Anita Jones-Mueller, M.P.H., president and founder of Healthy Dining, a nutrition-related marketing and consulting firm, interviews Ype Von Hengst, co-founder and vice president of culinary operations at Silver Diner, about the chain’s commitment to offering more healthful food options to kids.
This interview and others can be seen at Healthy Dining’s Restaurant Nutrition News & Insights.
Ype, you were a big hit at the Kids LiveWell launch event last month at the National Press Club in Washington DC! My 10-year old daughter loved your kids' bison slider served with strawberries.
Yes, it was an exciting event and so fun to see all the kids really enjoying the healthier choices from such a variety of restaurants.
Even though healthier kids fare is gaining traction at a growing number of restaurants, Silver Diner has been leading this effort for the last several years. Tell us about that.
This is something that is very near and dear to my heart. This is the first generation that may not have as long a lifespan as that of their parents. And that is sad. Our kids deserve the best and that includes high quality healthful foods that taste good.
I agree. And that is what Kids LiveWell is all about … making it easy for kids to love eating healthfully. But, as a mom, I know it is so hard to get kids to eat healthy. My youngest will always choose French fries over broccoli and pizza over lean chicken breast. And it’s not just my daughter, her friends too. Yet, at Silver Diner, you have some really enticing healthier kids’ menu choices that Bob Giamo, your president, has told me are selling really well. So that is the proof to me. If the healthier items are selling, then the kids – and their parents – must be enjoying those items. Tell us about that.
We are showing very strong sales for our healthier items. Right now four out of every ten kids meals ordered at Silver Diner are our healthier items, designated with a heart. And that sales trend seems to be increasing with time. So far this year, over 30% of all checks have healthy items versus just 10% last year, and that’s for adults and kids. We have a whole array of healthier adult meals too. It’s hard to argue against trending like that.
That is significant growth! That’s impressive. What are some of your best-selling kids’ items right now?
Kids love the teriyaki salmon and the chicken with brown rice and mixed veggies. They also really like the Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Cheese and the Bison Sliders with Strawberries. We do offer the old standard chicken tenders, but even those are antibiotic and hormone free and served with strawberries or vegetables instead of fries. I think it is really important to use high quality ingredients.
Tell us more about the quality of ingredients you use.
So, for instance, we offer whole wheat spaghetti and always have multi-grain breads. I think it is really important to buy locally. Our produce, dairy, eggs and meats are from local farms as much as possible. All of our meats are hormone free and our beef is grass fed with no anti-biotics. Our bacon and sausage are nitrate-free. Our peach and strawberry ice cream toppings are made from high quality agave instead of high fructose corn syrup. The quality of ingredients is really important to our health. It might cost more but our customers are worth it. And we find the quality of
our food is what keeps our loyal guests coming back so often.
I am so impressed with your Eat Well, Do Well! Rewards club at Silver Diner. That has been a big success too, right?
The Eat Well, Do Well Rewards Club was a natural outgrowth of our commitment to our customers and their health. Members earn benefits by using their card just like a standard rewards program. What makes ours different is that members have the option to link their card to one of over 80 enrolled schools. When members link their card, a percentage of what they spend is donated to the school of their choice for physical fitness and healthier lunch programs. Since the program started, we’ve seen significant increases in our check averages. So it’s really a win for our schools, kids, families and great for our business.
Ype, I have so much admiration for all that you are doing to enhance the healthful culinary experience at Silver Diner, from your youngest to your oldest guests. That is really inspiring. Thanks so much.
