How do you increase restaurant sales to the rapidly growing and influential Hispanic consumer segment? A recent study conducted by research firm Technomic provides some valuable insights to this question.

It turns out that authenticity (in cooking and preparing Hispanic food) and a family-friendly environment are the key components for capturing this target market.

Important findings from the study of 1,000 acculturated Hispanic consumers and a telephone survey of 100 unacculturated Hispanic consumers are highlighted below:

•Patronage: More 35 percent stated that they like to visit familiar restaurants and often visit the same few establishments when going out to eat.

•Grocery and Convenience Stores: Three in four acculturated Hispanic consumers reported purchasing prepared foods at grocery stores once a month or more often while almost one third say that they do so at least once a week. At convenience stores, more than two out of five Hispanic consumers purchase foodservice options on a monthly basis.

•Health Factor: About two-thirds of report that having healthy menu options is important at both limited- and full-service restaurants. With acculturate Hispanics, state they tend to order healthy items when they visit restaurants, as opposed to just 23 percent of the general population.

For the detailed report, please visit Technomic.

A lot of folks may be talking about the Pittsburgh restaurant that recently banned children under the age of six, but most operators wouldn’t even dream of dissing families with kids, particularly in this economy and with demographics being what they are. In fact, according to the latest Census data, there were an estimated 62 million children under the age of 15 in the United States as of 2009, the result of Gen Y “echo boomers” that are now grown up and having children of their own.

And that means doubling down on a kids’ menu—among other things.

A number of chains have stepped up to that plate. As part of Fazoli’s kid-friendly stance, the Italian chain designated the first week of July as Kids Week, allowing up to two kids’ meals to be purchased for 99 cents each with every adult entree purchased. Cool de Sac, where kids and their parents can “eat well and play smart” at two locations in Florida, touts a menu for children under 12 that offers not only the usual mac-and-cheese and chicken nuggets, but also quesadillas and a mini portion of the signature Churrasco steak. And Olive Garden recently rolled out a more healthful kids’ menu , which replaces french fries and milkshakes with fresh grapes and fruit smoothies.

At many independent and special-occasion restaurants, meanwhile, operators are reporting that younger customers just order off the regular menu.

Here are some tips for putting together a selection of offerings for your junior patrons:

Menu a few options that are healthier in addition to the ever-popular hot dogs and fries—from a turkey alternative to celery and carrot sticks with low-fat yogurt dip. The National Restaurant Association’s “Kids LiveWell” program has lots of other examples and ideas, as well as resources

• Offer half-portions of popular or kid-appropriate items, such as pasta, instead or in lieu of a standard children’s menu

• Items such as sliders, small plates (i.e., fruit and cheese, devilled eggs) or individual pizzas are a natural to repurpose for a kids’ selection

• Make foods fun, with concepts such as fruit-and-yogurt parfaits, decorate-your-own cookies, or vegetable sushi, which is surprisingly popular with older kids

• Add a learning component: Families dining at Primo in Orlando can visit chef Melissa Kelly’s onsite organic vegetable garden and even help pick vegetables that might end up in their dinner

• Practice “stealth health” by sneaking more whole grains and produce into foods, such as barley instead of noodles in chicken soup, or cauliflower or broccoli mixed in with macaroni and cheese

• Remember that food allergies and intolerances (wheat, dairy, nuts, etc.) are an issue with an increasing number of children—as many as 8% of the population, according to one recent study—so plan menus accordingly

Remember, too, that server training is key when dealing with children—especially younger ones—and their families, in order to improve everyone’s experience.

Want more information about menu development of training? Contact Synergy for a free consultation.

By Joan Lang

As part of my food writer existence I track new restaurant openings obsessively, and lately I’ve been noticing more steakhouses. It’s a sign both of hopefulness in the economy and of Americans’ newly reminted interest in meat, especially pork, beef and other proteins that have been responsibly raised, artisanally butchered and marketed with an eye to what used to be considered the lesser cuts (think short rib and flatiron steak).

