Sponsored by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Smoothies and shakes are expanding onto more menus. When combined with the trend toward premiumization, they offer the potential to be high-profit items for restaurant operators.
But executing on the premium blended beverage trend amid ongoing operational challenges—from the continued labor crunch to inflation—requires operators to take a fresh approach to their menu and kitchen prep.
Indeed, finding ways to be efficient is top-of-mind for today’s operators. According to an unofficial survey from Nation’s Restaurant News, “efficiency” was referenced about 25% more during the last round of public restaurant earnings calls versus the same period in 2019.
Large foodservice companies, such as Brinker International, Chipotle, and Starbucks are gaining greater efficiencies—along with increased traffic, sales, and profits—by streamlining front-of-the-house operations or employing innovative kitchen equipment. Meanwhile, innovative chains such as Tropical Smoothie Cafe® are taking a different, route by partnering with trusted brands for high-quality, premium products that deliver flavor, consistency, and operational ease.
“We must make sure we are sourcing ingredients that benefit all our 1,200-plus franchise owners in all aspects of executing great-tasting smoothies,” says Chef Chris Runkle, director of culinary at Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “Including ease of use, consistent and safe food supply, and competitive food costs.”
Smooth-ie operations
Whether operators are whipping up smoothies, milkshakes, or frappés, starting with the right base can make all the difference—adding rich and creamy flavor, ensuring consistency after blending, and requiring minimal back-of-the-house effort or training. With a high-quality powdered mix, for example, the kitchen staff can simply put the base in the blender—requiring no scooping of hard ice cream or weighing ingredients—add signature ingredients, blend, and in seconds there’s a delicious beverage ready to serve.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe uses real fruit as a base for its made-to-order smoothies. But to create its popular selection of milkshake-like “tropical treats,” the chain also blends in Ghirardelli Premium Frappe Mixes in flavors such as dark chocolate and white chocolate.
“Ghirardelli has been a great partner to us in all these areas,” adds Chef Runkle. “These benefits are all in addition to helping make a delicious, finished product.”
Additionally, Ghirardelli Frappe mixes come in powder form, so operators can easily create repeatable craft-made experiences.
Profiting from premiumization
Interest in and demand for all things premium has grown notably in recent years, especially in the beverage space, as more consumers associate better ingredients with better-tasting drinks.
Going premium might be mixing a high-quality base, such as Ghirardelli Frappe mix, with real milk or cream for milkshakes or frozen hot chocolate, or freshly cut fruits or vegetables for smoothies. It also might be switching labor-intensive and often inconsistent vegetable prep tasks from in-store to suppliers, as burger giant Wendy’s recently did.
For Tropical Smoothie Cafe, using Ghirardelli’s premium frappé mixes, is first and foremost about delivering great flavor, but it’s also about name recognition: Consumers understand the high quality of Ghirardelli chocolate.
“We think using quality ingredients like our Ghirardelli Frappe mix really highlights the detail we put in each of our smoothies,” says Chef Runkle. “Our Bahama Mama™ is one of our top-performing smoothies with the addition of the Ghirardelli Classic White Frappe mix.”
Indeed, research from Technomic Ignite Consumer shows that consumers’ preferred premium chocolate brand is Ghirardelli.
Making innovation easy
The trend toward extravagant milkshakes, which started in 2015, is still going strong. Consumers remain willing to pay more for fun, decadent, and highly Instagram-able treats. But getting creative can be cumbersome and time-consuming, so some operators are partnering with product innovators.
Among those operators is Smashburger, a mid-sized fast-casual chain that has collaborated in recent years with Ghirardelli Chocolate to create indulgent milkshake LTOs. Offerings have included the S’mores Shake, a riff on the campfire favorite; the Mocha Chocolate Chip Shake; which includes real Chocolate Chips; and the Peppermint Hot Chocolate Shake, made with Ghirardelli hot cocoa peppermint mix, and topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candies.
“We’ve seen customers respond positively to the innovation, and the shakes are a huge success, lifting the shake category’s sales by as much as 21%,” says Emily Romme, senior brand manager for Smashburger.
Whatever type of sippable treat operators menu, it’s clear that using the right products can make it simple—and simply profitable—while creating a high-quality and satisfying experience for consumers.
>Ready to get in the mix? To learn more about making premium smoothies and shakes simple, visit Ghirardelli.
