The quick-service restaurant segment has long proven that combo meals, such as sandwiches, fries, and a soft drink, are a driver of traffic and sales. But the bundled food combo strategy isn’t limited to fast-food restaurants or indulgent offerings. Salads can also be the centerpiece of combos that impress consumers and drive sales.
Bundle promotions and value meals are an optimal strategy for attracting and keeping customers in today’s competitive dining environment, according to Revenue Management Solutions. Given that, offering bundled combo foods, such as salads and sides, presents a significant opportunity for operators to increase incremental sales.
Key to capitalizing on the opportunity, though, is to choose sides that complement your main dish salad, encourage trial, or are perceived as a good value. Here are five approaches to pairings to consider:
- Flip the (menu) script. Before you fire up the R+D team to develop all new sides to pair with entrée salads, take a closer look at what’s already on your menu. For example, instead of offering a main dish with side salad, offer an entrée version of the side salad with a side-sized portion of the main dish. Think: entrée salads served with a side of your best-selling pasta or mushroom risotto, or a slice of a quesadilla. What makes this such a winning approach is that with very little effort you can bundle together existing menu items at a price that is appealing to consumers and yields more profit for you.
- Just add fries. It may seem counterintuitive to pair a bowl of crisp, cold greens with a side of hot, salty, fried indulgence, but it’s a thing. Caesar salad and french fries is a dinner trend. All over TikTok there are videos of women enjoying the classic salad with a side of french fries and either a diet soda or glass of white wine. If you need another reason to “add fries to that,” consider that in 2023 these highly profitable spuds were included in 13.5% of restaurant visits, 16% of all casual-dining visits, and 17.5% of quick-service visits, according to consumer research group NPD.
Among the restaurants experimenting with the unconventional combo is Mortadella Head, an Italian pizza and sub shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. The team recently shared a video on TikTok of its latest test menu item: garlic-butter tossed french fries topped with a chicken Caesar salad.
- Put a spin on classic comfort sides. Soups and stews are predicted to be among 2024’s top dishes because they deliver opportunities for consumers to experience new flavors and ingredients, they are an economical way to diversify your menu, and they have a long shelf life. Soups and stews from the world stage—think Birria, Chicken Tom Kha, Laksa Salmorejo, upscale Ramen—are particularly forecast to be a top trend this year, according to the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot 2024 Culinary Forecast. Consider pairing a hearty bowl featuring a regional or international flavor profile with a salad as part of an LTO or a mainstay menu item.
- Bundle with a beverage. Classic carbonated soft drinks no longer cut it when it comes to meal combos. With 77% of consumers excited about new food and beverage trends, according to Datassential’s 2024 Food and Flavor Trend report, operators will want to take advantage of consumers’ interest in a myriad of specialty drinks. There is growing consumer demand for drinks that support their health and wellness, booze-free beverages, bubble teas, and specialty coffee. A recent example of this approach is Salad and Go’s “On the Go” lunch bundles, featuring a choice of cold brew (or any 24-ounce drink) and salad or wrap with chicken or tofu ($9.99).
- Say cheese! A challenge with salads can be that consumers don’t always feel like they make a complete meal. Adding globally influenced grilled or cooked cheeses atop or on the side can be an easy way to add interest and much-needed protein to entrée salads. Many of these less-familiar cheeses, including Provoleta, Queso Fundido, Raclette, Halloumi, and Juustoleipa, have been gaining ground on restaurant menus and are expected to top food trends this year, according to the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot 2024 Culinary Forecast.
Thriving and growing in a competitive restaurant marketplace requires delivering unique dining experiences and value for the money. Adding salad combo meals can be a fresh way to differentiate your restaurant, attract new customers, and reveal new opportunities for incremental sales growth.