Flatbreads rise on menusFlatbreads rise on menus

Nancy
Kruse

It was way back in the 20th century that pita first took the mass market by storm. The slightly exotic flatbread offered a break from the same-old, same-old with the added benefit of hand-held convenience. Bakers Square’s Perfect Pitas and Jack in the Box’s Chicken Fajita Pita are the latest iterations of product lines that debuted in the 1980s and have since become menu fixtures. Pita’s popularity opened the door to the wrap craze, which took tortillas from Mexican to mainstream, and it also paved the way for focaccia, an Italian staple that went from flat to slightly fluffy when it became a trendy sandwich carrier.


Flash forward to 2011, and flatbreads are still going strong. Technomic reports that their presence on chain menus jumped a whopping 80 percent between 2008 and 2010. While flatbread has never gone out of style, the current boom has a distinctly 21st century vibe, as the product shows up across the menu and around the clock.


It’s contemporary pizza. Flatbread has nudged pizza aside on many casual-dining menus, where it benefits from a lighter, more healthful perception. Seasons 52, dedicated to fresh, seasonal cuisine, has done a great deal to elevate the bread’s status with artfully presented flatbreads like Grilled Steak and Cremini Mushroom Flatbread. Sibling chain Bahama Breeze has followed suit with a line of Island Flatbreads using an herb-cheese crust, and other casual-dining chains have jumped on the bandwagon, too. Bravo Cucina Italiana offers a tasty Mezza Balsamic Onion, Portobello & Gorgonzola Flatbread, while Brio Tuscan Grille provides a Sausage, Pepperoni & Ricotta Flatbread option. Patrons at Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill can enjoy a Buff-a-que version that cleverly combines barbecue and Buffalo flavor notes. 


Daphne’s California Greek, a 57-unit fast-casual chain, recently debuted four new flatbread pizzas; the Rustic Greek sports ingredients like tabbouleh, feta cheese and kalamata olives. 


Quick-service customers can partake as well. Jamba Juice, which rolled out California Flatbreads in late 2009, retooled and relaunched the items last year. Varieties include Smokehouse Chicken, MediterraneaYum and Four Cheesy.


It makes super sandwiches. Flatbreads continue to appear in sandwich applications, as at Sandella’s, which promotes itself as the largest, fastest-growing flatbread concept in the world. The bill of fare there features the product in a range of treatments, including grilled and toasted. Cosí touts freshly baked signature flatbreads as carriers for selections like Tandoori Chicken, Shrimp Remoulade and the new Cubano Melt. Bakers Square is now getting double duty from grilled flatbread, which is used in sandwiches like Tuscan Chicken and also as the foundation for its Square Salads, like seasonal Summer Strawberry. 


Flatbreads are the starting points for grab-and-go breakfasts at Subway and also at Dunkin’ Donuts, where they can be customized with ingredients like egg whites, turkey sausage and veggies. And Quiznos’ Flatbread Sammies, a line of modestly sized sandwiches with equally modest price points and calorie counts, can serve as either light meals or snacks. 


It supports whole concepts, too. The versatility of the product is the driving force behind Stone Flats, a California-based operation that takes a do-it-yourself approach, inviting customers to mix and match from a range of flatbreads, sauces, meats, cheeses and veggies. There are also signatures like Pineapple Bacon flatbread and a sweet rendition with cinnamon-spiced apples and ice cream. Urban Flats promises fresh fare and eclectic fusions at its seven locations and delivers with Fig and Prosciutto or Turkey, Pear and Brie flatbread. The less adventurous can choose meatball or cheeseburger toppings. 


Looking ahead. Operators have barely scratched the surface of ethnic possibilities. There are arepas, corn-based South American flatbreads that are often stuffed with meats or cheeses. Indian chapatis can be dippers or carriers for toppings. Lefse is a Norwegian favorite made from potatoes and cooked on a griddle. It’s also the specialty at Viking Soul Food, a cart in Portland, Ore., that dishes up “outrageously delicious flatbread” like savory smoked salmon with dill crème fraîche and pickled shallots or sweet lingonberry and cream cheese. 

Nancy Kruse, president of The Kruse Company, is a menu trends analyst based in Atlanta. E-mail her at [email protected].