summer trendspotting

JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
SUMMER TRENDSPOTTING
DECODING SEASONAL MENU TRENDS
JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
Pineapple was
featured in the
Chicken Freshcado at
Applebee’s, Ocean
Trust Tropic Heat
Martini at Bonefish
Grill, Strawberry
Poppy Seed & Chicken
Salad at Panera Bread
Co., and Hawaiian
Strawberry Pie at
Village Inn, all
introduced to menus
last month.
OPERATORS CONNECT, COMBINE FOOD
TRENDS TO CREATE HOT SEASONAL DISHES
What can a strawberry pie tell
you about food trends?
In this month’s FoodBytes,
Datassential is bringing you a
special issue that shows you how
a single ingredient or trend
relates to trends throughout the
industry. We show you how a
strawberry can relate to both
salad and dessert trends, and
how those dessert trends are
affecting breakfast menus. We
connect the dots between drink
trends and BBQ, and how those
summer BBQ LTOs are inspired by
ethnic
cuisine
trends.
Datassential connects the dots
between flavors, dishes, and both
macro and micro trends, bringing
you a fuller picture of the overall
trend landscape.
At Datassential we understand
that making those connections
can be the key to unlocking this
season’s hot new menu item, or
marketing the next great product,
because you never know where
the perfect flavor inspiration will
come from, or how your product
can take advantage of the next
hot regional cuisine.
Actually, you do know where it
will come from – Datassential.
We make it easy for you by
combining
the
art
of
trendspotting with the science of
market research, so you can spot
and understand overall food and
flavor trends that impact both
your business and the entire
industry. Our complete package
of TrendSpotting Reports do the
2
work for you, combining trend
research and insight with our
industry-leading tools, including
MenuTrends and Firefly, as well
as data and insights from
consumers
and
operators.
Datassential’s recently-updated
MenuTrends INSIDER system
allows you to keep track of the
latest new menu items, LTOs, and
test market products, and even
analyze chain activity and keep
track of your target accounts
quickly and easily – a must as
food trends move ever-morequickly through the Menu
Adoption Cycle. At Datassential,
we put the complete package
together for you.
Enjoy this month’s free issue of
Datassential FoodBytes.
datassential.com | 888-556-3687
Look out for highlighted
terms in the pages
ahead terms to note
additional and related
menu trends.
JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
SUMMER
TRENDSPOTTING
We used Datassential’s recently-revamped INSIDER
database to track nearly 350 summer LTOs, new menu
additions, and test market products added to top chain
restaurant menus last month. In the pages ahead we
show you how these menu additions fit into overall food
trends, drawing connections between flavors and dishes,
so you can get a fuller picture of the overall trend
landscape.
TURN THE PAGE
TO START
TRENDSPOTTING
ARE YOU A TRENDSPOTTER?
Whether it’s for marketing, ideation, or simply the need to stay one step ahead of your
competitors, Datassential’s TrendSpotting Reports make it easy to understand overall
industry trends, and how food trends relate to and interact with each other, by
combining the art of trendspotting with the science of market research.
Call Maeve Webster at 312-655-0596 to start your subscription today.
3
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JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
DRINKS
Strawberry
Rhubarb
Mini Cake at
Panera Bread
STRAWBERRY
Strawberry is the go-to fruit for summer,
added to over 50 menu items in May
alone.
COCKTAILS
Applebee’s added a Strawberry Lime
Margarita, TGI Friday’s added a Double
Berry Mojito Shaker with strawberries
and raspberries, and Maggiano’s
Handcrafted Seasonal Sangria features
moscato, lemon, strawberry,
cantaloupe, and pineapple.
LEMONADE
Applebee’s, Burgerville, Dairy
Queen, Eat N’ Park, Einstein
Bros., Krispy Kreme, and Max &
Erma’s all added Strawberry
Lemonade drink options last
month.
DESSERT
SALADS
SMOOTHIES
Bob Evan’s, Burgerville and
Dairy Queen added
Strawberry Smoothies, while
Baskin-Robbins added a Greek
Strawberry Yumberry Frozen
Yogurt Smoothie.
RHUBARB
Au Bon Bain added a Strawberry
Rhubarb Mini Pie, Perkin’s added a
Strawberry Rhubarb Mammoth
Muffin, and Paradise Bakery & Café
added a Strawberry Rhubarb Mini
Cake.
