Article

Gone fishing: Why LSRs are angling for seafood

Consumers are more familiar with seafood, which means LSRs can now be creative when it comes to adding fish to the menu.

May 2, 2016 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Fish, as an ingredient on limited-service menus, has grown 4 percent over the past year, according to Mintel Menu Insights, a fact that doesn't surprise Kazia Jankowski, culinary and brand strategist for Kazia Jankowski Consulting.

"Guests want healthier options, in particular, lean proteins, and flavor exploration," she said. "Fish and seafood represent relatively unexplored flavors in the fast casual world, yet for guests, they offer the perfect healthy, flavorful options."

While fried preparation remains the top cooking method for fish at LSRs, it's on the ebb, according to Mintel. Grilled preparations have risen 37 percent since Q4 2015, with fish tacos, wraps and bowls appearing more frequently at a variety of concepts. While Wahoo's Fish Tacos and Rubio's have been serving them for years, non-fish brands are starting to add them. Tropical Smoothie cafe, for example, recently added a fish taco made with grilled tilapia,

Other concepts are using fish as the base for burgers and salads: Larkburger, a Colorado-based burger chain, for example, offers an ahi tuna burger with a wasabi ginger dressing, and Sweetgreen serves a roasted steelhead trout and citrus shrimp for salads and bowls. Other innovative offerings include grilled fish sandwiches andThai-inspired salads.

"The health halo associated with fish provides operators the opportunity to not only market a new protein option, but a better-for-you option," said Branden Bentley, corporate chef at Food IQ. "Limited serves, which sometimes receive flack for not having many healthy menu items, can use fish to their advantage for this reason. Fish is also an option for those vegetarians that allow fish in their diet."

Fish-centric brands

Fish isn't just appearing more frequently on the menus of already-established brands; it's getting top-billing in a variety of newer chains that have built brands around innovating it. Slapfish, for example, is a fish-centric concept in California that takes a culinary approach to fish. Motomaki is a fast casual Japanese sushi and poke spot based in Boulder, Colorado, and Coconut's Fish Cafe, born in Hawaii, has opened in Dallas, Austin and LA. It specializes in grilled fish filets over brown rice on a bun or served over a salad.

"Fish is tied to wide variety of culinary heritages — Asian, Mediterranean, southern, northeast U.S., Hawaiian, and more — so restaurants can serve up Hawaiian poke, ahi tuna burgers, and lobster rolls, and guests get to enjoy all kinds of new tastes they can feel good about,"Jankowski said.

Ono and poke

Consumers becoming more familiar with fish offerings means restaurants can afford to be creative when it comes to the menu. Hawaiian cuisine and the fish associated with it, for example, is becoming more common. Specifically, ono fish and poke fish salad (generally made with tuna) have seen a lot of growth, according to Mintel. Ono has grown on LSR menus by 64 percent, and tuna has seen a 7 percent increase since Q4 2015.

Poke is getting traction, especially in the fast casual space. Several startups, Sweetfin Poke and New York City's Wisefish Poke are two concepts based on the raw fish salad, according to Eater.com. Other brands hoping to catch poke success include: The bicoastal Pokéworks; LA's Mainland Poke Shop and Poke Bar and San Diego's Poké Go.

Keeping costs down

Many brands may assume fish is too expensive for menus, but Bentley said there are several ways to help keep costs down.

"First, purchasing pre-portioned product helps prevent waste when portioning," he said. "If creating menu items such as patties, adding other ingredients to the fish, such as bread crumbs as filler helps lower the amount of fish used."

Staying flexible is also key.

Brands can rotate fish offerings based on seasonality or offer a 'today's fresh catch.'

"That keeps costs lower as the prices fluctuate throughout the year and allows the operator to shop around," Bentley said.

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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