The menus at these new spots are next generation, too. In San Francisco, Michael Mina converted his eponymous haute cuisine restaurant in the Westin St. Francis to Bourbon Steak, with a menu that touts not only prime CAB and Wagyu cuts but also such classics as “38 North” Chicken n’ Waffles, lobster pie, and Black Truffle Mac & Cheese. Douglas Keane, who made his name at Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA, has cast his newest restaurant as Shimo Modern Steak , marrying a do-it-yourself noodle bar and other Japanese-style comfort foods to some serious wet-and-dry aged steaks (in Japan shimo refers to “well-marbled”).

Here’s some more evidence from the land of the reborn steak:

• Cibo Matto, an Italian restaurant in Chicago, has added an enhanced meat section to its menu, featuring naturally raised beef, pork, lamb and veal with Italian preps and such a la carte sauces as Barolo demi and horseradish Gorgonzola cream

• Also in Chicago—no surprise, given the city’s Stockyards heritage—the planned opening of a III Forks will bring a 400-plus-seat dining room and a classic formula of big steaks, shareable a la carte sides, and starters like tomato and onion salad to the Windy City

• Abe & Arthur’s small steak menu section includes a number of classic-making add-ons, from sauces like Bearnaise and au poivre to toppings that can turn a steak into a Rossini or Oscar. This new Manhattan spot also has a raw bar and a full selection of appetizers, salads, and entrees, as well as 11 unique, sized-for-sharing sides

• The new Lounge at Gotham Steak in Miami’s Fontainebleau Miami Beach features a casual environment and an accessible menu of meaty small plates and sandwiches as well as some of the same chops and steaks served at Gotham Steak proper

• The E&E Grill house in New York City defines itself as a “modern, more approachable take on the traditional steakhouse featuring novel and contemporary grilled foods” (translation: hanger and tri-tip steaks as well as filet and sirloin, along with chicken, salmon, ravioli and other non-steak options)

• Gibsons Restaurant Group’s latest Hugo’s Frog Bar, located in a new casino in Des Plaines, IL, takes the usual 50-50 meat-to-seafood ratio of the original FB and adds in more of the Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse menu to create a meat-heavy hybrid that still features the same signature crab cakes and frogs’ legs the place is known for

Many times you’ve devoured your favorite house specialty burger at the local hot spot wondering to yourself, “How do they make this so good? And how can I make this at home?” You curiously ask the server what’s in the tasty patty and they kindly reply, “Sorry, it’s a secret ingredient!”

Darn.

Typically these favorite menu items are a highly regarded secret. Perhaps there’s a special blend of herbs and seasonings, selected high grade beef, or a just some good-ol’ fashioned home-cooking love. But how exactly does liquid nitrogen sound as a prime ingredient for mouth-watering burgers?

Dr. Myhrvold, chief technology officer for Microsoft and the author, with a team of collaborators, of “Modernist Cuisine,” is the foremost expert on using science and technology to enhance cooking.

Let’s look at a couple of common problems with cooking burgers and how modern science can create a solution.

When you cook a burger and press it down with a spatula, lifting the burger off the grill becomes quite difficult as this action makes steam escape. Further, when a patty is cooked directly on a griddle, it’s nearly impossible with just a spatula to create contact on the entire surface due to the nooks and crannies of the burger.

Dr. Myhrvold’s solution? It’s twofold (source: NYTimes)

“‘First, put the beef patty in a plastic bag and cook it sous vide — immersed in warm water for about half an hour until the core temperature reaches about 130 degrees. Next, dip the patty in liquid nitrogen for 30 seconds to freeze the outer millimeter of the meat, and then deep-fry in 450-degree oil for one minute.’

‘The freezing followed by the burst of high heat lets you brown the outside without overcooking the inside,” Dr. Myhrvold said. And the deep-frying is supposed to be a technological improvement over the classic White Castle spatula-on-a-griddle technique.’ “

Although the combination of science and food is a beautiful marriage for better tasting food, it certainly is not the only way. Call Synergy and we we’ll show you how to achieve amazing results without all the hassle (and a laboratory). Contact us for a complimentary initial consultation regarding your restaurant menu.

When you think of devouring your burger, you’re likely picturing sinking your teeth into a juicy all-beef patty with all the fixings. You probably have scoffed at the thought of vegetarian or tofu burgers. However, the stereotype of bland, cardboard tasting fake meat burgers is being dissolved away.

