News

The fresh factor

Restaurants tout freshly prepared to add consumer appeal.

June 24, 2007

A large number of restaurants are now promoting the use of fresh ingredients and freshly prepared menu items. According to Mintel Menu Insights, the number of restaurants claiming "fresh" on the menu has increased 21 percent over the last two years.

 

"Fresh is a major factor in menu development and menu concept development," said Maria Caranfa, director of Chicago-based Mintel Menu Insights. "It's not only fresh ingredients, but freshly prepared ingredients as well. People want to know their food is fresh and freshly prepared."

 

Mintel reported that the occurrence of fresh preparations on menus increased from about 1,800 in the first quarter of 2005 to nearly 2,500 in the third quarter of 2006.

 

Fast casuals have successfully promoted freshly prepared menu items to attract a wide variety of consumers — many of whom seek a more healthful alternative to fast food or pre-cooked fare.

 

Panera Bread, Schlotzsky's, Qdoba and myriad other fast casual chains promote freshly prepared salads, sandwiches, pizzas, burritos and almost any other menu item that comes to mind.

 

Penn Station East Coast Subs recently unveiled its new restaurant design — the kitchen now lets the cook face the customer — all in an effort to promote freshly prepared menu items.

 

Penn Station president Craig Dunaway said the kitchen was rearranged to let customers see their food freshly prepared.

 

'Fresh' on the menu  Freshly baked Freshly cut Freshly sliced Freshly squeezed Freshly grated   * Mintel Menu Insights

According to the National Restaurant Association's 2007 industry forecast, 71 percent of adults said they are trying to eat more healthfully at restaurants. Of those, 75 percent were women and 68 percent were men.

 

While Dunaway believes consumers may not always have health on their minds, they are seeking freshly prepared meals.

 

"I think consumers speak health, but they shop differently than what they say," he said. "But we always promote the fresh aspect in everything that we do."

 

Ensuring freshness means visiting the chain's potato suppliers every year to check on crops, using freshly cut French fries at each location, slicing lemons daily and requiring all locations to receive deliveries at least twice a week.

 

Many restaurants have built marketing campaigns around freshly prepared menu items. Caranfa says fresh ingredients are used industry-wide to help differentiate restaurants and respond to consumer demand.

 

"You have to look at what your customer is looking for," said Roger Kirkland, a Penn Station franchisee in West Virginia.