Take an artistic approach to the ingredients between the bread and watch sandwich sales soar.
Perfectly crispy fried chicken topped with melted cheddar, tangy pickles, and cool mayo; freshly chopped barbecue pork slathered in smoky sauce and crowned with crispy slaw; stack upon stack of tender corned beef with a layer of warm sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and deli mustard. These are just a few of the ways to start building signature sandwiches that can make any restaurant stand out from the competition.
With a blank canvas like sandwiches, anything goes. Take a favorite dish like chicken Parmesan and make it into a sandwich or look at which produce is in season and create the perfect sauce or spread that a customer will photograph for the socials. Get inspired by international sandwiches, sauces, and spices.
More than 50% of consumers are gravitating toward spicier foods lately, so don’t be afraid to turn up the heat. Know a great cheese monger? Feature new and interesting cheeses on your sandwiches; consumers are introduced to global cheeses all the time at the local grocer and are ready to find them showcased on their favorite sandwich.
It’s easy to satisfy meat lovers. Try adding a pork sandwich to the menu. Click here for a toasty Cubano sandwich featuring pork loin
10 ON-TREND SAUCES
Nashville hot
Syrup
Sriracha aioli
Balsamic glaze
Mojo
Harissa
Creamy horseradish
Soy sauce
Garlic aioli
Dijonnaise
10 TRENDY SANDWICH TOPPINGS
Slaw
Noodles
Giardiniera
Chutney
Spicy pickles
Pickled onions
Barbecue sauce
Kimchee
Fried or caramelized onions
TRENDING SANDWICH CHEESE
Cheese Blend
Queso
White Cheddar
Aged Cheddar
Sharp Cheddar
Gouda
Smoked Gouda
Pepper Jack
Pimento Cheese
Gruyère
Pay attention to sauce and toppings, too. Mustard is great, but social media has trained today’s consumers that a double-stacked sandwich isn’t quite complete until it’s oozing and dripping with the picture-perfect condiment. Options run the gamut from pickled vegetables to coleslaw, kimchee to barbecue, and everything in between.
Looking to stay ahead of sandwich trends? Take inspiration from menus outside the United States. Some restaurateurs are already integrating international sandwiches such as Japan’s fruit sando, Rome’s trapizzino, and Chile’s chacarero.
On the Menu
Air-fried crispy chicken tenders, Thai basil slaw, pickled daikon and carrots, sweet chili sauce, sriracha mayo, and fried shallots on a toasted sesame brioche bun
Medium-rare miso-crusted housemade roast beef with horseradish crème fraiche, wild arugula, and pickled onion on a roll
Smoked turkey with jerk mayo, mixed greens, red onions, and roasted tomatoes on multigrain
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Sources: Restaurant Hospitality, Spicy Items Get More Complex as the Genre Matures, April 2021; Dairy Foods, 2021 State of the Industry, November 2021; Datassential, Sandwiches, April 2021; Flavor & The Menu, Handhelds on the Horizon, March 2022.