In fact, many chains are giving veggie burgers a chance on their menus, creating not only healthy alternatives but tasty too, for both omnivores and carnivores alike.

Burger behemoth Red Robin has a veggie burger — so does Johnny Rockets and even fast-food giant, Burger King. What’s fueling so many restaurants to hop on the veggie bandwagon?

It’s a way to cater to the growing consumer segment called “flexetarians” — a term to describe those who are not 100% vegetarian, but looking for meatless options whenever they can.

Some operators like Burger King and Red Robin use premade vegetable patties but some have their own special in-house recipes. The Wynn Resorts, for instance, plan to introduce a veggie burger made of soy, quinoa, wheat protein and pea blends.

Additionally, LYFE Kitchen, the new up-and-coming socially conscious healthy fast-food chain in which Synergy was hand-picked by Mike Roberts (former president of McDonald’s) and the team to help bring the concept to life, aims take beloved menu items like burgers and transform them into truly healthy meals as well. While collaborating with the LYFE Kitchen team and chefs, we developed a spectacular menu that also includes vegetarian and vegan options.

Keep your eye out on more beef-less burgers as the demand for vegetarian options is growing

Organics, all-natural, low-carb –these are all hot buzz-words you hear all the time when in reference to healthy-eating. Catering menus to consumers changing needs is an important task for restaurant owners but surprsingly, according to a recent study by The NDP Group, Americans are actually not willing to pay more for healthy menu items. The information below from the study may help restaurant operators balance the menu prices and healthy options.

Key findings in the “Consumers Define Healthy Eating Whey they Go out to Eat” study:

– About 70 percent of consumers over 50 years old, those who tend to show more interest in healthy diets, said no when they were asked if they’re willing to pay more for healthy menu items whereas 25 percent said they would be willing to spend more.

– Consumers ages 25 to 49 stated they expect to pay the same for healthier menu items than standard items whereas 9 percent said they would be willing to pay “a lot more” for healthy options.

– Of all age groups, 18 to 24 year olds were most inclined to pay more where 15 percent were okay with paying a premium and 44 percent saying they would not want to pay more for healthful items.

How you modify your menu and prices will be dependent on many additional factors like the type of restaurant operation, (ie quick-service or full-service) type of cuisine offered and geography to name a few. For further assistance, please contact Synergy.

Like fashion, food trends come and go, but the overall consumer appetite for appetizers seems to be staying put. In fact, 77% of patrons are ordering starters in fine-dining restaurants—even if it is in lieu of a more traditional main course.

We’ve briefly covered the bar food trend , in our February newsletter, it seems like a great time to delve into an exploration of some of the other au courant apps on menus today. Culled from a very quick perusal of full-service restaurant menus, these ideas demonstrate what’s selling best around the country—note that many of them are also cost-effective, easy to execute and/or vegetarian friendly.

 

• Spiced nuts, olives and other bar snacks: easy, tasty and good for a few bucks in extra sales. Here’s a recipe for Union Square Café’s addictively sweet-spicy “hot nuts” to get you started

• Dips and dunks. Served with crackers, crudité, bread/pita or other scoops, dips ranging from guacamole and pimento cheese to ethnic specialties like hummus and taramosalata (Greek caviar spread)
• Bruschetta, crostini and flatbreads. Can you say low food costs and great product utilization?
• Mussels. The version with almond-garlic butter served at Fore Street restaurant in Portland, Maine, is still one of the most popular items on the menu, but versions range from traditional white wine and garlic to Thai curry and more.  Tony Maw, of Craigie on Main near Boston, prefers his with Buttery Miso Broth

• Charcuterie and salumi. For kitchens with the skill, this almost-lost butcher’s art has been found again, there’s no shortage of sources for high-quality prepared versions of items like pate and artisanal hams.
• Specialty fries. Frites with dips, poutine (the French-Canadian specialty that started with gravy and cheese curds but went on to sport toppings ranging from duck confit to goat cheese), sweet potato and other fried vegetables, and housemade tater “tots” all make worthy appetizers.

