Mass Customization
Consumer trends drive menu innovation at Top 400 chains
By Virginia Gerst, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 7/1/2004
Restaurant patrons don’t just want fresh food on their plates, they want fresh choices on menus too. Top 400 chain operators across the country satisfy these cravings by regularly introducing new food selections.
Some innovations incorporate the latest food trends, while others cater to customers’ diet and health concerns, or beef up perceived weaknesses in the existing menu. Most result from months of research and development. In all cases, the goal is to lure new customers and keep old ones coming back.
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“We look at trends, but we also want to make sure the food tastes good,” says Les Winograd, public relations coordinator for Subway Restaurants, based in Bridgeport, Conn. “We serve food that appeals to people who are watching calories, carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol, and to people who want to indulge on occasion.”
The chain’s low-carb, Atkins-friendly sandwich wraps, bundled into tortilla shells made with sesame flour, have been popular since their December debut, says Winograd. “New and improved salads,” introduced in March, also show brisk sales. Two of the four options are low-carb and a third is low in fat. Quality, too, was improved.
“We basically went from shredded lettuce to nice leafy lettuce, and most are a blend of romaine, iceberg and baby spinach,” says Winograd. “In many cases we have quadrupled our salad sales.”
Big Boy Restaurants began selling Stuffed Ciabatta Bread Sandwiches in April, and the four varieties—Turkey and Swiss, Chicken Club, Chicken Santa Fe, and Mile High Roast Beef—now represent 10% of all of sandwich sales, according to Tony Michaels, CEO of the Warren, Mich.-based chain.
Food trends research pointed Big Boy to the Italian-inspired ciabatta bread. “It’s a high-quality product, and we wanted to communicate with people who were not currently Big Boy customers,” says Michaels. “The response has been phenomenal.”
Bold Over
After several trend seminars highlighted the increased popularity
of bold flavors among diners, Nashville, Tenn.-based O’Charley’s
began stoking its menu with fiery options.
“It seems that guests are looking for things with a higher spice profile, and we didn’t necessarily have them,” says Paul Schramkowski, director of research and development.
In January and February, a promotional Bold Flavors menu included a 12-ounce Louisiana Sirloin, flame-grilled with a seasoning blend and topped with herb-garlic butter, that was so popular it has moved onto the regular menu. A subsequent seafood promotion featured two other new customer favorites: blackened trout and chipotle-barbequed shrimp.
El Pollo Loco, based in Irvine, Calif., satisfies tastes for bold favors with its newly introduced Fiesta Grilled Burrito. An addition to the chain’s signature burrito line, it is made with fire-roasted poblano peppers, flame-broiled chicken breast, pico de gallo salsa, Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and Spanish rice, with tortilla chips added for texture.
“The strategy was to improve the variety of burritos. It fills a gap in our menu,” says Research and Development Director Jon Miller. “It’s a niche-targeted product, with spicy flavor and unique ingredients.”
Carb Caravan
Many restaurants have joined the Atkins diet bandwagon, adding
dishes designed to please carb-counting customers. Hardee’s
introduced its bunless, lettuce-wrapped Low Carb Thickburger
in December, and it has since become one of the chain’s
most popular sandwiches.
Spurred by that success, the St. Louis, Mo.-based chain in March added a low-carb breakfast bowl that consists of eggs, sausage, crumbled bacon, ham and two kinds of cheese, with 6 grams of carbohydrates. Hardee’s also features a low-carb lettuce-wrapped, charbroiled chicken club sandwich, with barbecue sauce-glazed chicken breast fillet, bacon, sliced tomatoes, Swiss cheese and mayonnaise.
Also mindful of customer health concerns, the Western-style K-Bob’s Steakhouses, based in Albuquerque, N.M., recently introduced its summer Salad Wagon +, a salad bar of fresh vegetables, fruits, soups, beans and other salad fixings. Louisville, Ky.-based KFC is serving a new line of oven-roasted products that are lower in fat and carbohydrates than fried menu options.
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Blimpie Subs & Salads launched a carb-conscious menu in November, and it has been well received by customers, according to Jen Townsend, director of menu development for the Atlanta, Ga.-based chain. Diners choosing the carb conscious menu have an option of sandwiches, wraps, soy chips and a fruit beverage. “We worked very hard to make it appealing,” she says.
