The foodservice industry demands change as often as the
limited-time offers (LTO) at your favorite restaurant, and this year has been
no exception.
In light of the new healthcare law that requires restaurants
with 20 or more units to list calorie counts on the menu, operators now face
the task of balancing federal regulations with the differing demands ahd whims of their
customers.
Restaurant patrons value menu transparency, but still want
the occasional indulgent dining experience. The forecast of
foodservice trends for 2011 from Mintel Menu Insight, a supplier of consumer, product and media, is all about walking that fine line between open
disclosure and customer satisfaction.
"Both the government and consumers want healthier menu
options, but restaurant-goers are also very concerned about value and how their
food tastes," according to Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at
Mintel. "Keeping both parties satisfied might be a challenge as we move into
2011."
Trend #1: Healthy by association
Sixty-two percent of consumers say they plan to eat healthier
in the upcoming year, but many complain that healthier food doesn't taste as
good without the added sugar, sodium and fat. Restaurants will address this
problem by swapping in "healthier" ingredients to their patrons' favorite
dishes, and positioning them to appear better for you.
For instance, Taco Bell has quietly reduced sodium at 150
stores in the Dallas market, while Jason's Deli promotes its food as being free
from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), trans fats or pesticides. Consumers enjoy
visiting restaurants that are perceived as healthy because these venues make
them feel good about themselves and their meal choices. They might opt to visit
the "healthy" restaurant, but be wooed by the not-so-healthy LTOs offered at
these places (see Trend #5).
Trend #2: Automated Menus
Convenience and technology will form the perfect union this
year, as restaurant-goers will see an increase in automated menus at their
favorite establishments. These electronic order-takers will provide customers
with the opportunity to order food to their specifications in do-it-yourself
style, thus reducing the restaurant's reliance on front-of-house staff, as well
as full-time employees. Automated menus, in addition to mobile applications,
will help restaurants reach a younger, more mobile consumer.
Trend #3: Transparency
Consumers want to know what they're eating, and the new
healthcare call mandates such disclosure. Restaurants with 20+ units are now
required to list calorie counts on their menus. Consumers seem happy with the
impending disclosure, as 61 percent agree that restaurants should post
nutritional information, like calorie counts and fat grams, on menus. More
cities will start forcing restaurants to display their letter grades from local
health departments, further increasing menu transparency.
Trend #4: Indigenous Ingredients
While the local food movement continues to grow, the push
toward indigenous ingredients takes that trend a step further. Mintel expects
that in 2011 restaurants will incorporate more traditional or authentic
ingredients into their ethnic or globally-positioned entrees.
One example of this trend is Frontera Grill's Panucho
Yacateco, an entree that boasts a traditional Yucatan crispy tortilla filled
with black beans and hard-boiled egg with shredded chicken in tangy escabeche. "Local" as an ingredient marketing claim has grown by 15 percent from the
second quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of this year, according to Mintel
Menu Insights -- and it's likely that number will increase in the coming year.
Trend #5: Exemptions to the Rule
A vast majority of restaurants will have to disclose calorie
counts on their menus, but that rule doesn't apply to LTOs. Operators will take
advantage of this loophole by offering less-than-healthy novelty or seasonal
menu items, allowing customers to indulge in a guilty treat, without feeling
pressured to make a healthier menu choice.
As it stands, 43 percent of consumers say they're likely to change what they order when calorie counts are listed on the menu. LTOs give consumers the occasional opportunity to indulge in a meal out.
