When it comes to feeding the bottom line, menu innovation is a must.
Adding new items to the mix keeps menus fresh and consumers interested. Survey results from Datassential determined that in the past year 51% of foodservice operators introduced new additions for dinner, 65% for lunch, and 41% for breakfast and brunch.1
Over 2 in 5 full-service restaurant operators experimented with new appetizers and sides, while more than half of business and industry operators incorporated on-trend bowls into their offerings.1
A Blend of Caution and Creativity
It’s important to bear in mind that menu innovation isn’t always about thinking out of the box. It’s about being on point with what customers crave and making informed culinary decisions.
In a highly competitive environment with unforgiving margins, any recipe for success requires “measured steps to incorporate newness or energize your primary clientele, while minimizing risks along the way,” as Datassential reported.1 “Furthermore, what’s innovative to one consumer may be commonplace to the next, so a keen-eyed understanding of the customers you serve is more crucial now than ever.”
So what do operators use to inform and inspire menu innovation? The majority (61%) said customer feedback and recommendations have a large influence on changes to the menu, while 38% rely primarily on employee recommendations and 35% on what other operators are doing.1
Back to the Future with Classic Dishes Reimagined
Some chefs turn to the past for inspiration and tap into the consumer hunger for nostalgia. Rediscovering old culinary traditions and reimagining dishes while maintaining their cultural authenticity is key.
As the Unilever Future Menus 2024 Trend Report states: “In the quest for originality, it might sound ironic to look to the past, but what better way to show a new ingredient, a fresh concept or a sophisticated technique than to apply it to a classic, There’s a simple joy in being served a familiar dish in a bright new way; it’s the best of both worlds.”2
Chef Cori Boudreaux, a member of the Unilever Food Solutions culinary team, cites his use of Knorr Professional Caldo de Vegetales to reintroduce the classic dish, Huevos Rancheros Flatbread, to modern diners. “Knorr Professional Caldo de Vegetales brings an update to the flavor of generations of Mexican cuisine,” he said. “Sometimes it just takes a small twist, not a full change. That idea of using authentic flavors in a more modern way is the heart of this dish.”2
Ben Lee, director of culinary services for Creative Food Solutions, culinary partner to The Food Group, agrees. He draws inspiration from old cookbooks. “Chefs like to go to the past to see what was trending that may have been forgotten that can be brought back with a modern interpretation,” he said.
Local Sources Present Fresh Possibilities
Another source of inspiration: local ingredients. “Visiting farms where we get our restaurant’s ingredients from and harvesting with the farmers, cooking with them and supporting their business through local farmer’s markets can be a great source of ideas and innovations,” Lee said. “Challenging the farmer by bringing an heirloom seed and asking them to grow it is a path to ingredient innovation.”
Unilever Food Solutions Chef Brandon Collins uses his dish—Local Cheddar, Sunchoke Tetelas with Candied Black Dirt Onions, Ramp Vinaigrette and Radish—as an example of combining local sourcing with international inspirations.
It’s always fun to recreate globally inspired dishes while bridging the gap between traditional and modern cuisine,” Collins said. “Using local ingredients at the peak of their seasonality always ensures the best flavor. Candying the Black Dirt Onions, which are local to New York state, intensifies their natural sweetness and balances the earthiness of the sunchokes.”2
AI Serves Up New Culinary Horizons
Aliza Katz, vice president of culinary innovation for Creative Food Solutions, has been experimenting with the power of AI to feed menu innovation.
“In our kitchen, we do use AI for concept imaging,” she said. “We don’t use it to come up with ideas, but rather, we input our ideas and generate images and sometimes get some really interesting surprises. I am seeing a lot of AI-generated wacky food combinations on social media. Also, people in the food industry and also at home are using it to develop recipes and menus catered to specific prompts and criteria.”
In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all form of menu innovation. Katz stresses that at their best, culinary breakthroughs are a collective and cumulative effort.
“Ideally, I surround myself with smart and creative people, and we feed off of one another’s unique perspectives, experiences and expertise,” she said. “And innovation doesn’t happen in one session, necessarily. It can take months or years and is a product of a cumulative number of experiences and stimuli.”
For more insights into menu innovation, be sure to read our post, “Where Do Food Trends Come From?" For acclaimed menu-elevating culinary expertise, contact Creative Food Solutions. Crave custom marketing solutions? Reach out to The Food Group now.
1 Datassential, Menu Innovation Operator Check-In, 2023
2 Unilever Food Solutions, Unilever Future Menus Top North America Trends 2024