But Blimpie’s new menu items stretch far beyond low carb. The chain unveils limited-time offerings every two months; those that sell well earn a place on the regular menu. Current offerings, rolled out for summer along with a music promotion designed to reach a young demographic, bring back customer favorites from past years. The list includes the London Broil Club, a panini-style Stacked Blimpie Best and New Orleans Blackened Chicken.
“We don’t have a big ad budget; we can’t shout our name from the mountain top,” says Townsend. “These products give people reason to come to Blimpie. They are something to talk about around the water cooler. If somebody had an amazing turkey sandwich or a new wrap, they will tell their friends.”
Carl’s Jr. hopes that its key customers—whom Executive Vice President for Marketing Brad Haley calls “our core hungry, young-guy target market”—are talking about its new 1-pound Double Six Dollar Burger made with two 1/2-pound burger patties. Chain menus, after all, are designed to have something for everyone.
Tomato-Basil Crostini
Olive Garden, Orlando
Yield: 24 servings
| Plum tomatoes, seeds removed, 1/4-in. dice | 6 cups |
| Fresh basil, finely chopped | 1/4 cup |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 1/4 cup |
| Salt | 1 tsp. |
| Italian flatbreads, 4-oz. each | 8 |
| Garlic-infused olive oil | recipe follows |
| Parmesan cheese, freshly grated | 1/2 cup |
- Blend tomatoes, basil, olive oil and salt; refrigerate 2 hours. Before service, drain excess liquid.
- Place flatbreads on foil-lined sheet pan. Drizzle garlic-infused olive oil over bread; sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake at 400F for 4 to 5 minutes, until hot but not crisped or dried.
- Cut each flatbread into 6 wedges or 2-by-2-in. squares.
- Place 2 wedges on plate; top each wedge with chilled tomato-basil topping. Serve immediately.
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
| Garlic cloves, medium | 4 |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 1/2 cup |
Peel and crush garlic cloves in bowl. Add olive oil and let infuse
for 1 hour.
Claudio’s Blackened
Cajun Catfish
Rockfish Seafood Grill, Dallas
Yield: 6 servings
| Catfish fillets | 6 |
| Cajun seasoning | 3 Tbsp. |
| Vegetable oil | 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. |
| Smoked ancho cream sauce | recipe follows |
| Pico de gallo | recipe follows |
| Tortilla strips | garnish |
- Coat both sides of fish fillets in Cajun seasoning.
- For each fillet, add 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil to nonstick pan. Cook fillets 1 to 2 minutes per side over high heat until blackish-red crust forms. To finish, place pan in 400F oven for approximately 4 minutes.
- Top cooked fillets with smoked ancho cream sauce and pico de gallo. Sprinkle with tortilla strips.
Smoked Ancho Cream Sauce
| Mayonnaise | 1 1/2 cups |
| Ancho chile paste | 1/3 cup |
| Tomato paste | 3 Tbsp. |
| Liquid smoke flavoring | 1 1/2 tsp. |
| Lemon juice | 1 1/2 tsp. |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Chill if desired.
Pico de Gallo
| Tomatoes, chopped | 3 cups |
| Red onion, chopped | 1 cup |
| Cilantro leaves, chopped | 1/2 cup |
| Jalapeño pepper, seeded, chopped | 1 Tbsp. |
| Lemon juice | 1 Tbsp. |
| Salt | 2 tsp. |
Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix to coat. Refrigerate.
Buffalo Chicken Sub
Carb-Counter Menu,
Blimpie Subs & Salads, Atlanta
Yield: 1 serving
| Low-carb sub roll, 6-in., sliced | 1 |
| Buffalo chicken | 3 1/2 oz. |
| Provolone cheese slice | 1 |
| Tomato slices | 2 |
| Shredded lettuce | 1 1/2 oz. |
| Onion rings | 2 |
| Sun-dried tomato slices | 2 |
On bottom half of low-carb roll, place Buffalo chicken, topped, in order, by cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onion rings, dried tomatoes and top of roll. Cut in half; serve.
400 Menu Trends: Opening Acts
Dining out is a social as well as culinary experience. Chains
have augmented appetizer menus with seafood, ethnic flavors,
and intriguing sauces and dips.
