To start off 2023, I think I’ll hand a golden lettuce leaf to Chipotle. It’s gone way beyond the typical BFY New Year’s menu LTO.
But first, let me say that when Brian Niccol took the Chipotle CEO reins from Steve Ells nearly five years ago, I didn’t think he had to do much to improve the menu or the marketing.
Back in the not-so-distant past, Chipotle and Panera Bread pioneered the fast casual foodservice segment. Everyone wanted to “be them” for the buzz they created for assembling fresh food in front of guests who could customize their dish on the spot. It was probably that feat alone that kept Chipotle as popular as it was for so long. The novelty wore off—or diffused as more operators went to that model.
Then the chain became stale, introducing a new item about once a year at best, and it was inconsequential. For marketing, its message only swirled around sustainability issues. In that regard, it pioneered wokeness before that was even a term. But I don’t think you can call wokeness a restaurant marketing virtue. I actually found it to be sanctimonious.
Fast forward to this month as Chipotle’s New Year’s fireworks burst of a combination of innovation, health-focus and technology. Look at the headline on the chain’s New Year’s press release: “Chipotle inspires fans to maintain New Year’s resolutions with new augmented reality experience on Snapchat and Lifestyle Bowls.”
The new menu items (there are 7) demonstrate smart marketing by virtue of the names of the bowls. Actually, the chain has had lifestyle bowls for awhile. Previously it attached role models to the bowl names. Now the chain incorporates BFY buzzwords that GenZ and Millennials would appreciate. They don’t hide this generational grab. The first bullet point in the press release says Chipotle kicks off 2023 with new Lifestyle Bowl menu inspired by GenZ and Millennial wellness trends. Get a load of these names:
- Balanced Macros Bowl
- Veggie Full Bowl
- Wholesome Bowl
- Grain Freedom Bowl
- High Protein Bowl
- Plant-Powered Bowl
- Go Half Veggie Bowl
Naming dishes according to consumer values goes a long way marketing wise. Of course, the dish must be craveable. But I like what I’m seeing on menus that moves away from naming dishes according to the diet of the day (Keto, Whole30, etc.)
Moving past Chipotle, here are some other recent dish names worth a nod:
- Skinny Biscuit from Biscuitville Fresh Southern. It’s around 180 calories because about 1/3 of the middle is removed, making it thinner.
- Longevity Bowl from Tender Greens. It features slow-cooked black lentils with fennel, dried pears, roasted purple and yellow cauliflower, baby kale salad, and choice of roasted maitake mushrooms or grilled trout.
- Detox Bowl from Vitality Bowls. It is made up of a blend of açai, strawberries, banana, kale, spirulina, flax seed, and almond milk topped with banana, blueberries, almonds, goji berries, and honey
- Praeger’s Veggie Bowl at Flat Top Grill. It touts Dr. Praeger’s plant-based “chick’n,” garlic, water chestnuts, red and green bell peppers, baby corn, signature Flat Top Grill spice blend, and barbecue sauce over steamed white rice.
Mindful menu development benefits from mindful dish names. It makes promotional elements much easier, paving the way to a turnkey marketing campaign. It’s the stuff that the food media loves.
Jody
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