New Great Stuff
This means many amazing new solutions for you in the months ahead, and we couldn’t be more excited.
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Sweet Indulgence
C-store customers seek packaged sweet snacks with better-for-you ingredients and a quality price point.
Beyond Meat is developing meatless bacon
We say that we’re going to innovate any product in the meat case,” Beyond spokeswoman Allison Aronoff said.
Jim Beam tackles heat wave with ‘Refreshionals’ campaign promoting highball cocktail
Fewer than 1% of bar and restaurant menus include the highball, and only 22% of consumers 21 or over have tried it, the brand notes, citing food industry research firm Datassential
B&I foodservice: Opportunities and obstacles
According to Datassential’s Creative Concepts: Modern C-Stores report, 39% of consumers are interested in seeing meal kits at convenience stores.
DNA, bee pollen, za’atar and more: 5 food trends headed Buffalo’s way
“If you look at menus, you can predict food trends at restaurants and at home,” Li said.
Recipe Management
When it comes to the grocery perimeter, there’s a huge data gap that products like MenuTrends are there to fill.
Labneh is Thick, Rich, and Ready for Its Close-up
Luckily, layering textures has gotten a lot easier lately with the rise of numerous on-trend spice blends that add both flavor and texture to menus.
Impossible Burger shortages hit restaurants as the meat-free firm races rivals
The supply hiccups may be a sign of how eager companies are to expand market share as demand soars for meat alternatives and startups that make the products increasingly go national.
C-Stores Heat Up Chicken Programs
Chicken offers c-stores an ideal platform for incorporating the bolder, hotter flavors customers crave.
Chilean lemons positioned for foodservice growth
For foodservice operators, a new research report shows that Chilean lemons are in the right place at the right time.
B&I foodservice: Opportunities and obstacles
crafty operators are increasing the sophistication of their enterprises through improvements in design, revamped offerings and technology-driven initiatives, according to Datassential’s B&I Keynote Report
Move over Mayochup, condiment mashups are old hat in restaurants
Classic toppings get global makeovers
Understanding the Modern Vegetarian Customer
Plant-based diners comprise a small part of the population, but their dietary habits shed light on much broader trends.
How Better-Burger Brands Can Rise Above
Consumers love burgers, especially better burgers. How do limited-service brands get them to order more?
Spring report reveals how foodservice produce is trending
It’s happened with kale, avocado and cauliflower: Fresh produce trends move through a menu cycle in an established pattern of inception, adoption, proliferation and ubiquity.
Convenience Stores Are Eating Into Fast Food’s Market Share
Players in this category have spent the past few years evolving their food offerings beyond the stereotypical, hours-old hot dogs on a roller grill and the effort is likely eating into quick-service restaurants’ market share.
Foodservice use of watermelons growing rapidly
Watermelon is seeing growth on restaurant menus, and more chefs and foodservice operators are turning to the National Watermelon Promotion Board for ideas.
How Sourness Has Come to Dominate Our Dining Habits, and Our Discourse
From candy to kombucha to our national mood, acidity is everywhere.
Chick-fil-A’s Lean Menu Helps Chain Bulk Up
Sales tripled over past decade at fast-food company focused on chicken; new markets could test expansion
Healthy desserts? Eating the gluten-free cake, too
Now brands are finding inventive ways to help satisfy consumers’ cravings for sweets and incorporating healthful adds.
Trend Alert: Chimichurri Sauce Is Spreading Fast and Delicious
The tangy Argentinian steak sauce is rapidly gaining ground with American diners.
What Consumers Want
Despite their “foodie reputation,” She [McClellan] said younger consumers often aren’t that knowledgeable about fresh produce.
Add Flavor and Texture to Your Food with Trendy Spice Blends Like Dukkah and Furikake
Luckily, layering textures has gotten a lot easier lately with the rise of numerous on-trend spice blends that add both flavor and texture to menus.
