 Sriracha varieties are on the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot list for the year — and in addition to being popular with guests, they’re also a versatile, cost-effective item to have in your toolbox. Sriracha sauce mixes well with such commonly used condiments as ketchup, mayonnaise, honey and butter. From there, you can translate it into a wide range of applications and menu categories. Whip up a dipping sauce, sandwich topping, chicken marinade or snack seasoning, or use to it add some spice to soup or brownies.
 Whether you’re serving more animal- or plant-based proteins these days, consumers are embracing spices to kick up the interest of these foods. According to Food Engineering Magazine, nearly half of consumers say seasonings weigh heavily on their decision to purchase a certain protein – and spicy flavors including harissa, chimichurri and Cajun, along with smoky flavors like hickory, mesquite, oak and alder, are winning fans. Fortunately, the rubs and marinades you use to enhance the experience of a dish also offer the timely benefit of helping you stretch your pantry without a need for more real estate.
 Could you turn up the heat on your menu? Your guests’ taste buds may welcome it. As plant-based dishes have grown in demand, spices have become ever-more-important contributors of global flavor. Whether you’re serving up Asian flavors like gochujang, Latin American fare or American-style barbecue, consider giving some kick to your menu by creating spicy variations on a dish.  Comfort food is always on trend. But as much as guests crave the nostalgic comfort of a dish they know well, they also want something creative and interesting – a step beyond what they might think about preparing at home. Making small adjustments can offer that interest and extend your menu. Consider how global spices, seasonal produce or new marinades or sauces might complement the classic dishes you serve.  It’s one of the paradoxes of running a restaurant right now: Accommodate the preferences of your guests – but do so with a smaller staff, a slimmed-down menu and an unpredictable supply of ingredients. While that can be challenging for sure, there are simple ways to give guests the range of options they crave without stretching your inventory to its limit. Looking to your spices, sauces, dressings and condiments can help you create many variations on a dish and offer the customization guests are demanding – all without requiring a lot of staff training or consuming valuable real estate in your pantry. Try changing up the seasoning and dipping sauces on your appetizer menu to create a new special, using a popular soup to transform the flavor of a pasta dish, or looking to various combinations of condiments and global spices to add a range of international flavors to your burger menu. Even minor tweaks to a marinade can change the experience of an entrée. Turning to these options can be a labor saver, as well as a tool to save time on staff training. As you look across your inventory, what shelf-stable ingredients could you use to create multiple menu items that are new to your guests?
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