JUNE 2014 SUMMER TRENDSPOTTING DECODING SEASONAL MENU TRENDS
JUNE 2014 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, 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 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. 2
Look out for highlighted terms in the pages ahead terms to note additional and related menu trends. JUNE 2014 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
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. DRINKS 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. 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. SMOOTHIES JUNE 2014 Bob Evan s, Burgerville and Dairy Queen added Strawberry Smoothies, while Baskin-Robbins added a Greek Strawberry Yumberry Frozen Yogurt Smoothie. SALADS DESSERT 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. KALE Au Bon Pain s Fresh Fruit & Baby Kale Salad features strawberries, watermelon, mandarin oranges, feta, and sliced almonds. POPPYSEED 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. 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. SHORTCAKE 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 4
STRAWBERRY 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. Looking for more? Check out World Bites: Thailand. Looking for more? Check out our March issue of Dine Around: Honolulu PIE Baker s Square introduced a Hawaiian Strawberry Pie to the menu for a limited time, with pineapple, coconut, and pecans. THAI HAWAIIAN JUNE 2014 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 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. MEDITERANNEAN Sweet Thai Chili Pork at Firehouse Subs 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. TURN THE PAGE TO SEE HOW ETHNIC TRENDS ARE IMPACTING PROTEINS 5
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. 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. JUNE 2014 SWEET CHILI SAUCES In addition to Ruby Tuesday s Thai Phoon Shrimp, Longhorn Steakhouse added Spicy Chicken Bites, tossed in a spicy sweet chile-ginger sauce. SWEET HEAT A hot trend at this year s NRA show. SMOKE BACON 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. FLAVORS Longhorn Steakhouse took the flavors of smoky BBQ and added them to their new Housemade Kettle Chips, served with a horseradish aioli. PROTEINS For many operators the bold, the smoky, charred flavors of BBQ and grilled meats are a must-have menu option for the summer. Arby s Smokehouse Brisket 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. DRINK FLAVORS MOONSHINE Outback Steakhouse went all out with moonshine last month, adding it to Ribs, BBQ Bacon Wrapped Shrimp, Wings, a Chopped Salad, and a Burger. BRISKET 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 13- hour 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. TURN THE PAGE TO SEE HOW OPERATORS ARE MENUING BEVERAGE TRENDS THIS SUMMER 6
Arnold Palmer Coolatta at Dunkin Donuts Orange Freeze at Burger King JUNE 2014 PROTEINS COCKTAILS 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. 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. 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. TEA CHOCOLATE/COFFEE 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 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. SEASONAL BEERS BEVERAGES 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 7
JUNE 2014 TOPICS COVERED IN LAST MONTH S TRENDSPOTTING REPORTS ON THE MENU 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. UPCOMING: We cover hyssop, house-ground chocolate, liege waffles, corn in desserts, churros, and deviled eggs. DINE AROUND: LOQAN SQUARE 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 travel to Portland, Maine for their ontrend coastal cuisine. INTERNATIONAL CONCEPTS: CHINA 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. UPCOMING: We check out the U.K. chain restaurant scene, including a number of gastropubs. CREATIVE CONCEPTS: UPSCALE C-STORES 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 modern, innovative airport operators. NEVER MISS OUT ON A TREND! Contact Maeve Webster at 312-655-0596 to subscribe to Datassential s entire TrendSpotting Report series. 8
JUNE 2014 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 info@datassential.com 11
JUNE 2014 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 jack@datassential.com. 12
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 brian@datassential.com or 312-655-0594. JUNE 2014 SUBSCRIBE TO DATASSENTIAL S TRENDSPOTTING REPORTS TODAY AND NEVER MISS OUT ON A TREND CHOOSE YOUR PUBLICATIONS: ORDER FORM 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: Have a question? Ready to order? Call Maeve Webster at 888-556-3687 or email maeve@datassential.com. MAIL OR FAX: CONTACT INFORMATION: NAME TITLE COMPANY PHONE EMAIL ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP 156 N. Jefferson St. Suite 407 Chicago, IL 60661 Fax: 312-655-0620 13