Article

Restaurants launch holiday menus, promotions

How fast casual chains are appealing to holiday diners through charity partnerships and limited-time offers.

November 22, 2011 by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

As consumers head into the holidays, fast casual restaurant chains are rolling out new menu items and promotions to celebrate the season.

McAlister's Deli has launched several holiday limited-time offers across its 300-plus chain. To start, McAlister's has introduced its California Turkey Reuben, a lighter-calorie option than its traditional Reuben sandwich. The sandwich features Butterball smoked turkey, homemade coleslaw, swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, served on toasted rye bread.

The sandwich ties into one of Technomic's recently announced trends for 2012: a twist on the familiar.

"Because of all the economic uncertainty, consumers are more cautious about purchasing menu items that they may see as a risk, but they are looking for new flavors incorporated in to some of their favorite comfort foods. We felt that this trend would certainly play out around the holidays, when consumers tend to gravitate towards seasonal comfort foods," said Annica Kreider, vice president of Marketing for McAlister's Deli. "The traditional reuben is one of our most popular menu items and we felt that a turkey version with cole slaw instead of sauerkraut would be a great update."

The menu item has been in test for about a year and also allowed the chain to bring back coleslaw as a side dish.

"We used to offer it, and then over the years it was eliminated. We had a lot of guest requests to bring back coleslaw. We worked hard on the right recipe for the coleslaw, and we actually ended up returning to our original heritage recipe that we made many years ago," Kreider said.

Additionally, the chain is stepping away from its cake-by-the-slice offering, instead giving consumers the option to purchase its Chocolate Lovin' Spooncake, Colossal Carrot Cake or New York Cheesecake in their entirety.

"The whole cakes provide several benefits for both operators and guests. In past years we had a lot of guest requests for whole cakes during the holidays, so we knew there was a demand for them," she said. "For the operators it’s an opportunity to drive additional sales, and hopefully have our products tasted by potential new guests."

In addition to McAlister's Deli, Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes and bd's Mongolian Grill have launched limited-time menu items.

For the first time in company history, Souplantation has released 15 take-home items for the holiday season. Seperate items are available for both the Thanksgiving and December holiday seasons. According to the National Restaurant Association, more than 14 million Americans will visit a restaurant for a Thanksgiving meal and another 16 million will use restaurant takeout to supplement a meal during the holiday.

Meanwhile, bd's is putting a Mongolian flavor on the season with the launch of Orange Glazed Fried Shrimp Appeteasers and Beef Pot Roast soup. The chain also is featuring a variety of "Winter Warmer' alcoholic beverages:

Jolly Java:A combination of Kahlua, Bailey’s, Grand Marnier and coffee, garnished with whipped cream and an orange twist.
Hot Coco – Khan Fusion:A fusion of hot chocolate, Chambord, Frangelico and Kahlua.
Spiked Cider: Warm Apple Cider spiked with CaptainMorgan Spiced Rum, whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.

“Our holiday menu captures the spirit of the holiday season and stays true to ourcommitment of letting guests ‘rule the experience’,” said Denise Head, vice president of marketing at bd’s Mongolian Grill.“Our creative twists on classic holiday season dishes are part of what makes the bd’s experience so magical."

Charitable giving

In partnership with Operation Homefront's Adopt A Family promotion, 56 Freebirds locations are participating in a drive to support military families during the holiday season. This is the third year World Works has partnered with the program.

"We wanted to be able to give each restaurant the opportunity to give back in a way that allowed them to work as a team and express their creativity," said Annette Beavers, director of Freebirds' non-profit organization, World Works. "The Adopt A Family program is something we initiated because you are able to do that, as well as have direct contact with families and truly share in the magic of the holidays."

World Works came up with the Adopt A Family program in 2009, and in 2010 approached Operation Homefront in Texas about a partnership.

"To our delight, we realized they also had an Adopt A Family program that paired up perfectly with our efforts," Beavers said. "It has truly been an honor to be partnered with this incredible organization in providing a joyful holiday experience to our service men and women and their families. It is something we look forward to every year."