Best of Menu

Best Nod to Smarter Eating
Au Bon Pain’s Portions

Today’s quick-service customers want healthier options, but they don’t want to sacrifice great taste. Au Bon Pain’s Portions menu fits the bill. Inspired by the tapas and bento-box trends, Executive Chef Thomas John created this line of small-plate items—including BBQ Chicken, a Mediterranean Tuna Salad, and cheese and fruit pairings—all less than 200 calories. Introduced in March, the Portions items account for around 2 percent of all café sales. Ed Frechette, Au Bon Pain’s senior vice president of marketing, says most guests also add on high-margin items, such as soup, bread, a cookie, or a beverage, resulting in higher average tickets.

Best Use of a Superfood
PJ’s Incorporates Yerba Mate

Playing into the popularity of so-called superfoods and consumers’ desire to experience exotic flavors, PJ’s introduced its Energy Latte, a blend of steamed milk and yerba mate, a traditional South American tea rich in antioxidants, as a limited-time offer in April. After causing a spike in sales, the item’s stay has been extended through the winter.

Best Breakfast Adaptation
Jack in the Box’s Breakfast Bowls

Weighing in at more than 700 calories each, the Denver Breakfast Bowl, with scrambled eggs, hash browns, ham, and cheese, and the Hearty Breakfast Bowl, featuring scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, and sausage, definitely shirk the trend of lighter options. But at just $2.99 plus tax, they give customers a cheap but hearty choice in the morning.

Best Menu Enhancement
Chick-fil-A Rethinks Chicken Salad Sandwich

A chunkier texture, wheatberry bread, and green leaf lettuce were all Chick-fil-A’s chicken salad sandwich—untouched since it debuted on the menu in 1967—needed to go from the backburner to the big time. During a promotional period, where Chick-fil-A also debuted revamped chicken strips, improved wraps, and a new salad, sales of the sandwich tripled over the old product, proving that small changes can make a big difference.

Best Ethnic Introduction
Taco Bell Frutista Freeze

With consumers calling for more beverage options, Taco Bell answered with the Frutista Freeze, a blended, iced fruit drink available in strawberry or mango-strawberry flavors and topped with fresh fruit. Based on aguas frescas, fruit drinks popular in Latin America, the Frutista Freeze has received positive feedback from customers and made Taco Bell a destination for beverages.