When out to eat, today’s guests want memorable times with delicious, unique, Instagrammable food.
February 9, 2023
Sponsored by McCain Foodservice Solutions
Potatoes are the bedrock vegetable of the foodservice industry. The delight of spirals, the intrigue of waffles, the childlike joy of tots and the ever-present fry: potatoes take many forms as they provide the universal foundation for successful menus.
But they can do more: more for your guests and more for your bottom line. And a new potato innovation provides a whole new way to get more: McCain Mini Mashers.
McCain Mini Mashers may be small, but they’re a pretty big deal for restaurant operators. Crispy outside, creamy inside, and crazy good, they are also endlessly customizable. These poppable potatoes provide a new form and a world of possibilities for creating shareable sides and business building opportunity.
McCain developed Mini Mashers to serve restaurant operator needs. They are quick and easy to prepare by even the least experienced staff. They also help operators deliver exactly what today’s guests want. How does McCain know what people want? Simple; they asked. Ten thousand people!
In partnership with Boston Consulting Group, McCain Foodservice Solutions conducted a study of 10,000 diners to gain insights on the post pandemic restaurant landscape. Their primary finding was that today’s diners rate meals out with friends and family on a ”worth-it” scale. To earn their dollars, meals must be even more than delicious; they must be more memorable, more fun and simply more “Instagrammable.”
In other words, when going out, diners are just as hungry for experiences as they are for meals. The numbers from the research make it particularly clear: the importance of dining experiences has doubled post-Covid. * People want interesting and exciting shareable options when out with friends and family. Innovative and unique offerings created with McCain Mini Mashers drive the types of experiences people really value and desire when going out to eat.
McCain Mini Mashers help restaurant operators serve this particular consumer demand simply. They’re not only a new form; they’re a new platform for customization and culinary creativity. And that helps drive sales. According to Datassential, slightly over half of all consumers look forward to ordering signature appetizers at specific restaurants when they visit. ** And that percentage actually increases when you focus on a younger demographic.
Yet less than 30% of all operators offer unique dishes like these. And there’s the operator opportunity; creating a signature dish with McCain Mini Mashers provides a simple, immediate way to drive sales and traffic. The restaurant industry already understands that appetizers boost incremental sales and help margins in a difficult climate. By bringing their own ideas and style to McCain Mini Mashers, operators can create the type of signature dishes that build traffic and loyalty.
And more than anything, these new shareables are infinitely customizable. Flavor clings to their smooth crust and they are built to stand up to saucing and spicing without losing their distinct shape.
To help spark chef and operator creativity, McCain Mini Mashers provides operators with a wide variety of recipes and applications for signature customizations. From Garlic Parmesan to Nashville-style Hots, from Korean Sweet Soy Glazed to Mediterranean Feta, McCain Mini Mashers don’t just provide a platform for a world of fusion flavors, they also work all across the menu. They hold their own as appetizers in shareable baskets, but their petite size also lets them work wonderfully as signature sides and even toppers. McCain Mini Mashers even work as ingredients in applications like adding delicious, cost-effective volume when mixed with slow smoked brisket smothered in BBQ sauce and wrapped in a flour tortilla. That versatility helps operator dollars go further and work harder.
And as margin pressure gets ever more challenging, any opportunity to build loyalty and higher margin menus without higher prep or staff costs is welcome news.
* Post Pandemic Dining Study / BCG for McCain Foodservice Solutions, 2021
** Source: Datassential |SNAP! Keynote | Appetizer
