Sponsored by Miss Vickie’s®.
No matter where customers choose to give their patronage these days, it seems they’re all looking for the same thing: Less. They want more menu options with fewer ingredients, fewer syllables and, of course, incredible taste.
41% of respondents said “natural ingredients” were important to them when deciding which sandwich to order
– Technomic 2018 Sandwich Consumer Trend Report
A growing number of newer customers are becoming increasingly demanding and savvy when it comes to claims of freshness and traditional health features. They want clean ingredients either because of a sense of social responsibility or special dietary needs.
Operators would do well to keep this in mind when deciding which products to order and which menu items to promote. They stand to gain a good deal of increased traffic and loyalty. Of course, it’s important to remember that clean label offerings aren’t limited to just entrees or baked goods free from artificial colors or antibiotic-free proteins. Appetizers, side dishes or simple add-ons like potato chips can provide clean-label customers the same motivation to visit your operation with the same fantastic benefits.
Operators interested in making a shift toward more clean label offerings can start with changes both big and small. From taking a look at revising current entrees with more natural ingredients to simply replacing add-on options with items featuring no artificial flavors or preservatives.