• Ceviches and seafood cocktails. Upscale, elegant, and a bit easier to pull off than raw bar items.
• Satays and skewers. Fun, dramatic and back from the ‘70s kabob craze, skewered foods can run the gamut from grilled meats to items like cherry tomatoes and bonconcini (small mozzarella balls) speared and served with pesto. Friday’s has just introduced two new skewered appetizers: a Mediterranean and a Japanese Hibachi.

Contact Synergy Consultants for more ways to translate current food trends into more profitable specialties for your menu.

By Joan Lang

Pundits say that the two most recession-proof businesses are booze and funerals, and the latest data does seem to bear out the former. Consider getting your fair share by taking advantage of some of the beverage trends that have been booming away in the past 18-24 months.

 

Handcrafted cocktails, craft beer and interesting wines by the glass are at the heart of the premium-imbibing movement that was sweeping the foodservice scene before the Great Recession descended, and they continue more-or-less unabated even as the economy returns to iffy-ness today. The runaway success of the TV show “Mad Men,” with its high-profile drinking, has helped to revive the whole cocktail party culture vibe.

 

Small wonder. These tony quaffs are extremely profitable, and have turned the bartender into a rock star—not to mention a key position in any operation that has a liquor license. They’ve also energized the concept of bar menus, small plates, ‘60s-style snacks like deviled eggs, and anything small and salty and/or fried that can encourage patrons to order another round.

 

Here, in no particular order, are some of the newest wrinkles on the liquid side:
Orange and Black are the New Black. As in orange wine and black IPAs. Orange wine is produced from white grapes that macerate and even ferment on the grape skins, adding a coppery tinge and tannic body, as well as creating a uniquely marriageable wine with the characteristics of both white and red. This centuries-old winemaking technique is being revived by winemakers in Italy and the U.S. As for the burgeoning black IPA category, the fusion of two popular styles–India Pale Ales and porters and stouts–has created an intriguing beverage that appeals to both beer geeks and craft aficionados.

 

Signatures of the House. If your bar staff hasn’t created a selection of one-of-a-kind cocktails specifically for your venue, get a new one. Bespoke drinks that echo the menu concept (a chili-infused rum drink for Caribbean-themed food, for instance) will help set your business apart.

 

Make a Session of It. The proliferation of high-alcohol and other extreme beer has created a need for interesting “session” beers, brews that can be drunk in multiples over the course of a single session or meal occasion.

 

Bid Adieu to Wine Bottles. Large format wine containers like kegs, boxes, and even the unfortunately named bladders are being marketed by an increasingly serious group of producers and importers, making wine service more affordable, convenient and versatile. While wine on tap is the biggest trend, the whole field is evolving rapidly. This is in addition, of course, to the growing variety of wine serviceware, from tasting-size glasses to classy quartinos and classy carafes.

 

Yes, Virginal. Not everyone drinks—not all the time, anyway. Whether for reasons of health, sobriety, age, personal or cultural beliefs or just being the designated driver for the night, there are teetotalers who might appreciate a good “virgin” option that doesn’t call attention to the fact that they’re not imbibing. Artisanal sodas, distinctive tea-based beverages, and other complex nonalcoholic signatures meant to be enjoyed with or before food are a welcome gesture toward nondrinkers.

 

The Bloody is Back. In all the rush to make cocktails like Aviations, Manhattans and Fizzes, the classic Bloody Mary got a little lost in the shuffle, but now it’s coming back with such iterations as do-it-yourself bars and even special menu sections featuring the ever-beloved brunch drink in multiple versions.

 

Bartenders in the Walk-In! Chefs take their inspiration every day from what’s fresh and best in the larder and now so too do bartenders. Fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs are all fair game for cocktail creativity, inspiring flavors, juicy, infusions and garnishes. Raiding the walk-in also allows for seasonal cocktails, such as spring rhubarb and fall quince. Cucumber mint cocktail with rosemary syrup anyone

 

Beer Taps on Rotation. These days it’s not good enough to offer just a few different draft beers for customers to choose between. With so many kinds of beer available by the keg, it’s much more common to see a dozen or more tap beers at the very least. Very one new gastropub/tavern concepts, such as James Wood Foundry in New York City, offers 14 taps from the U.S., U.K.,  and Belgium, in additional to bottles

 

Small-Batch American Spirits. Small artisanal distilleries are opening all over the country, from Cold Rover vodka in Freeport, ME, to Old Potrero Strait Rye Whiskey in San Francisco. Used to make cocktails as well as for sipping, these artisan made spirits join other handmade local products, like honey, cheese, cured meats, and condiments.