Kalamata Bruschetta: French bread slices topped with kalamata-olive pesto, roma tomato slices and feta cheese; toasted and sprinkled with Parmesan - The American Cafe
Fresh Ahi Tuna Ceviche with citrus juices, shredded coconut, mangoes and crisp malanga chips (right) - Bahama Breeze
Griddled Crab Cakes: Two fresh lump crab cakes, pan-seared and served over mixed greens and roasted-corn black-bean salsa and mustard aioli - Bugaboo Creek Steak House
Saying Goodbye to Old Friends
Adding items to a menu may be a challenge, but removing items to make room for the newcomers is an even tougher assignment according to Jon Miller, director of research and development for El Pollo Loco, an Irvine, Calif.-based chain.
“No matter what you take off, you are always going to get calls to the corporate office or e-mails that say ‘I’m not coming back.’ You lose some customers.”
El Pollo Loco prunes low-volume dishes from its menu, but Miller admits that there is always “a weak-knee point” when scratching an item. “We are service oriented, we want to please our customers,” he explains. “But you have to rely on the data and the final analysis. You have to remember you are making a lot more people happy going forward.”
El Pollo Loco trains staff to help disappointed customers navigate the menu to find a dish that they will like, says Miller. “It’s the best we can do, and it helps,” he says.
New items replace old ones regularly at O’Charley’s, but customers at the chain’s more than 200 casual-dining restaurants in the Southeast and Midwest do not necessarily have to forget their favorites just because they’re off the menu.
“We can still make a lot of the things we take away if somebody wants them,” says O’Charley’s Director of Research and Development Paul Schramkowski. “We try to be flexible.
“You’ve got to take care of your guests.”
400 Menu Trends: Flights of Fancy
More chicken and turkey dishes—even the occasional game bird—are appearing on chain menus, with more boldly spiced preparations.
Spicy Buffalo
chicken sandwich with Swiss cheese and
ranch-style dressing - Bakers Square
Beef’s Big
Blue: Grilled chicken breast topped with
ham and melted Swiss cheese on a Kaiser roll
with blue cheese or honey-barbecue sauce - Beef
O’Brady’s
Smokehouse BBQ
Grilled Chicken topped with
melted Cheddar cheese and served with a Caesar side salad and freshly baked cornbread Boston
Market
Chicken Pomodori Panini: Sliced chicken
breast, fresh basil and spinach, oven-roasted tomatoes, provolone cheese and
pesto mayonnaise on grilled country bread Corner Bakery Café
Chicken Tenderloins: Breaded
and friend chicken strips with choice of
barbecue or honey-mustard sauce (right) Country
Kitchen
Firecracker
Chicken Wraps: Fried flour
tortillas filled with spicy grilled chicken and served with avocado-lime dipping
sauce - LongHorn Steakhouse
Trail Quail: Three marinated, mesquite-grilled
quail served with garlic mashed potatoes - Texas Land & Cattle
Steak House
400 Menu Trends: Happy Endings
No matter how the diet-fad winds blow, there’s always room for dessert, and chains are happy to supply enticing options.
Abbey’s Apple Sizzler: Skillet lined
with oatmeal-walnut-cookie-crumb crust, filled with hot cinnamon
apples and raisins and topped with cinnamon ice cream and caramel
sauce - Bennigan’s Irish American Grill & Tavern
Sogno di Cioccolata (Chocolate Dream): Fudge
brownie brushed with coffee liqueur, topped with chocolate mousse,
whipped cream and chocolate sauce -
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Turtle Frozen Custard Cake: Vanilla frozen custard
with swirls of chocolate fudge and salted whole pecans, topped with dark chocolate
(right) - Culver’s Frozen Custard & ButterBurgers
Carolina Cobbler: Southern-style cobbler with
peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar, topped with vanilla ice cream and walnuts
- Fatz Cafe
The Brookie: A cross between a coconut-chocolate
brownie and a cookie, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup -
Rafferty’s Restaurant & Bar
Strawberry Tallcake: Three layers of sponge cake
and strawberry mousse with strawberry sauce, vanilla ice cream and whipped
cream - Ruby Tuesday
400 Menu Trends: Meat Market
When low-carb, high-protein diets hit, chains fired up the grilles and promoted beef, veal and lamb dishes with renewed gusto.
