Premium Salads

Recently, quick-serves have added premium menu items to compete with the offerings at fast-casual restaurants, and salads are no exception. Caranfa says the move couldn’t have come at a better time.

“One of Mintel’s 2009 trend predictions was that, because of the economy, many consumers were going to be trading down in some areas,” she says.

Accordingly, many full-service restaurant customers have migrated to quick-serves because of the sluggish economy. Luckily, quick-serves were well-equipped to serve them the premium salads they’ve come to expect from full-service establishments—but at a lower price-point.

“What quick-service has done already has been smart,” Caranfa says. “They’ve offered different flavors of salad, and then they’re able to have one or two types of chicken in the kitchen so that gets applied to all of their salads.”

The move allows them to offer premium salads while keeping prices—and costs—low.

“Consumers can get flavor varieties through the salad base, but then they have something a little bit more plain or familiar with the chicken,” Caranfa says. “However, there is opportunity for flavor innovation with chicken to either pair with the base flavor of the salad or to pair with different vinaigrettes, as well.”

As the mature menu trend continues, the salads found primarily at full-service restaurants today will likely influence quick-serve menus.

Caranfa expects to see Cobb salads and Chopped salads—both of which are popular in full-service restaurants—make waves in the quick-serve industry soon. Both salads are often paired with chicken.

In fact, Panera Bread introduced its own combination of the two trends (a Chopped Chicken Cobb salad) in June. The salad combines its pepper-mustard chicken with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, Gorgonzola, and hard-boiled eggs, all chopped and tossed with herb vinaigrette dressing.

“It’s pretty interesting,” Caranfa says. “In their commercials they list all the ingredients that are in the salad, and they say, ‘You get seven flavors in one bite,’ so they’re really focusing on flavor and freshness with their ingredients.”

Caranfa also says Greek and Caribbean salads with matching flavored chicken will become more popular on quick-serve menus. However, pairing poultry in salads with new and different ingredients presents its own set of challenges. Ordering new inventory that is used in only one or two salads can be costly.

“You have to know how it’s going to impact your food costs and your sales,” says Salad Spinners’ Levy. “It’s one thing to put something on the menu, and it’s another thing to make sure it’s going to sell.” He recommends being flexible enough to take the risks associated with stocking a new ingredient, while monitoring for signs of success—or failure.

He does that constantly at his concept, where create-your-own salads are the most popular menu item.

“That’s no big surprise,” he says. “People love to create their own dishes.” Of course, with customization comes another challenge—especially when it comes to customizing entrée salads that aren’t create-your-own.

“If the consumer doesn’t want the dressing that pairs well with the salad, then it’s tricky because the consumer might pick a flavor combination that’s not right,” Caranfa says. She recommends testing salad recipes to ensure that a couple of popular dressings (ranch and vinaigrettes are among the most requested) will pair well with it.

If the salad will only taste right with one or two particular dressings, make sure to note those suggestions on the menu.

Turkey Options

Of course, moving away from chicken entirely creates new opportunities in poultry-topped salads.

“The main salad that turkey’s being used in is chef salad,” Mintel’s Caranfa says. “Cobb salads are using turkey a little bit more, but it’s mostly chicken.”

Since turkey is used so sparingly in salads, opportunities for innovation abound.

“Some people might say they have chicken fatigue,” says Sherrie Rosenblatt, vice president of marketing and communications at the National Turkey Federation. “Turkey is a plus to adding variety without providing a poultry protein that maybe you’re not familiar with.”