Menu trends: Going back to the basics

"Quite simply — people love beef," said Meghan Pusey, senior director of integrated communications with National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. "Beef has inherent value to consumers, and operators can rely on their consumers to continue to love and to order beef. Millennials particularly love beef."

Four in 10 millennials, who frequent restaurants more than any other age group, chose beef during their last restaurant visit, according to Beef Checkoff. Their love of beef has forced operators to use creative ways to keep it on the menu at a more affordable price point. Some operators, for example, are exploring cuts from chuck in order to fill the value gap between the super-popular ground beef and premium steak categories, Pusey said. Operators are also flexing the versatility of mainstay steaks, like rib eye or sirloin, by exploring new ways to portion and menu.

"The ranch steak was designed to fill in this value gap; the ranch steak is now one of the fastest-growing beef cuts in foodservice today, with volume increasing by 2 million pounds from 2013 to 2014," Pusey said, citing data from Technomic. "Hanger steaks also have seen a lot of success on menus. Some operators are using these mid-value cuts as a meal ingredient too — as opposed to the center of the plate item — to further stretch their value."

Nature's Grill, for example, is an independent fast casual concept in Brooklyn, New York, that serves a 6-ounce, lean-cut sirloin with jasmine rice, onions, peppers and tangy steak sauce on plain flour tortilla or in a bowl. D’Angelo Grilled Sandwiches is serving a Korean BBQ beef sandwich, featuring freshly grilled sirloin topped with Korean BBQ sauce, fresh cilantro, creamy sriracha cole slaw and American cheese

"This is an effective approach to deliver the great steak experience guests look for when dining out, and help operators stretch profit margins while adding value and appeal to the menu," Pusey said.

She also credited Brinker, parent company of Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy, with getting the most out of its beef by utilizing the sirloin across its operations. 

"Chili's Grill & Bar serves the sirloin filet as a 6-ounce steak on its 'lighter choices' menu, while Maggiano's Little Italy takes the sirloin cap to serve in the peppercorn-crusted sirloin entrée," Pusey said. "Sirloin is all about versatility at a moderate price point — cut it into smaller, portioned-sized steaks or slice into cubes or strips to add sizzle-factor to everything from kabobs to small plates, bar items and sandwiches."

UFood Grill is another brand that uses sirloin, in several bowls, including a roast curry cauliflower bowl and brussel sprout and bacon bowl, with grilled sirloin as a protein topping option.

Rib eye is another cut of meat seeing growth, said Pusey. “When you menu rib eye, you add instant prestige to your menu. This tender, succulent cut is the most flavorful of all the subprimals. That's why it's universally loved and can command premium prices. The rib eye can be cut into various 'right-sized' steak and roast portions that you can menu across all day parts, from on-trend sandwiches to profit-building small plates with big, global flavors."

Sammy's Pastrami & Burgers, for example, a fast casual concept in Las Vegas, menus its chipotle steak burger, topped with chipotle-braised rib eye, grilled onion, provolone, cajun steak sauce and a fried egg. Kamin Thai Fusion Cuisine in Los Angeles serves a red curry rib eye steak, with char-broiled rib eye steak topped with sautéed haricot vert and red curry sauce, served over coconut rice.

Although Pusey admits beef prices have been high, she said the USDA's cattle inventory reported America's farmers and ranchers are responding to consumer's strong demand for steaks and burgers and are rebuilding their herds.

"This is good news for longer term beef supply, therefore wholesale beef prices will soften in 2016,"  she said.

Eggs are in

While the world is still dealing with an egg shortage, restaurant menus aren’t reflecting a lack of egg-based options. That’s because as long as customers demand fresh and healthy menu items, restaurants will find a way to keep eggs on the menu, said Vishy Visweswaran, chief technology officer of SCA Technologies.

"The current surge in new menu items featuring eggs represents a counterintuitive trend,” Visweswaran said. “One critical factor driving our restaurant clients to increase new menu items featuring eggs is the millennial consumer.”

Why Millennials demand eggs

Food signifies an opportunity to explore new things for millennials, who view the available choices as a reflection of who they are. Given that eggs are an incredibly flexible ingredient with multiple preparation options, it is no surprise restaurants are increasing their use in new menu items, said Jasen Urena, director of Specialty Eggs at NestFresh Eggs, who pointed out that that eggs are a prime example of the simple, clean ingredients that young foodies want.

“From farm to fork, we are able to share with consumers where their eggs came from, how far they traveled to get to their plate and the condition of the hens,” he said.

Research, Urena said, has proven in the last couple of years that eggs are a healthy food source, so more people are adopting them again into their diets as a healthy staple.

“Although higher in cholesterol than comparative sources of protein, the effect of egg consumption on blood cholesterol is minimal when compared with the effect of trans fats and saturated fats,” Urena  said. “As a matter of fact, eggs contain nutrients that can be difficult to find in other foods, such as omega-3’s, Choline and folic acid.”

John Howeth, SVP of Foodservice & Egg Product Marketing, American Egg Board, describes eggs as the perfect nutritional package of high-quality protein, plus vitamins and minerals.

"Consumers want foods that taste good, but also that are filling and nutritionally sound — and eggs are all that and more," he said.

Can I get an egg with that?

The increased focus on all-day breakfast is forcing many chains to think of ways to differentiate themselves, and using eggs is one way to do it, Howeth said.

“Breakfast sandwiches with eggs provide quick serve options as the economy and employment grows,” he said.

Visweswaran agreed, citing how all day-breakfast at QSR giants McDonald’s and White Castle has catapulted egg usage, despite increased prices.

"Consumers are demanding eggs 'fresh cracked in the restaurant' — and transporting fresh, raw eggs to the retail location is much more complicated (and costly) than pre-cooked eggs or egg products," Visweswaran said. "However, despite these challenges, speaking to the millennial consumer who typically wants higher quality menu items is a great way to remain competitive and profitable. The most successful restaurant chains must learn to react to consumer trends and ultimately turn to innovative supply chain and sourcing processes that enable them to make smarter, faster decisions.”

Eggs, however aren’t, only a breakfast food anymore. Red Robin and Applebee’s, for example, have expanded their menus to offer creative burgers topped with fried eggs, and pizza restaurants have also enticed consumers to try breakfast pizzas complete with scrambled or fried eggs. Also, a new fast casual restaurant brand, The Crack Shack, specializes in all things chicken and eggs, serving egg and chicken sandwiches.

The price of eggs

Howeth said good news is on the horizon for restaurateurs who rely on eggs.

"We think egg pricing will decrease after the 2015 baking season," he said. "Producers affected by the avian flu outbreak are starting to repopulate their farms. We anticipate price reductions taking place in the first quarter of 2016."