Crunch time isn’t just for deadlines—it’s the crispy culinary equivalent of a headline. Elsewise we wouldn’t still be witnessing crispy chicken sandwich rivalries. Operators have a dish-development thought process to reckon with. Does the crackling of crispy lead the charge, or do the on-hand ingredients, equipment and preparations call the LTO shots? If you choose to dive into crunch, what are the secrets behind crafting these dishes that aren’t just eaten, but heard—loud and clear.
First, assume that texture is as important as flavor. So, if you have a “cushiony” signature or comfort dish that you dare not take off the menu, then consider tweaking the dish to crispy. Take mac and cheese. Some have formed it into a patty or ball that withstands a panko coating for frying purposes to get that coveted texture. Tampa-Florida based Glory Days Grill has done that with its Mac ‘N Cheese Bites on the hand-held section of the menu. But also consider a way to get crispy in the menu title by combining ingredients, like Crispy Chicken Mac & Cheese.
Ubiquitous burgers get a crunchy upgrade by merely opening a bag of chips. Bobby Flay, who expertly aims to please, has registered the name Crunchburger made iconic with mere potato chips on top. He also has the Bacon Crunchburger at Bobby’s Burger Palace. Meanwhile, Farmer Boys turned to crispy onion straws to top its BBQ Crunch Cheeseburger Box LTO this summer. Perkins recently permanently added a Bacon Avocado Crunch Double Burger to the menu that tops a patty with bacon and potato tots.
Sometimes, you don’t need to change a dish at all to boost its crispy value. How about Red Lobster’s Wild-Caught Crunch-Fried Flounder Sandwich, also served fish and chips style? Then there’s Reno, Nevada, Pizza Guys’ Crunchy Club Pizza. The only crunchy thing going for this pizza is the thin crust. There’s an epiphany. Any thin-crust pizza could carry the crunchy descriptor.
Here’s a novel idea. Crazy Bowls & Wraps tested what it called Breakfast Crunch. Now imagine this: scrambled eggs, choice of protein, choice of salsa, a flour tortilla, cheddar cheese, bean puree and then a tostada shell. I saw a Facebook photo of this, and it wasn’t apparent to me how they incorporated the tostada shell. I imagined it would be used on bottom, making the finished product a flat affair. But it wasn’t. They may have broken the shell in two and placed both halves in the middle to get a double crunch effect. Have yourself a look here and see what you think.
But on the topic of breakfast, I’d like to give a shout out to The Original Pancake House for the Crispy-Crunchy French Toast on the menu since 2010. The Portland, Oregon-based breakfast eatery dips its French toast in corn flakes and grills it. It’s served topped with sliced bananas, whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Dipping items in any number of cereals opens a whole new realm of crunchy possibilities that wouldn’t even have to be breakfast centric. Those mac & cheese bites we looked at earlier could be coated in crushed Chex or cornflakes. So could fish filets or chicken tenders.
So, while you get your creative juices flowing, consider a crunchy theme, either in the making or renaming of what already qualifies. Give your guests the expectation of a memorable, multisensory experience.
Jody Shee
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