Frozen treats, flame-kissed sweets stand out on summer dessert menus
Half of restaurants menu seasonal dessert varieties or flavors, according to Datassential’s 2019 Dessert Keynote report.
Will Soylent’s 100-calorie snack bars be successful?
Though this product still has a clear line to the original Soylent drink, Soylent Squared brings chewable fare back to its product portfolio.
What brand of tortilla chips should you buy? We tried 16 to find the best one for your next watch party
On menus, tortilla chips have grown — 8 percent in the last four years — and Kostyo predicts a 3 percent growth in the next four years.
Leveraging the leading culinary trends
the event gave participants an inside look to the trends driving culinary innovation and then had the opportunity to walk the kitchens, meet the chefs and sample the ideas that may propel eating and drinking in the coming year.
12 Ways with Dessert
Twelve pathways to on-trend, signature desserts. We’ve pulled together 12 trending themes that reflect a collective modern sensibility, promising a sweet-tooth satisfaction while serving up both intrigue and fun.
It’s not your imagination, there is more bacon on fast-food menus—here’s why
It’s not just your imagination. Just about every fast-food chain, from McDonald’s to Carl’s Jr. to Burger King, is introducing more bacon items to their menus.
Cafeterias are the new buffets
According to a Datassential survey of 1,500 consumers, 55% of consumers either like or love-cafeteria-style restaurants
McDonald’s is turning to artificial intelligence to get you to spend more in the drive-thru
About 70 percent of fast food transactions happen at the drive-thru, Ashbrook said, and this is the first major innovation a chain has undertaken to improve that experience.
A Toast to the Evolution of Toast
…toast is evolving as operators across the country come up with new ideas to keep it interesting and exciting.
Research shows avocados’ popularity in foodservice
Datassential’s menu trend shows that 50.8% of U.S. restaurants offer avocado plus guacamole on their menus, an increase of 26% since 2008.
Restaurant industry trendspotters predict ‘what’s hot’
Mike Kostyo, trendologist and senior publications manager at Datassential, agrees rules have gone out the window.
Spring Into a New Wave of Cocktail Trends
We’re forecasting the future will be filled with fresh new flavors this spring, as operators look for ways to stand out and take flavor inspiration from the garden – literally
Trend expert: Seafood has growth opportunity on menus
Consumers say they’d like to eat more fish and shellfish
Chefs share tips for frying seafood
Cooking food in hot fat may not be the healthiest preparation, but it is among the most popular methods restaurants use when making seafood.
Think you don’t need to worry about product packaging? Think again
Whether you’re an operator or manufacturer, you should be concerned with how products are packaged.
Seafood Trends as Opportunity
Isn’t it time you started acting on the data you have at your fingertips?
Flavor Watch: Play that Toum
Toum, a Lebanese condiment made with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt, holds all the markings of a potential hit on U.S. menus
Healthy Perspectives
Two salient takeaways from The Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference, and the implications they have for our industry
What’s Hot on C-store Menus?
The ampm Churro Donut stands out for high purchase intent, value and uniqueness
Ketchup with the latest condiment trends
In a jam? If it’s sauce innovation that’s got you in a pickle, we’ve got you covered with Datassential ’s new Condiments, Sauces, and Dressings Keynote Report.
What’s the best hot chocolate mix? We tried 10 to find out!
The winner of the taste test was a surprise to every single participant.
Calf Brains and Pig Snouts: U.S. Embraces Nose-to-Tail Menus
Nontraditional cuts are also popular because they “keep the meaty side of the menu interesting at a time when plant-based dishes and proteins are trending
Going Global: Why restaurateurs should make the unfamiliar familiar
The key, then, to maintaining dinner traffic and sales in an increasingly competitive landscape is to stay on top of trending global dishes and consider how they might be adapted to suit your menu.
Raising Chicken Sales
Chicken’s menu-spanning versatility and affinity for countless flavor profiles make it a natural for convenience stores.
The Kit is It
Meal kits give shoppers the chance to safely experiment with new flavors and ingredients.