SHORTCAKE
BREAKFAST
Operators
continue to look
to decadent
dessert flavors for
breakfast options
– IHOP added
Strawberry and
Banana Cream
Pie Pancakes to
the menu last
month.
POPPYSEED
KALE
KALE
Au Bon Pain’s Fresh
Fruit & Baby Kale Salad
features strawberries,
watermelon, mandarin
oranges, feta, and sliced
almonds.
The Strawberry Chicken
Salads at Max & Erma’s,
Panera, and Eat N’ Park
all feature poppyseed
dressing; the latter is
served with fresh-baked
strawberry bread.
Both Granite City Brewery
and Bob Evan’s added
Strawberry Shortcake,
while Dairy Queen has a
Strawberry Shortcake
Blizzard.
TURN THE PAGE TO SEE
HOW ETHNIC TRENDS
ARE ALSO IMPACTING
STRAWBERRIES
Strawberry Crème
Pie at Eat N’ Park
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Looking for
more? Check out
our March issue
of Dine Around:
Honolulu
STRAWBERRY
PIE
SHRIMP
Applebee’s added a Thai
Shrimp Salad for the
summer, tossed in a chili
lime vinaigrette, while
Ruby Tuesday added
Thai Phoon Shrimp, a
half pound of shrimp
tossed in a sweet and
spicy chili sauce.
Baker’s Square
introduced a Hawaiian
Strawberry Pie to the
menu for a limited time,
with pineapple, coconut,
and pecans.
JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
HAWAIIAN
PIZZA
As part of their lineup of
Blake Shelton-inspired BBQ
pizza LTOs, Pizza Hut
introduced a Hawaiian BBQ
Pizza with ham, pineapple,
green peppers, honey BBQ,
and a hand-tossed cheddar
crust. For more Hawaiianinspired BBQ, turn to the next
page.
ETHNIC
TRENDS
THAI
Looking for
more? Check
out World
Bites:
Thailand.
While Latin flavors are still a go-to summer
menu option, operators are branching out
to include more tropical and Asian flavors
from around the world.
SANDWICHES
Panera introduced a Thai Chicken
Flatbread Sandwich to the menu,
featuring cilantro jalapeño hummus
and peanut sauce, and Firehouse Subs
is offering a Sweet Thai Chili Pork LTO,
featuring 12-hour smoked pulled pork
with a sweet Thai chili sauce.
Sweet Thai
Chili Pork at
Firehouse
Subs
MEDITERANNEAN
GREEK
Papa John’s is featuring a Greek
Pizza LTO, with basil pesto, black
olives, and feta cheese. And
Panera introduced a Low-Fat
Lemon Chicken Orzo soup,
which features lemon-infused
chicken and is topped with a
lemon wheel. For more, stay
tuned for this month’s issue of
World Bites: Greece.
FLATBREAD
Both Baker’s Square and Panera
Bread added Mediterranean
Chicken Flatbreads to the menu,
the latter with a curried lentil
hummus, feta, cucumber, napa
cabbage, and tzatziki sauce.
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TURN THE PAGE TO SEE
HOW ETHNIC TRENDS ARE
IMPACTING PROTEINS
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ETHNIC
TRENDS
HAWAIIAN
Chains are also turning
to the flavors of Hawaii
for sweet heat, with
Applebee’s adding a
sweet and spicy
Hawaiian BBQ sauce to
their Grilled Vidalia
Onion Sirloin LTO.
JUNE 2014
SANDWICHES/BURRITOS
Qdoba added a Mango Mojo
Burrito, which combines
grilled chicken with spicy
mango salsa and a mango
chile pepper sauce, and Mr.
Goodcents tops a Kickin’
Chicken Sandwich with a
spicy honey pepper citrus
sauce.
FoodBytes
SWEET CHILI SAUCES
BACON
In addition to Ruby
Tuesday’s Thai Phoon
Shrimp, Longhorn
Steakhouse added
Spicy Chicken Bites,
tossed in a spicy sweet
chile-ginger sauce.
Bacon is an easy way to add smoke to the menu,
exemplified by menu items like Blake’s
Smokehouse BBQ Pizza at Pizza Hut, which is
topped with both hardwood smoked bacon and
smoked ham with a hint of sugar.
SWEET HEAT
A hot trend at this year’s
NRA show.
FLAVORS
SMOKE
Longhorn Steakhouse took the
flavors of smoky BBQ and added
them to their new Housemade
Kettle Chips, served with a
horseradish aioli.
