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Takeout Closes the Gap on Restaurant Quality

April 1, 2013

Restaurants are finding new ways to provide customers dine-in quality with takeout convenience.

Takeout used to mean trading quality for convenience, but takeout is evolving, growing and starting to compete with the traditional dining experience. Customers are demanding more convenience and quick service without compromising quality, leading some restaurateurs to evolve their quick service solutions.

Takeout is going beyond pizza and Chinese food. Gourmet options, take & bake and dinner kits enable restaurants to deliver high quality food with the convenience customers crave. (more…)

Adapting to Rising Food Prices

March 25, 2013

Improve perceptions of your business without changing your prices.

Nine out of ten customers are more value-conscious today than they were two years ago, according to operators polled in the NRA’s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Customers expect more for their money, and with more dining options and competition than ever, people feel empowered to be more discerning with their dollars. The businesses that exceed customer expectations on price, taste, quality and service will stand out when it comes to delivering value and earning customers’ business.

The necessity of quality food cannot be overstated, but you can elevate your business’ value by looking beyond the menu for ways to make your customer’s experience better.

This doesn’t have to be a big undertaking. Several small shifts in details can go a long way, such as offering bottomless bread and rolls or chips, increasing the amount of seating in the waiting area and elevating the quality of the ingredients used in existing dishes. Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. (more…)

Menu Planning with Students

March 18, 2013

Catering to student taste and government regulations.

School dining staffs face what can sometimes seem like an impossible challenge, delivering meals students enjoy while staying within increasingly tight budgets and USDA regulations. There’s still hope. Healthy school meals can still taste delicious, especially when schools involve students in the menu planning process.

Some schools have already implemented creative ideas to give students more control over school meals. A Wichita school invited students to test taste some new menu items, including wraps and pizza. Students shared their opinions using electronic clickers. Some schools are starting to implement web menu technology to empower students to make better choices by learning more about food health information.

School Lunch Menu Planning There are still simpler approaches. Marzetti’s Pittsburgh area school broker representative recommends several ways for schools to educate students on USDA regulations while showing the school is interested in appealing to their taste palettes:

Use home economics classes as an opportunity to speak to students about the importance of whole grains in their diets and what the school does to address regulations.
Invite students to participate in taste testings to collect their feedback on different dishes. These students can be excellent peer ambassadors for the school meal program because they become part of the process.
Be honest with students on the fact that school food is regulated to meet health requirements but also educate them on what the staff does to make it taste as good as possible. Start with younger students and invite them to visit the cafeteria while meals are being prepared. Show them the process. Don’t just tell them about it.

Students can be a tough crowd to please, but bringing them along in the process can help them have a better understanding of school meals and give you more insight into the tastes of your school’s unique student population.

You can find more information on MarzettiFoodservice.com to see how our whole grain products satisfy the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Discovering Fresh Ideas – Menu and Meal Planning

March 11, 2013

Discover new sources for menu inspiration.

foodservice_meal_planning The best ideas are often the simplest. That couldn’t be truer than when it comes to planning your menu. Marzetti Foodservice has an extensive Research and Development team, but we know that’s not practical most of the time, especially when an ongoing need for inspiration is necessary to stay ahead in the competitive foodservice landscape.

The good news is you don’t always need a big budget to freshen up your menu. Often the best ideas are right in front of you.

Turn to your staff. Your employees are likely full of great ideas to spice up the menu. You might be surprised how much insight your own employees have into customers’ tastes and gaps in your menu.
Follow the industry. Culinary publications like Flavor and the Menu, Plate and Restaurant Hospitality will help you stay up-to-date on flavor trends and ideas. Similar to the fashion industry, trends often start as high-level concepts before becoming mainstream. Publications will help you stay ahead of customers’ ever changing palettes.
Look to other food industries. You can find inspiration in how industries like beer, wine and spirits are changing flavor profiles in their own products. Brewers and vintners are constantly evolving their products with new flavors that you can incorporate into your own recipes. Applebee’s used insights from the spirits industry to launch its Spirited Cuisine menu.
Get inspired by the season. Use the seasons to inspire updates to your menu with fresh and light meals in the spring and summer like spring greens with brie toasts and evolving to heartier fare in the winter such as lasagna rollups with vegetable sauce. It’s a simple change, but it will keep your menu exciting with new surprises every season.
Be health conscious. Consumers and government organizations are becoming more sensitive to diets. Follow health trends and experiment with new food to see how they can be incorporated into your menu. Panera, Applebee’s and Chili’s are just a few examples of restaurants that have launched lighter m enu items to help customers keep their 2013 resolutions.
Play with what you have. Don’t hesitate to experiment and repurpose the ingredients you already have to create a variety of new dishes. Some will be great. Others won’t. But you won’t know if you don’t try. Marzetti Original Slaw Dressing can be used to make a decadent gingerbread cake with lemon cream cheese sauce or as a substitute for mayo in this twist on a tuna sandwich. Experiment, and don’t be afraid to invite some of your best customers and most passionate employees to put new creations to the test.

A little research can go a long way toward being viewed by your customers as in-tune with their needs and current trends.

Marzetti Foodservice is here to help. Our culinary team is constantly creating new flavor inspirations. You can even search our recipe database for ways to use your already on-hand dressings and sauces to create your next great dish.

Introducing On Your Plate

March 4, 2013

Introducing our blog to help you grow your business and your career.

You have a lot on your plate. From trends and new menu ideas to dealing with rising food costs and tighter budgets, it can be difficult to keep up, especially when you have the day-to-day business operations to worry about. Marzetti started out as a restaurant 116 years ago, which means our company is rooted in the foodservice industry, and we understand what it takes to serve great tasting food while facing the industry’s evolving challenges.

RestaurantFront

That’s why we started this blog. We want to provide more ways to help you both on and offline. On Your Plate is just one more way we can provide business solutions, whether you’re one of our partners or not. After all, we’re successful when you’re successful.

This blog is here to help you grow your business and advance your career. We’ll be sharing insights rooted in our years of culinary experience and extensive research and development program. But we also want to hear from you. What topics do you want us to explore? Share your challenges and ideas. Leave a comment or reach out with an email.

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