Frying Trends

General Menu Trends

A snack revolution is influencing menu trends and driving growth in foodservice today. Small plates, mini meals, appetizers, and little bites -- whether experimenting with flavors, or thinking about weight control, people are interested in “portioned indulgence.”

Consumers are turning to restaurants for these snack foods in a major way. Flavor & The Menu (Summer 2008) says it’s the “biggest development to hit the foodservice industry in years.” At the end of 2007, NDP reported that close to two-thirds of quick-serve restaurant growth came from snacks and that nearly half of snacks were eaten during the afternoon. Technomic’s 2007 Snack Report also said that the overwhelming majority, 75 percent of consumers, snacked in the afternoon.

Many quick-serve restaurants are targeting the span of time between lunch and dinner with new initiatives and campaigns encouraging snacking. Smaller portioned chicken wraps, mini sandwiches, and deep-fried snacks have already dominated the snack scene.

According to consumers, snacks are defined by the type of food more so than by the time of day they are eaten or the size of the food item. Today's snackers like sharing smaller portions as a way to economically experiment with different foods and flavors. Over 80 percent prefer that restaurants offer various portion sizes. When consumers go out, they want variety and they want what they don’t have at home.

More appetizers are eaten as meals, and according to MenuMind Trend 2008, most appetizers (77%) offered on restaurants are served hot. In fact, nearly two-thirds of appetizers newly added to menus in 2008 have been served hot. Calamari, wings, cheese sticks, and fried zucchini are just a few of the leading appetizers seen in 2008. Some find comfort in these usual suspects, while others are looking for a twist – fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or fried macaroni and cheese.

When it comes to consumer taste, McCormick & Co. says sweet and savory appeal to snackers. Wasabi-mustard and mango-chipotle flavors are up and coming, while flavor profiles of vegetables, nuts, dairy, spices, seeds, and fruit are the fastest growing in 2008. Even as menu trends change, consumers will continue to drive restaurants to find innovative ways of providing a variety of foods to meet their demand for new as well as favorite indulgences.