Foodservice Updates

Foodservice Updates is designed to help foodservice operators keep on top of all the industry news and provides tips for keeping business running smooth. We endeavor to provide the latest tips and solutions to keep you in the know.

Where is opportunity knocking?

Times of challenge create opportunity – and while the pandemic has presented plenty of hurdles for restaurant operators, it is also revealing new possibilities for those with the resources and flexibility to snap them up. Case in point: A number of large restaurant brands are planning aggressive franchise expansion right now. According to a recent Restaurant Dive report, lower taxes, milder weather and more relaxed Covid restrictions have made the South and Southeast U.S. attractive targets for restaurant expansion lately. Shake Shack, for one, announced that it will be adding up to 50 new locations in 2022 – its largest expansion to date. Even for independents and smaller chain restaurants, there are opportunities. As restaurants have closed during the difficult months of the pandemic, some are leaving behind real estate pre-configured for drive-through business, along with heavy-duty equipment that may be available at a reduced cost. With an excess of restaurant real estate on the market, look for more preferable terms from landlords as well – particularly in higher-end locations that may have been out of reach pre-pandemic. Finally, if you’re open to less conventional arrangements, consider other restaurants or even complementary businesses that may want to join forces via sub-leasing arrangements or other partnerships that can help you both bring business in the door.

Preferred packaging

Your off-premise business no doubt looks a lot different than it did just a couple of years ago. According to research from NPD Group, off-premise restaurant orders were up 20 percent in September compared to where they were in 2019. But what happens when you’re not only struggling to source key ingredients but also the cups and containers you need to enable your food to get out the door? Ongoing global supply chain challenges have resulted in increased costs and scarcity of these items, with key suppliers having to limit the number of cases restaurant customers can purchase from them. Some major brands are finding alternatives that have fringe benefits. Sara Burnett, who leads sustainability efforts for Panera Bread, told CNBC that the brand had switched to a compostable thermal wrap for their sandwiches – and it happens to use 60 percent less material, is easier to transport and has a smaller carbon footprint. But as the pandemic ebbs, there may be less consumer concern about the need for single-use items – and perhaps an opportunity for restaurant brands to revive the pre-pandemic programs they had in place for reusable containers. As Nation’s Restaurant News reported recently, Tupperware has created reusable packaging for Tim Hortons as part of the brands’ partnership with the zero-waste platform Loop.

How to Maximize Your Menu with Less

If you feel like you need another set of hands in your kitchen, not only are you not alone, but Tyson Foodservice has a variety of ways to give them to you. With a full portfolio of ready-made products that exist to help streamline your menu and make back-of-house life a little easier, you can consider us your own personal prep squad.

From fully customizable to ready to heat and serve, our ingredient chicken and steak products deliver labor and time savings, better yield, and less waste. Additionally, these products are incredibly versatile for usage in applications across the board—from popular favorites to trendy flavor profiles. Click to see how easily these come to life in simple, and incredibly tasty, recipes.

How to Maximize Your Menu with Less