 

Must-Haves: Benedictine, elderflower liqueur, absinthe, Prosecco and Luxardo. Whether centuries old, born-again or new, certain specialty alcoholic beverages have become de rigueur on trendy bars. By the time you read this, these five products may have passed into last week’s news, but right now, the 19^th century herbal liqueur made by the Benedictine monks and the refreshing Italian sparkling wine known as Prosecco are on everyone’s cocktail list du jour.

 

The Ice Age. One ice cube does not fits all, when spherical shapes melt slowly to keep from diluting single-malt Scotch on the rocks or spears chill shaken mixtures like a Tom Collins. Some cubes even have items like rosemary leaves frozen into them for flavor.

 

Low, Lower and Lowest. It’s not all about high-proof spirits. Unfortified beverages like wine, sparkling wine and beer have become mixers in signature drinks such as the French 75 (gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar) and the chelada  (Mexican beer with tomato juice or Clamato, lime juice, and assorted sauces, spices, and peppers). There are also aperitif-, digestive-, and fortified-beverage based specialties such as the sherry flip, Pimm’s Cup, and the Americano (a blend of Campari, dry vermouth and club soda) to provide a lighter buzz.

 

During recent eating expeditions I’ve noticed the ingredient yuzu has been showing up on more menus than Sarah Palin on a bus tour.

So what exactly is a yuzu? What the lime is to Mexico the yuzu is to Japan: an East Asian versatile citrus whose bumpy rind (similar to a small grapefruit) and juice is used in variety of dishes. Yuzu flavor? Think of it as a cross between a mandarin orange and a lime. The juice makes for a floral vinaigrette; it is also used in Ponzu and as an additive to sauces. Aside from sauces, yuzu has been used for marmalades, syrups for tea and even ingredients in alcoholic beverages.

With citrus flavors being so popular today I am betting that yuzu will be one of those ingredients that slowly make it’s way into casual dining.

So what’s the best part of a restaurant menu? Going along with what Mom used to recite, “you have to eat all your vegetables before you get dessert” —  dessert truly is the crowd-pleaser and can be a profit-center if you stay attuned to customer tastes and changing trends.

We all scream for ice cream

A recent Mintel consumer survey (Mintel’s Menu Insights) found most respondents stated ice cream/frozen yogurt as their preferred dessert and baked goods like cake, pie, and cookies came next as “sometimes” preferred.  As ice cream leads as the top choices for consumers, restaurants have responded to its popularity by being the top-offered desserts on restaurant menus. Ice cream, chocolate cake, pie, cheesecake and sundae rank behind ice cream.

Some innovations in ice cream have been twists on flavors like the addition/infusion of herbs (think lavender) and spices. Additionally, shakes offer a new opportunity for restaurants to profit.  Take Hardee’s, who had recently offered Strawberry Banana Smoothie Shake (possibly catering towards breakfast) and also hand-scooped ice-cream malts and shakes (similar shakes also served at Jack in the Box and Sonic).

Small Bites

Bite-sized desserts are gaining popularity as a spin-off of the small plate craze. Mini bites allow people to indulge but feel less-guilty. Cupcakes? Although naturally small, cupcake balls (bite-sized cake balls sometimes served on lollipop sticks) are the newest craze.

Mimi’s Cafe actually offers “Petite Treats,” one trio of mini-desserts includes bread pudding, fresh apple cinnamon crisp, and triple chocolate brownie.

Cake – the classic dessert

Cake still proves as a classic favorite for desserts. Putting a new spin cakes (much like the small cake-balls) is what many restaurants are doing now to attract guests’ taste buds. For example Friendly’s has introduced molten-lava-like cakes, filled with hot fudge and served with ice cream. Cookies and brownies are also increasingly appearing on restaurants’ menus tapping into guests love for warm, baked, chocolaty goodness.