Sponsored by f'real by Rich's
From real fruit smoothies to mouthwatering milkshakes, blended beverages are currently on-trend. According to Datassential, operators enjoyed increased beverage sales, especially for flavorful and indulgent treats. Meanwhile, most establishments are struggling to find and retain workers. For many restaurant owners, the solution for both issues is to invest in automated equipment, including the newest innovation in blenders.
In its Non-Alcoholic Beverages Keynote Report, Datassential notes that nearly half of operators saw increases in beverage sales in 2022. While part of the boost was due to the increase in foot traffic as pandemic-related protocols ended, much of the growth was driven by consumer demand for indulgences such as milkshakes, floats, or even frozen lemonades.
Also, according to Datassential, various consumer trends are driving sales in the beverage department. Seasonal beverages are very appealing, as more than one-third of consumers, and half of Gen Zers, said they look forward to getting a specific limited-time-offering (LTO) beverage from a restaurant each year.
Other trends include globally inspired beverages, those featuring nontraditional flavors like sweet and spicy combos or unusual herbal flavors, and smoothie offerings with sugar and dairy milk alternatives. These innovative drinks are especially attractive to Gen Zers and millennials. While legacy favorites like strawberry, strawberry banana and mango come to mind, consumers are also looking for adventurous smoothie flavors, so operators are experimenting with trendy tropical fruits such as yuzu, guava, and dragon fruit.
Tapping into consumer demands
For operators, there are opportunities to tap into these consumer demands and increase sales in blended frozen beverages. The possible flavor combinations are endless.
The challenge is finding crew members who can make these delicious beverages. Automation can help. A report from Popmenu notes that the pandemic expedited adoption of restaurant technologies that introduced faster, easier, and more convenient hospitality experiences for guests and staff. Foodservice operators plan to continue these investments: 55% of restaurants expect to adopt new technologies this year, while 49% plan to automate more on-premises functions in 2023, up from 41% last year.
One innovative new solution comes from f’real by Rich’s. The f’real Foodservice program features the B7 Blender, a freezer, and pre-mixed Blend & Serve cups for shakes and smoothies. Simply place the cup in the blender and press Start. The beverage then blends hands-free, in about 40 seconds. It’s that simple.
The Blend & Serve cups are available in a variety of crowd-pleasing flavors, including Vanilla, Chocolate, Oreo, Strawberry, Strawberry/Banana, Mango, and Coffee. Made-to-order shake bases and smoothie bases are also available, which the operator can customize with syrups, purees, alcohol, and other inclusions. Just pour the finished beverage into a glass and add a garnish ranging from fresh fruit on a smoothie, or marshmallows, chocolate chips, or even a cupcake on a milkshake. There is also Rich’s OnTop® Original Whipped Topping to increase the treat’s appetite appeal.
Streamlining kitchen operations
The f’real program can help streamline kitchen operations, which is crucial in this era of high costs, especially labor. Crew members can prepare the shake, smoothie, frozen bowl, or cocktail quickly, which frees them up to perform other important kitchen tasks. The B7 Blender is not only labor-saving but also space-saving, as it has a small footprint and takes up only nine inches of counterspace. f’real also sells freezers for your convenience, which are available in two different formats and sizes: the countertop freezer holds 50 cups and has a see-through glass window, and the under-the-counter, fully stainless-steel option holds 95 cups.
Whether it’s a nostalgic dessert or a social media-worthy milkshake, the innovative f’real blender helps operators serve the hottest new desserts while saving time, labor and money. For more information, visit https://www.richsusa.com/freal-foodservice.
