Take Advantage of High Value Menu Items
Published on: 04/16/2018 in Menu Claims
Published on: 04/16/2018 in Menu Claims
With a greater awareness around the impact of food, consumers have been shifting their preference toward clean ingredients and responsibly raised animal proteins. In fact, the demand for high-value menu items is influencing all segments of foodservice—from fast food to fine dining. High value menu claims like No Antibiotics Ever can set you apart and help drive sales.
Eighty-six percent (86%) of consumers would like restaurants to be more transparent about what's in their food.1 This is especially true when it comes to animal protein—consumers now consider animal welfare, sustainability and the absence of antibiotics, hormones and preservatives as major factors when choosing what and where to eat.2 Consumers also care about how an animal is fed, with a preference toward a vegetarian diet.2
Nearly half of consumers indicated that using sustainable foods creates a good value at foodservice locations.1 Meanwhile, 68% of consumers feel antibiotic-free meat is healthier with 37% willing to pay more for antibiotic- free foods.3 When it comes to organic food, 70% of consumers perceive it as healthier and 44% would pay more for it.3
Take advantage of high-value products by calling out their attributes on your menu; you may see that being transparent with your customers could result in higher profits. For example, many millennials seek out sustainable and more ethical food choices when dining out4 and 62% are willing to spend more for high quality ingredients.5 Having an effective menu can be one of your strongest marketing tools—it conveys transparency and can help set you apart from competitors.
When it comes to menu development, it’s all about the description. Longer, more detailed menu descriptions have been shown to sell more food.6 In fact, longer descriptions have been shown to sell nearly 30 percent more, according to a Cornell study.6 Plain old “roast chicken” is transformed to “slow roasted organic, free- range chicken.” Customers even rated food as better tasting when the items had longer, more detailed descriptions.6 Therefore, feel good terms such as “natural,” “whole,” and “organic” are now menu must- haves.4
It’s time to evaluate your menu offerings, especially since the trend towards antibiotic-free and organic proteins will continue to grow. Consumers are clearly shifting their preference for better-for- you proteins—get ahead of the game with No Antibiotics Ever poultry products. When you choose premium proteins that adhere nto animal welfare guidelines and are fed a 100% vegetarian diet containing no animal by-products, you’re demonstrating your commitment to quality and giving customers what they want. Start setting yourself apart today!
1 Technomic, “How Shifting Health Priorities Will Change Foodservice in 2016,” 2/2/16
2 Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, “Study: Restaurant Patrons Want Menu Transparency for Meat, Poultry,” 6/16/16
3 Technomic, “Consumer & Restaurant Menu Trends: The Clean Label Influence,” March 2017
4 Restaurant Nutrition, “The Millennial Opportunity: Redefining Health,” 5/19/16
5 Nation’s Restaurant News, “Putting a Premium on Value,” 5/5/16
6 Mental Floss, “8 Psychological Tricks of Restaurant Menus,” 3/30/16