MAKE EVERY INGREDIENT COUNT

Operators are maximizing creativity, flavor, and operational efficiency with every meal by reimagining ingredients across the menu, from breakfast through dinner.

EFFICIENTLY USING EVERY INGREDIENT

For today’s foodservice operators, it’s not just about sales but how much they keep after expenses. With food costs making up a quarter of overall operator expenses¹, it’s no wonder carefully managing ingredients is key to running a more efficient and profitable business.

The good news? Even small changes can make a big impact, whether that’s ordering or plating less to save on food waste or introducing a new ingredient that can be used across dayparts. By managing ingredients wisely, operators can continue serving the quality meals people love while boosting profitability and setting businesses up for long-term success.

Maximize to Minimize

Foodservice operators gave “managing food costs” a 90% importance rating for their business.¹

Maximizing ingredients is among the top methods operators use to cut costs.¹

55% of foodservice operators working in Long-Term Care segment and 54% working in Senior Living say one of their top 3 methods to cut costs is maximizing ingredients.¹

Food Can Be Wholesome
& Healthful

One of the most appealing sources for functional benefits was “An item or ‘whole food’ that naturally provides functional health benefits.”¹

Salads were among the most important food categories for people to have healthful options at restaurants.¹

46% of people say “healthy/nutritional content” is a top-three consideration when deciding if a food item is a good value.²

AROUND THE CLOCK

As dayparts continue to blur, the industry is starting to see prominent lunch and dinner items being featured on breakfast and brunch menus. This goes well beyond the trend of breakfast tacos and burritos into pizzas, burgers, quesadillas and more.¹

Plus, fast casual chains like Dunkin’ and McDonald’s have begun offering All-Day Breakfast because patrons want to enjoy hash browns, bagels, and pancakes even during dinnertime.

^{Sources: 1. Datassential World of Breakfast (February 2024) ; 2. Datassential's Breakfast Keynote Report, as cited in Datassential Trendspotting: Vol 103 ; 3. Datassential Menu Trends YE DEC'23, as cited in Datassential World of Breakfast (February 2024)}

^{Sources: 1. Datassential PULSE Industry Overview: Segment Detail (2024)}

Asian-Inspired Brunch from Itoko Chicago

Traditional American breakfast with Mediterranean fare from Zaytinya

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

Global flavors are no longer limited to lunch and dinner. They’re making their way to breakfast, brunch, and beverage menus.

This trend creates new opportunities for operators to cleverly use ingredients across different dayparts, allowing for the creation of exciting new dishes.

This approach not only helps reduce waste and simplify inventory, but it also meets diner demand for bold, diverse, and trendy flavors.

Something New & Tasty!

40% of people are more willing to visit a restaurant offering new/innovative flavors.¹

43% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials agree with the statement “I’m ordering more beverages with unique flavors now than I was a year ago.”¹

One of the top reasons for people to eat food away from home was “to try something new.”²

Donatsu | “Donut” in Japanese; includes maple flakes, filled with warm chocolate, and served with a matcha semifreddo.

Egg White Frittata | Made with tomato, eggplant, zucchini, herbs, and sunflower seed pesto.

^{Sources: 1. Technomic 2023 Flavor Consumer Trend Report, as cited in Technomic Journey to 2030 Forecasting the Future of Foodservice (2024) ; 2. Datassential Operator Omnibus (August 2024), as cited in Datassential Table Stakes Report (September 2024)}

^{Sources: 1. Datassential Keynote Report Healthy (2024) ; 2. Datassential 2023 Top 500 Report, as cited in Datassental Big Picture Factors (2024)}

Breakfast Republic (California)

This chain is known for its creative breakfast offerings, including its limited-time Breakfast Hot Dogs. The bacon-wrapped all-beef hot dogs are in a brioche bun, topped with sautéed onion, bell peppers, cheese sauce, two eggs, and green onions, and served with
house potatoes.

67% of people want more egg options outside of the breakfast daypart.²

Over the past decade, Fast Casual menus have seen the biggest increase in Breakfast Dishes offerings per menu.³

Leftover roasted veggies (like broccoli or carrots) can be mixed with grains (like quinoa or rice) and protein (like grilled chicken or chickpeas) for a hearty, feel-good salad.
Surplus stir-fry noodles can be tossed with shredded veggies like cabbage and bell peppers, along with a vibrant dressing made from soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil for a wholesome noodle salad.

SALADS: EASY & INTERESTING

The fastest growing segment among the 500 largest restaurant chains was LSR Salad/Healthful.² In addition, units also grew the fastest for LSR Salad/Healthful at nearly 6% unit growth, driven by chains like Salad And Go.² This indicates a growing population of people who prefer the potentially healthy option of salads. This opens lots of possibilities for foodservice operators looking to serve this audience while maximizing efficiency, as salads can be made more interesting with existing ingredients. For example:

COLD COFFEE:
A CROWD PLEASER

Offering iced coffee and cold brew is a strategic move to
maximize ingredients.

Leftover hot coffee can be repurposed for iced coffee, reducing waste. But even beyond efficiency, the demand for cold coffee is on the rise with iced coffee experiencing 4-year historic growth of 18% on menus.¹

^{Sources: 1. Datassential Menu Trends YE DEC'23, as cited in Datassential The World of Coffee (February 2024) ; 2. Datassential BUZZ Topical Report: Cold Brew (2024)}

Cold Brew’s Hot Streak

64% of Gen Z & 67% of Millennials find cold brew highly appealing.² Add to that, cold brew is becoming a mainstream staple, projected to grow nearly 50% on menus over the next four years.² It can be prepared in batches and stored for several days, making it an efficient, low-waste option that maximizes existing inventory.

CUSTOM IS COOL

Offering customization in cold coffee drinks—especially with creamers—opens the door to more unique, innovative options. This allows upselling and draws in people looking to customize their beverages.

^{Sources: 1. Datassential BUZZ Topical Report: Innovative Creamers (2024) ; 2. Datassential BUZZ Annual State of the Category (2024)}

Creative ways to use coffee creamers:

Add a touch of flavored creamer to make smoothies
more flavorful
Substitute milk/water with creamer in bakery goods to enhance moisture and flavor
Thicken sauces and add a lush texture with a touch of coffee creamer

Coffee shop/bakery café are among the top locations where people expect to find plant-based milk/plant-based creamer for their
coffee/tea beverages.¹

Vanilla/French Vanilla, Vanilla Caramel, and Caramel are the top flavors of plant-based or non-traditional milk/creamer that people would be interested in adding to their coffee/tea.¹

Health consistently outranks all other motivators for why consumers try plant-based creamer or milk.¹

62% of people prefer flavored cold coffee while 30% of people prefer regular (unflavored) cold coffee.²

Over half of cold coffee drinkers prefer adding both creamer and sweetener and six in ten prefer adding it themselves.²

Whipped cream was among the most used topping as part of the ice-blended/frozen coffee/frappe drink for Gen Z.²