BRISKET
PROTEINS
For many operators the bold, the smoky,
charred flavors of BBQ and grilled meats are
a must-have menu option for the summer.
DRINK
FLAVORS
Two chains are bringing the smoky
flavor of brisket to the menu.
Wendy’s is testing a Beef Brisket
Cheeseburger on a cornbread bun
in Jacksonville, FL, and last month
Arby’s created a world record 13hour long commercial to show off
their re-introduced 13-Hour
Smoked Smokehouse Brisket,
which the chain says was the most
successful new product in the
brand’s history.
Arby’s
Smokehouse
Brisket
MOONSHINE
BOURBON
Boston Market added
Kentucky Bourbon BBQ
Ribs to the menu for the
summer, while Ruby
Tuesday added a Hickory
Bourbon-Glazed Pork
Chop served with mashed
potatoes and green
beans.
Outback
Steakhouse went
all out with
moonshine last
month, adding it
to Ribs, BBQ
Bacon Wrapped
Shrimp, Wings,
a Chopped Salad,
and a Burger.
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TURN THE PAGE TO SEE
HOW OPERATORS ARE
MENUING BEVERAGE
TRENDS THIS SUMMER
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Arnold
Palmer
Coolatta at
Dunkin
Donuts
PROTEINS
JUNE 2014
Orange Freeze at
Burger King
Frozen
Lemonade at
Panera
ARNOLD PALMERS
Arnold Palmers, covered
in last July’s On the
Menu, combine iced tea
and lemonade. Dunkin
Donuts added a Frozen
Arnold Palmer to the
menu, while IHOP added
both Iced Tea
Lemonade and Orange
Tangerine Iced Tea
Lemonade to the menu.
FoodBytes
CHOCOLATE/COFFEE
LEMONADE
In addition to the strawberry lemonade
options covered on page four, Panera’s
Frozen Lemonade LTO is topped with a
lemon wheel, while Krispy Kreme added
three Frozen Lemonade LTOs to the menu.
And Logan’s Roadhouse is serving Icelandic
Lemonade, which blends frozen blended
lemonade with Reyka Icelandic vodka.
Dunkin Donuts combines coffee
with OREO pieces in their OREO
Frozen Coffee Coolatta, while
Sheetz added a Frozen Hot
Chocolate LTO, made with
Ghirardelli chocolate. And
McDonald’s is testing a Horchata
Frappe, with cinnamon and
coffee, in some L.A. locations.
FROZEN
COCKTAILS
Applebee’s Kentucky Fruit Tea LTO combines
Jim Beam with peach schnapps, apple juice,
and iced tea, while Logan’s Roadhouse
created a twist on an Arnold Palmer with
their Twisted Tea Lemonade. Meanwhile
Shoney’s is menuing Mojito Iced Tea for the
summer.
TEA
CITRUS/FRUIT
Granite City’s
Blueberrian Blueberry
Lager is described as
both malty and subtly
fruity, while Ram
Restaurant & Brewery’s
Vunderbar German
Pilsner is described as
having an “herbal and
lemon zest finish.”
BEVERAGES
SEASONAL
BEERS
Beverage innovation has exploded in the
past few years, and many operators are
getting more adventurous with their icecold, thirst-quenching summer beverages.
SESSION
Flavorful, low alcohol, and often lighter
session beers continue to grow on menus, and
Old Chicago follows the trend by adding a
Firestone Easy Jack Summer Session IPA to
the menu, which is described as “using new
and rare hops from around the world.”
Pineapple Lemongrass
Juice at Cosi
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JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
TOPICS COVERED IN LAST MONTH’S
TRENDSPOTTING REPORTS
ON THE MENU
DINE AROUND:
LOQAN SQUARE
In May’s On the Menu, we sought
out the on-trend flavors of
elderflower and gingerbread,
trendy cuisines with Filipino halohalo and Southern chow chow, and
crunchy ingredients with other
popped grains and fry/tater tot
toppers. And we also brought you a
roundup of the big stories that
made headlines across the industry,
from chain sales to new marketing
campaigns to store revamps.
In this special edition of Dine
Around released before the 2014
NRA show, we took you on a tour
of Chicago’s center of culinary
cool, Logan Square, seeking out
seasonal, farm-to-table
restaurants; craft breweries and
cocktail bars; chef-driven
Southern food; in-your-face Asian
operators, and an expanded
section spotlighting notable
restaurants across Chicago.
