As diners take food choices more personally than ever, restaurants
must keep up to win
ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Today US Foods unveiled its Summer Scoop™ 2017 (Summer Scoop) product
lineup entitled, "It’s a Matter of Choice.” Designed to help
restaurants meet the evolving demands of the discerning diner, Summer
Scoop features 24 versatile products that cater to a variety of
opposing tastes.
Whether dining with family or a group of friends, the individual
preferences of diners vary widely based on their ethics, lifestyle or
personal approach. In fact, 44 percent of adults now say food
restrictions, food allergies or avoidance of certain ingredients dictate
what they eat.1
“From socially conscious consumers to the specialized diets of food
tribes, it’s becoming harder for groups of diners to visit a restaurant
and find something on the menu that appeals to each of them,” said
Stacie Sopinka, vice president of product development and innovation, US
Foods. “Within a party of four, it’s not uncommon to find at least one
diner who is gluten-free or vegetarian while the others want to explore
bolder, trending flavor combinations. When restaurants can expand the
choices they offer consumers with a few simple additions to their
existing menu, they win.”
Summer Scoop offers versatile, on-trend products that are the recipe for
bringing people together and helping independent operators succeed.
Picking Your Protein
Summer Scoop features a variety of meat and meatless options to help
operators deliver on protein trends:
-
Patuxent Farms® Chick-Arrones™ – a first-to-market appetizer or
topper, this delicious protein dish is made from chicken thighs and
chicken skin that is fried up to a crunchy perfection. Designed to
soak up sauce, restaurants can use this product in a variety of menu
options. Toss them in a Korean BBQ sauce over vegetable fried rice or
in a buffalo wing sauce with a side of blue cheese for a
cost-effective menu alternative to standard chicken wings.
-
Molly’s Kitchen® Meatless Breaded Boneless Wings – according to
Datassential TIPS, 40 percent of consumers are likely to try
alternative proteins.2 Molly’s Kitchen® meatless breaded
boneless wings are 100 percent vegetarian and feature a meat-free
protein that delivers the texture and flavor of real chicken.
-
Molly’s Kitchen® Meatless Crumbles – versatile and true to
flavors of traditional ground beef – minus the meat – this product
provides a flavorful substitute for vegetarian diners.
Choosing Sides
Designed for vegetarians, paleo diets or those looking for bolder flavor
combinations, Summer Scoop offers restaurants simple sides or small
dishes that appeal to a variety of tastes. Product highlights include:
-
Cross Valley Farms® Spiral Cut Kohlrabi – a hearty, spiralized
vegetable noodle, Kohlrabi has grown 1,165 percent on menus in the
past four years.3 Light and neutral in taste, Kohlrabi can
take on the distinct flavors of any unique dish as a pasta substitute
or cold vegetable dish addition.
-
Molly’s Kitchen® Battered Elote Corn Bites – a shareable
appetizer or side dish inspired by authentic, Mexican street corn,
Elotes has nearly doubled its presence on menus over the past four
years.3 This product features charred corn kernels with
lime, garlic, green onion, cilantro, chili and smoked paprika mixed
with a blend of five cheeses and fried to perfection in corn masa
batter.
Baked Expectations
As gluten-free offerings have grown 450 percent on menus over the past
four years,3 gluten-free diners are seeking more authentic
flavor experiences while indulgent diners are looking for rich, decadent
desserts with authentic ingredients like real butter and sugar. Summer
Scoop highlights include:
-
Chef’s Line® Gluten Free Italian Pizza Crust – made in Italy,
this crust is completely gluten-free and is comparable in flavor and
texture to traditional wheat-based pizza crusts. As gluten-free goes
mainstream, 14 percent of pizza menus now feature a gluten-free option.3
-
Chef's Line® Kouign Amann – a signature caramelized croissant
rosette inspired by the hyper-regional specialty baked goods found in
the Brittany region of France, this pastry is made with croissant
dough laminated to 65 layers and filled with salted sugar and real
butter. The pastry takes its cues from popular donut and croissant
hybrids.
Enhanced Online Ordering Capabilities
In addition to these new products, Summer Scoop features enhancements to
US Foods Online, an online platform designed to make ordering easy.
Customers can now view personalized product recommendations, order
status, details and history. Online ordering is fast, efficient and
cost-effective. Learn more about US Foods Online at usfoods.com/order.
For more on the full Summer Scoop lineup, visit usfoods.com/food/scoop
and join the conversation on social media with #USFScoop. You can also
like us on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter
and Instagram
and watch our chefs in action on YouTube.
About US Foods
US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading
foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 250,000 chefs,
restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed.
With nearly 25,000 employees and more than 60 locations, US Foods
provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a
comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US
Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill. and generates approximately $23
billion in annual revenue. Discover more at www.usfoods.com.
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1 Packaged Facts Report, 2014
2 Datassential TIPS, 2014
3 Datassential MenuTrends, 2016
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Source: US Foods