Oak-Grilled Sirloin
Palomilla: Ginger-soy
marinated Latin-cut sirloin with garlic mashed potatoes and Cuban
black beans -
Bahama Breeze
Rib-eye steak sandwich with caramelized balsamic onions and havarti
cheese on grilled French bread - The Capital Grille
Ore Cart Combo: Rotisserie
barbecued chicken, baby-back pork ribs, beef back ribs and St.
Louis-style spare ribs - Claim Jumper
Top Sirloin Steak Skillet: Seasoned
red-skin potatoes with green peppers, onion, mushrooms and melted
cheeses topped with a top sirloin steak and two eggs, served
with biscuit and two buttermilk pancakes - IHOP
Chopped & Topped Steak: Chopped
steak seasoned with spices, grilled and topped with sautéed
mushrooms and onions, served on mashed potatoes - O’Charley’s
Veal Martini: Sautéed
veal medallions with shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes,
basil, marsala and white wines (right) -
Palm Restaurant
Homestyle Lamb Shank: Slow-roasted
lamb with rosemary bordelaise sauce, served with garlic mashed
potatoes and fresh-vegetable medley - Stuart
Anderson’s
Black Angus
400 Menu Trends: The Shining Sea
Fish and seafood not only provide marketable protein options but also ways for chains to introduce Asian and other exciting flavors to menus.
Black and Bleu
Salmon: Salmon fillet rubbed
with Southwest seasoning, grilled and topped with chipotle sauce
and blue cheese crumbles, served with rice and steamed vegetables
(right) -
Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe
Seafood Vera Cruz: Crab, whitefish and Monterrey Jack cheese
rolled in a flour tortilla, covered with Seafood Sauce and baked
- Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican
Cafe
Alaska halibut with cannelini beans, baby arugula and romesco sauce - Clyde’s
Pan-seared rainbow trout, served with steamed vegetables and Oriental broth -
Copeland’s
of New Orleans
Swordfish Burger: Ground swordfish with onions and herbs, grilled and served
with tartar sauce - Daily Grill
400 Menu Trends: Pasta Principles
The low-carb trend hit pasta-based concepts
hard, but Italian cuisine is too popular not to rebound.
Four Cheese Ravioli: Pecorino, Parmesan-Reggiano,
fontina and Swiss cheeses in spinach-and-egg pasta, served
with creamy Parmesan sauce - Charlie Brown’s
Steakhouse
Shrimp Fresca: Parmesan-crusted jumbo
shrimp with angel hair pomodoro, topped with jumbo lump crab
meat - Chart House
Cajun Chicken Fettuccine: Cajun-spice-crusted
chicken, sautéed
sweet peppers, onions, Parmesan and sun-dried tomato in cilantro-cream
sauce - Kahunaville
Lobster Fra Diablo: Steamed lobster
in the shell in spicy white-wine garlic-tomato sauce served
on a bed of linguini with red pepper flakes and Italian plum
tomatoes (right) - Palm Restaurant
400 Menu Trends: Tossing Ideas
Entrée salads now are staples, but the trend among chains has been to develop more signature salads that add unexpected ingredients or dressings.
Los Cabos Salad: Mixed
greens with seasonal fresh fruit and honey-lime dressing, served
with choice of shrimp or pan-seared tuna - Abuelo’s
Mexican Food Embassy
Martha’s Vineyard
Salad: Apples,
dried cranberries, toasted almonds and diced grilled chicken
on chopped lettuce - Arby’s
Not Exactly a Cobb, Cobb: Chopped
romaine and iceberg lettuces tossed with honey-mustard dressing
and topped with deep-fried chicken tenderloins, toasted almonds,
cucumber slices, hard-boiled eggs, corn and tomatoes - BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery
Santa Fe Salad: Lime-marinated chicken,
fresh corn, black beans, cheese, tortilla strips, tomato and mixed
lettuce with spicy peanut-cilantro vinaigrette -
The Cheesecake Factory
Dave’s Sassy BBQ
Salad: Greens
with bacon, Cheddar cheese, diced tomato, green onion and honey
BBQ dressing, topped with choice of chopped pork, beef brisket,
double-smoked ham or barbecued chicken -
Famous Dave’s Legendary Pit Bar-B-Q
Santa Fe Spring Mix Salad: Mixed lettuce, white-meat
chicken, shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions, black
olives and bacon pieces, topped with chipotle vinaigrette (right) - Taco Mayo
Virginia Gerst is a Chicago-based freelance writer.
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