UPCOMING: We cover hyssop,
house-ground chocolate, liege
waffles, corn in desserts, churros,
and deviled eggs.
UPCOMING: We travel to
Portland, Maine for their ontrend coastal cuisine.
INTERNATIONAL
CONCEPTS: CHINA
CREATIVE CONCEPTS:
UPSCALE C-STORES
In the second issue of our newest
TrendSpotting Report,
International Concepts, we took
you to China to discover the fastgrowing QSRs and casual chains
quickly gaining market share in
the country. We brought you indepth profiles, menu examples,
and adventurous, authentic global
flavors, as well as menu items at
well-known chains that you will
only find in China.
In Creative Concepts, we visited
the upscale c-stores and gourmet
gas stations that are taking the
category to new heights in both
foodservice and retail. At today’s
c-stores you’ll find healthier,
fresher flavors served in updated,
modern environments, and even
a few gourmet full-service
restaurants. This issues is also
packed with consumer data and
reactions.
UPCOMING: We check out the
U.K. chain restaurant scene,
including a number of gastropubs.
UPCOMING: We check out
modern, innovative airport
operators.
NEVER MISS OUT ON A TREND!
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Contact Maeve Webster at 312-655-0596 to subscribe
to Datassential’s entire TrendSpotting Report series.
datassential.com | 888-556-3687
FoodBytes
JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
HUNGRY
FOR MORE?
This is just a small taste of the research and
data we have collected in order to make
accurate, data-backed trend identifications.
Now let Datassential take you deeper into
the implications of these trends and what
they mean for your company.
We can take you behind the data that shows
how restaurant menus are shrinking and
morphing, show you an in-depth look at the
surprising demographic data on consumers
(including Millennials) that informed these
trends, and show you real-world examples of
every trend covered.
And it’s all backed by the industry’s most
accurate and trusted menu database,
MenuTrends, and the industry’s largest
operator research panel, OPERA.
To start putting these trends to work for you,
contact Datassential today:
1-888-556-3687
[email protected]
11
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JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
A MAJORITY OF CONSUMERS SAY
THEIR TASTES ARE SHAPED BY
THEIR RESTAURANT EXPERIENCES
What’s happening on the menu today can
be a leading indicator of tomorrow’s food
trends.
Datassential MenuTrends tracks 7,000 distinct US
restaurants and over one 1 million menu items.
Because the database is designed to mirror the US
restaurant census by segment, region, and menu
type, MenuTrends is the only system that offers true
projectable data. All segments and cuisine types are
tracked extensively – from food trucks to fine
dining.
MenuTrends INSIDER is also updated every month
with Limited Time Offers (LTOs) and other new
menu activity, with product photos that bring the
listings to life. And with thousands of ready-to-use
reports and simple trend detection tools, you can
jump right into the database, identifying,
measuring, and predicting the food and flavor
trends that matter to your business.
Call us today to begin using the food industry’s
authoritative resource for flavor trends.
Call Jack Li at 310-922-6299 or
email [email protected].
12
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JUNE 2014
FoodBytes
SPECIAL REPORT SERIES
SYSCO – US FOODS MERGER
This upcoming special report series from Datassential and The Hale Group brings
you a comprehensive analysis of how the merger will impact operators’ purchase
decisions. Who do they buy from? What do they buy? And why do they buy? For
more information contact Brian Darr at [email protected] or 312-655-0594.
SUBSCRIBE TO DATASSENTIAL’S
TRENDSPOTTING
REPORTS
TODAY AND NEVER MISS OUT ON A TREND
ORDER FORM
CHOOSE YOUR PUBLICATIONS:
TRENDSPOTTER PACKAGE | RECEIVE ALL PUBLICATIONS FOR A SPECIAL PRICE OF $17,000
ON THE MENU | 12 ISSUES/YR | $1,600
TIPS | 4 ISSUES/YR | $12,000
CREATIVE CONCEPTS| 12 ISSUES/YR | $1,600
DINE AROUND | 12 ISSUES/YR | $1,600
WORLD BITES | 6 ISSUES/YR | $4,500
INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS | 12 ISSUES/YR | $1,600
CALL TO LEARN ABOUT SPECIAL OPERATOR SUBSCRIPTION RATES
CALL OR EMAIL:
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