As consumers seek more functional benefits in the food and drink they ingest, grocery companies are seizing an opportunity that can apply to many restaurants too: marketing food as medicine. Foodservice Director reports that following last year’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, the grocery delivery company Instacart recently announced two initiatives to “enhance collaborative care, promote healthy choices and deliver nutritious foods.” In practice, this means Instacart tools will allow healthcare providers to literally prescribe food products to patients much like they prescribe medication. The grocer Food Lion also opened a “food pharmacy” this year. If your restaurant brand is focused on delivering fresh, nutrient-dense foods, there may be opportunities for your business to find new income streams or forge new community partnerships with other organizations eager to support public health. In recent months, a number of restaurant executives have been seeing potential for rapid growth in the breakfast segment – particularly as people have returned to the office and to school with greater regularity after the pandemic. CEOs from brands ranging from Starbucks to McDonald’s to Wendy’s have spoken out about the strength of the daypart in earnings calls – and other brands are tapping into opportunities for both innovation and for showcasing fresh ingredients that the breakfast menu can deliver. Specifically, restaurant brands are offering creative twists on traditional breakfast dishes, featuring lifestyle-focused options for plant-based, gluten-free and high-protein diets, and even boosting check totals through new alcoholic beverage options beyond the mimosa. A recent Restaurant Dive report mentioned Snooze’s Bountiful Buddha Bowl, a plant-based concoction of a vegetables, black rice, quinoa, kale and golden raisins, as well as First Watch’s brunch-themed cocktails, including a Pomegranate Sunrise and Cinnamon Toast Cereal Milk. There is also room for growth in breakfast delivery as more brands adapt their menus and their technology to off-premise early morning diners. Gimmick or not, ice cubes that have been infused with all things edible and eye-catching is all the rage. These specialty cubes, which encase edible flowers, herbs, fruit and other items, went viral when a fashion influencer made a video showcasing nine different types of specialty ice cubes in her freezer. While they can add visual punch to your cocktail menu, they can also add interest and layers of flavor to lemonade, iced tea and iced coffee (try adding frozen cubes of coffee to avoid watering down the drink’s flavor). |
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March 2024
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