Familiarity is a key food and beverage purchase consideration for 68% of consumers—which is one reason why offering menu items that incorporate retro formats and ingredients, an approach sometimes referred to as newstalgia, is one of this year’s most anticipated menu trends.1
Topics: Pies/Tarts, Beverages, Ice Cream Desserts, Breakfast, Chocolate, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, Cocktails, Cookies, Dessert Ingredients, Creative Inspiration, Recipes, Culinary, Branded Ingredients, Consumer Behavior, Nostalgia, Shakes/Smoothies/Frozen Beverages
In fall, as the weather begins to cool, consumers’ appetite for desserts that include warm, toasty flavors starts to heat up.
Restaurants may find customers are seeking sweets such as pies and souffles, featuring autumnal ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, nuts and apples, according to Clarice Lam, Mondelēz Foodservice brand ambassador, contributor to Epicurious and Spruce Eats, and founder of The Baking Bean, a Brooklyn direct-to-consumer bakery specializing in all-natural seasonal sweets.
“Consumers want warm and cozy dishes for the fall—flavors that remind them of the holidays and family,” Lam said in an interview with marketing agency The Food Group.
In fact, more than half (53%) of consumers say they’re interested in seasonally influenced desserts.1
The ingredients, trendiness and other aspects, though, can affect how new menu items are received. To ensure any fall desserts you introduce are a sales success, consider weaving in some of the following features.
Topics: Promotions, Pies/Tarts, Custards/Cheesecakes, Beverages, Ice Cream Desserts, Dessert, Holidays, Seasonal, OREO, SOUR PATCH KIDS, Dessert Ingredients, Creative Inspiration, Branded Ingredients, Flavor Profiles, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), Nostalgia, Foodservice, Shakes/Smoothies/Frozen Beverages, Comfort
With an enticing mix of menu items, the dessert category can produce considerable revenue; 60% of operators say it’s helped them increase profits.1
Topics: Promotions, Marketing & Communications, Beverages, Dessert, Seasonal, Gen Z, Baby Boomers, Chocolate, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, Social Media, Dessert Ingredients, Customer Experience, Menu Strategy, Sales & Profitability, Culinary, Branded Ingredients, Consumer Behavior, Indulgence, Nostalgia, Signage, Foodservice
Desserts can be a big draw—a third of consumers say they sometimes visit a restaurant specifically because of one it offers.1 Yet historically, only 35% of operators have included frozen treats on their menu.2
Topics: Millennials, Snacking, Global, Ice Cream Desserts, Gen Z, Better-for-You, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Menu Strategy, Branded Ingredients, Flavor Profiles, Indulgence, Customization, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), Nostalgia, Foodservice, Healthful, Sweet, Refrigerated/Frozen Foods, Shakes/Smoothies/Frozen Beverages
Over the past year and a half, operators have addressed emerging pandemic-related consumer preference, safety and other needs by introducing innovative menu and operational changes—and a number have shown some staying power.
Topics: Technology, Promotions, Marketing & Communications, Mobile, Independents, Family Restaurant, Takeout, Business & Industry, Quick Service Restaurant, Casual Dining Restaurant, Ice Cream/Yogurt Shop, Delivery, Meal Kits, Donuts/Pancakes/Waffles, Cookies/Bars/Snacks, Ice Cream Desserts, Cakes/Cupcakes, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack, Holidays, Chocolate, CHIPS AHOY!, OREO, Family, Cookies, Dessert Ingredients, Grab-and-Go, Labor, Convenience, Foodservice Industry, Menu, Creative Inspiration, Customer Experience, Consumer, Flavors & Ingredients, Menu Strategy, Food & Beverage, Sales & Profitability, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Curbside Pickup, Fast-Casual Restaurant, Off-Premises, Consumer Behavior, Value, Limited Time Offers (LTOs), Nostalgia, Digital/Online Ordering, Touchless, On-Premises, Foodservice, Sweet, Fresh
See what our Brand Ambassadors say will be big taste trends in the year ahead.
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