Menu Trends From NRA

No doubt, Nancy Kruse was right on when she couched her foodservice trends and solutions workshop at NRA in May around operators’ two biggest concerns—the economy and sales volume. (Consumer surveys show that dining out less often is one way people are dealing with their personal-finance issues.)

Nancy focused on ways to bring customers back to the restaurant—through creative, craveable dishes; kitchen/culinary expertise; and making items consumers can’t or won’t make at home. Practically, she offered four ways to accomplish this: 1. Updated comfort foods 2. Hot preparation techniques 3. Flavorful/healthful approaches 4. Small plates with big value. 

A fireworks display of reasons and examples followed. Let me shoot some of her fireworks here – that I completely agree with and that I also see and believe will be ongoing through 2010 and beyond.

1. Updated comfort foods, as in meatballs, melted sandwiches and oatmeal. Subway offers its Meatball Marinara Sub. Chicago’s Gilt Bar boasts its “oven-roasted, hand-cut meatballs.” And there’s The Meatball Shop in New York City. For melted sandwiches, they already were popular, but imagine including mac & cheese in a sandwich, as in the Philly Mac & Cheesesteak sandwich offered by Great Steak & Potato Co., or the Cheesy Mac & Rib Melt from Grilled Cheese Truck in Los Angeles. While McDonald’s, Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Caribou Coffee have added oatmeal, here’s an update: Oatmeal Brulee from Catal’s in Anaheim, Calif. 

2. Hot preparation techniques as in grilling, braising and smoking. When Pizza Hut offers Grilled Pizza (and they do), you know something’s up. Legal Seafood even offers grilled fruit with its spice-crusted salmon. On to smoking. It sounds … expensive at Chili’s with its Pecan-smoked Ribs and the Smoked Gouda Cheeseburger at Back Yard Burgers. How about Smoked Ice Cream at McGrady’s in Charleston, S.C.?

3. Flavor and Health is something that has to be combined, because health without flavor won’t last. This combo also ties in well with trends toward ethnic cuisines and the local/seasonal movement. Let’s hear it for these examples: California Pizza Kitchen’s Moroccan Salad; McAlister’s Deli’s Chipotle-Peach Dressing; Watermelon “steak” from 51 Lincolns in Newton, Mass.; and Crab, Shrimp, Mango and Avocado Stack with spicy honey-red pepper drizzle from Bahama Breeze. 

4. Small plates with big value is a true winner. Emphasize value. It’s been most obvious in foodservice with the rise of sliders and the buzz around Cheesecake Factory’s now-famous small-plates menu. California Pizza Kitchen has its Small Cravings Line. Now consider Ruby Tuesday’s Mini Benedicts and Dairy Queen’s Mini Blizzard. McDonald’s is even testing Mini Meals. 

Each of these themes will be around for awhile, and if I was opening a new restaurant or adjusting my menu, I’d start here.     Jody Shee

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