Turn up your flavor factor

Sponsored by T. Marzetti^®

Today’s diner, above all else, is looking for a crave-worthy eating experience. According to Technomic, it’s all about flavor. In fact, 66% of consumers are willing to spend more on a meal that features new flavors. The good news is, providing diners with the opportunity to customize flavor experiences that suit their specific tastes may be easier than you thought.

Instead of focusing on increasing the number of recipes—consider the impact of dressings and sauces. Serving up a diverse lineup, from classic to unique, lets customers choose their own adventure. Using prepared dressings, sauces, and dips also means less back-of-house effort, less time training staff on new recipes, and less investment in new inventory. Marinate on that for a moment.

Your Secret Sauce for Menu Excitement

With salads showing up on 88.9% of menus, it’s the right time to harness the potential of dressings to reinvent your greens, along with dressing drizzles that enhance apps or entrees. Plus, nearly half of consumers look forward to signature condiments at restaurants. That means your dressing and sauce repertoire may be the best strategy for winning and retaining customers. The secret lies in combining quality with variety.

When building your selection, securing traditional, go-to flavors is essential. However, you can use the quality factor to stand apart. Serving up a distinctively premium dressing or sauce can upgrade your menu to wow-status. “Classic sauces hold a great amount of consumer demand,” says Chris Dominik, Senior Corporate R&D Chef at T. Marzetti, a manufacturer and marketer of specialty food products for foodservice and retail markets.

Besides flavor fundamentals, you’ll also need varieties that add excitement or an innovative twist to a relatively common dish. Quesadillas may be found on standard menus but add a honey BBQ dressing drizzle and you’ve just created an all-new inspired entrée. “Even a simple twist to traditional favorites can elevate the experience for consumers and make menus a little more special,” says Chrissy Shea, T. Marzetti Brand Manager.

Key Takeaway: Give your menu an all-new appeal by offering a dressings and sauces lineup that includes   high-quality classics and trend-forward flavors.

No-Brainer in Back-of-House

There’s no need to labor over developing custom sauces and portioning. Ready-to-use dressings and sauces offer a longer shelf life, convenient gallon sizes and portion-controlled packaging—so you’ll be saving time and money without even trying.  Plus, as Shea notes, “It’s not just time; it’s not just money; it’s consistency. T. Marzetti can help operators deliver a consistent, delicious eating experience every time.”

Key Takeaway:

Equip your operation with not only a range of premium quality dressings and sauce flavors but make it easy on your back of house. Brands like Marzetti^®—the leader in consumer-favorite dressings—give you access to a wide range of high-quality bulk and single-serve dressings and sauces in all the formats and sizes you need.

1. Technomic