This is a special message from McCain Foods.

Eager to attract the growing ranks of consumers who like snacks and smaller portions, restaurant operators are creating new snack, small plate and Happy Hour menus. From afternoon pick-me-ups to late-night treats, these new menus please palates and drive profits alike.

An increasing number of consumers, especially the Millennials — people between the ages of 16 and 34 — prefer smaller, snack-sized meals throughout the day to the traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner. In fact, menu analyst Nancy Kruse of The Kruse Co. in Atlanta reported at the Nation’s Restaurant News Menu Trends & Directions conference that 35 percent of Millennials’ meal consumption comes from snacks and they eat 4.3 times per day.

The opportunity to try new, globally inspired flavors in smaller, snack-sized portions is also attractive to this target. It minimizes the risk of trying something new. This works hand in hand with top food trends identified in the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2011 Chef’s Survey. Ethnic/street food-inspired appetizers rank near the top of the list.

Old Timers Restaurant in Millington, Tenn., has explored new menu opportunities with McCain Foods’ globally inspired Taste Travelers™ Pork & Queso Triangles. Executive chef Joey Marcello conducted a successful test of the Southwestern-style appetizers as small plates that appeal to customers seeking new tastes from around the world that are exciting but not too risky.

Marcello served four Pork & Queso Triangles over curly kale in an oval dish, but talked of endless presentation possibilities. “You could serve them in a basket with a sheet of wax paper,” said Marcello. “Or in an oversized martini glass, with a little lettuce inside and sauce drizzled on top.”

Operator Vern Benke of the Anchor High Grill in Hendersonville, Tenn., also pleased his patrons with a test of Taste Travelers™ Steak Mini Chimis — a hand-rolled, snack-sized appetizer filled with flavorful strips of beef steak, whole black beans and corn hominy in a zesty chimichurri sauce. Customers ordered them off a menu full of classic favorites like chicken wings and tenders, spinach artichoke dip and loaded potato skins. Offering the Chimis on the menu as small plates gave customers an inviting new way to expand their horizons while maintaining the traditional appetizers they also love.

Anchor High Grill customers enjoyed the Steak Mini Chimis cut in half at an angle and fanned cut-side up around small bowls of two dipping sauces, chipotle salsa and garlic ranch with Cajun seasoning.

Jeff Hermens, owner of High Rocks Restaurant and Lounge in Gladstone, Ore., presented Taste Travelers™ Steak Mini Chimis a little bit differently, but with similar success. He offered the Chimis arranged in a spoke pattern on a plate around a monkey dish of salsa-sour cream dipping sauce. An attractive presentation like that encourages customers to share them at the table, part of the fun of small plates.

Although the spoke presentation was a hit at High Rocks, which is a steak house, Hermens said that the Steak Mini Chimis could also be served more simply. “You could serve them in a basket, or in those cones they have for French fries,” said Hermens. “They are definitely finger foods. I don’t think I ever saw anyone eat them with utensils.”

Another reason Taste Travelers™ appetizers are popular is because they go well with flavorful accompaniments.

At Old Timers, Marcello offered the Pork & Queso Triangles with two different dipping sauces — a cold salsa and a hot sauce made from salsa and shredded cheddar. “Customers liked them both ways, but they liked them best with the hot sauce,” said Marcello. He also served the Triangles — filled with diced pork, Monterey Jack cheese, whole black beans and fire-roasted corn — with ramekins of both sauces, which evoked customer compliments.

Hermens said that his High Rocks customers liked the mild salsa-sour cream dipping sauce he paired with Steak Mini Chimis, but a spicier sauce would also work. “Chipotle sauce would be good,” he said. “You could certainly add some heat to this.”

Operators can request a sample of globally inspired Taste Travelers™ and find exciting new ways to menu them at www.McCainTasteTravelers.com or by calling McCain Foods at 1-800-767-7377.