meal, and we shouldn’t give up hope that our staple is fading away.

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How Restaurants Are Changing their Value Meals

Aug 30, 2022

A quick, cheap meal before the pandemic might run you slightly over $5, depending on where you went. Nuggets, burgers, tacos, and pizza are fast food staples and are still considered a quick and easy meal. However, after many waves of COVID, political turmoil, and rising inflation, it may no longer be an inexpensive option. In a post-lockdown world, restaurants are still providing value meals; they’re just redefining what value means.

In the dining-out realm, fast food reigns supreme as the biggest bang for your buck. However, there have been a few bumps in the past few years. The cost of ingredients has skyrocketed, and staff shortages have plagued the restaurant industry, leaving owners to think outside the box with their menus and strategies. Making sure the bottom line is still profitable, many restaurants have tweaked their menu, said CNBC, making meals just a pinch smaller. Burger King has changed their 10-piece chicken nugget value meal to 8, and removed the Whopper from the value menu altogether, said the article. McDonald’s has also dropped its Dollar Menu, and Subway has discontinued its $5 Footlong deal.

Menu Prices are Increasing

Not only are the portions getting smaller, but the price tags are also getting bigger. Little Caesar’s raised the price of its Hot-N-Ready Pizza by 55 cents, reported Forbes, and the future of the value menu seems to be through utilizing apps. According to CNN, Dominos raised the price of its Mix and Match delivery deal by a dollar this year and made certain take-out deals only available through their mobile app. Popeyes jumped aboard this solution also with their Big Box Deal, which is $5 through their app, and $6 in-store, said Chewboom.

Burger King is also on the road to purely digital. In an article by Business Insider, Burger King eliminated all paper coupons, changed at least a dozen items on their menu, and raised prices on nuggets, fries, and burgers. The company decided on marketing and offering deals through digital advertising to entice a younger generation of customers, said Restaurant Business.

Taco Bell is another chain focusing on digital-only deals. A strategy they are using, said Insider, is a limited-time only deal, higher-priced and online only. In November 2021, Taco Bell brought back the Grilled Cheese Burrito for the first time in a year to boost profits and also offered wings for just one week, for $5.99. These menu shifts are meant to excite customers with more expensive items while quietly taking the more inexpensive ones off the menu.

Menu changes, price changes, and redefining the dining-out experience is the driving force behind fast food, but value is still…well, valuable at Denny’s. They’ve decided to continue offering value deals at their restaurants, even when it means a lower profit margin, said Restaurant Business. They offer an endless breakfast deal for $6.99, including unlimited pancakes, eggs, and hashbrowns. “We don’t view that a value strategy is a negative to margins,” Robert Verostek, CFO of Denny’s, said in the article. “In fact, we believe that it will drive margins higher.”

 

inflation and restaurants

 

Inflation has altered so many things in our world, and restaurants are no exception. While dining out is making a comeback as a favorite American pastime, we may need to tweak our expectations on what value now means.