Sandwiches offer meaty opportunitiesSandwiches offer meaty opportunities

The sandwich category has become a true menu juggernaut. In fact, sandwiches are offered more than any other entrée at lunch and dinner, according to Chicago-based research firm Technomic Inc. This extraordinary level of familiarity and popularity among consumers puts pressure on operators to step up their games, and sandwich proteins naturally have become a culinary focal point. Proteins represent a promotion opportunity, and restaurateurs are using their sandwich meats to create a point of competitive differentiation and to deliver a quality promise.

They’re vetted. With food-product recalls in the news with some frequency, more operators are seeking to reassure patrons relative to safety and wholesomeness. All meat plants in this country are subject to inspection by the Agriculture Department, and some chains have leveraged that fact into a kind of third-party endorsement. When Burger King launched its Burger Fest program last spring, it advertised USDA-inspected, fire-grilled ground beef in the Chipotle Whopper Sandwich. Similarly, Togo’s touts USDA Grade, 98-percent fat-free medium rare roast beef. Other competitors, including McAlister’s Deli, Charley’s Grilled Subs and Firehouse Subs, up the ante with USDA Choice beef, which indicates not only oversight, but also the degree of marbling and, therefore, the flavor of the beef.

They’re premium. Technomic research also indicates that consumers will pay more for premium beef, of which cut is a primary indicator. In 2007 Jack in the Box took a pre-emptive position in the quick-service hamburger segment with the introduction of its Sirloin Burger. The chain has subsequently used sirloin in specialty sandwiches and breakfast items. D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches, with locations throughout New England, also features sirloin steak in sandwiches and bowls. For many beef eaters, it doesn’t get any better than prime rib, and Quiznos has had success with long-running Peppercorn Prime Rib and Double Cheese Prime Rib subs.

A second key marker of beef quality is the type of cattle. Angus, which is a common breed, has become the go-to ingredient and selling point for many sandwich makers. Arby’s, for example, steps out front with Ultimate Angus sandwiches, which deliver “lean, premium Angus beef” on both the Philly and the Three Cheese & Bacon options. Schlotzsky’s offers an Angus Roast Beef & Cheese sandwich on toasted sourdough, while Quiznos puts Black Angus on rosemary-Parmesan bread. McDonald’s grabbed headlines earlier this year when it discontinued its Angus burgers and snack wraps, an act which opened the door for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s to woo disappointed McDonald’s diners with their own Black Angus burgers. Wagyu beef, a Japanese breed raised in that country’s Kobe district and elsewhere, is toothsome, densely marbled and represents the apex of beef quality. While cost and supply issues have blunted its growth here, some enterprising sandwich specialists feature it. The Kobe Beef Hot Dog is a signature at all seven Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdoms on the West Coast.

Beef is by no means the only protein that’s being upgraded. Pork producers have been busily reviving heritage breeds, which are now turning up on menus. ’Wichcraft, which is based in New York and operates 17 units, proffers a Slow Roasted Berkshire Pork sandwich, while diners at any of Mendocino Farms’ six stores in California can enjoy Kurobuta Pork Belly Bánh Mì, an updated take on the classic Vietnamese sandwich.

They’re responsible. Chain operators have become more aggressive in addressing patrons’ evolving dietary and environmental concerns. At Corner Bakery Cafe, the D.C. Chicken Salad on Steakhouse Rye is made from all-natural chicken. Panera Bread, which embraced all-natural chicken several years ago, has since added all-natural, antibiotic-free turkey, as well. At Mendocino Farms, the turkey on The Farm Club is local, and the chicken on the Chicken MBT is free range. ’Wichcraft features a Pole-Caught Tuna sandwich with fennel and lemon confit, and the Wild Salmon-wich at Jason’s Deli is made with wild Alaskan sockeye salmon. Grass-fed beef is coming on strong, especially among better-burger chains. Burger Lounge in California, which calls itself the home of the original grass-fed burger, has recently added a Grass-Fed Lamb Burger, perhaps to fend off growing competition from newer entrants like Atlanta-based Farm Burger, where sandwiches are made from 100-percent grass-fed beef raised on the sweet grasses of the Southeast.

Nancy Kruse, president of the Kruse Company, is a menu trends analyst based in Atlanta. As one of LinkedIn’s Top 100 Influencers in the U.S., she blogs regularly on food-related subjects on LinkedIn.