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Last year was a barn burner for supermarkets. Their double-digit sales growth came at the expense of closed restaurants, as consumers emptied shelves and filled their carts with all kinds of consumables to weather the pandemic. The momentum continued well this year, as Nielsen reported that at the end of May, grocery purchases were still 16% higher than the same time in 2019.
The drastic shift to home brewing and consumption that left operators in shock may also have contributed to a menu R&D reset. Because, while restaurants have traditionally been a major source of inspiration for developers of packaged retail products, the recent past has seen chefs scouring the aisles of grocery stores for ideas.
Savory interruptions. In June of last year, Bloomberg reported a 70% increase in sales of affordable, shelf-stable canned meats, especially Spam: the venerable hallmark of the Depression Era. Rutter’s, a 78-unit convenience store chain headquartered in York, Penn., Took advantage of its renewed popularity and went nuts with a recent spam promotion that ran through July and included a burger and a bowl, four sandwiches and mac and cheese.
Breakfast cereals have also been a source of culinary creativity, like the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Shrimp at the 16-unit Shuckin ‘Shack Oyster Bar, based in South Carolina. Offered as an off-menu secret item at the chain’s Wilmington location this spring, the item was served with a side of sweet Thai chili sauce.
Crunch is a big part of other items that borrow from the grocery store. Taco Bell claimed this early when it introduced Doritos Tacos Locos Tacos. Launched in March 2012 during the chain’s largest product introduction to date, Doritos Locos has remained among the top sellers. Stepping it up a bit, Woodfired Cantina + Lounge in St. Paul, Minn. ends Takis Elotes, his take on the Mexican classic corn on the cob, with Mashed Takis: hot flaming tortilla chips popular in Mexico.
Special props in the supermarket sweep are going to Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, the casual dining chain that has garnered mountains of attention for its line of TV dinners. Launched for take-out and delivery last summer, the frozen products are reminiscent of 1950s classics with a retro serving platter and equally retro varieties like the new Salisbury steak, which is topped with a house sauce. mushrooms and onions and served with garlic butter corn and peas and carrots. The dessert compartment contains a peanut butter brownie.
Sweet changes. In August 2020, CNN reported that “Kraft wants you to wake up and smell like mac and cheese.” History stated that 56% of parents served the children’s preferred dinner standard for breakfast, which made sense given that many parents had been locked away for months with their difficult offspring. Turns out that was just the opening act of the Mac and Cheese Ice Cream launch this summer. A collaboration between Kraft and New York-based Van Leeuwen ice cream, the flavor has won rave reviews for its dreamy, creamy flavor – despite the iconic orange color in daylight.
Favorite cereals also got new life in treats like Smashburger’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churro Shake, a summer special that included Häagen Dazs ice cream, and Shake Shack’s chocolate cornflake shake, a collaboration with the dessert specialist, Milk Bar. with a garnish of miniature marshmallows. In a similar vein, Insomnia Cookies, which operates more than 100 stores and food trucks, has introduced cereal and milk cookies made from Fruity Pebbles cereal, marshmallows and white chocolate chips.
Food on fire. Arguably the biggest – and arguably hottest – hit from supermarket shelves to restaurant menus has been the widespread appearance of Flamin ‘Hot Cheetos, the snack favorite that has added unexpected color and spiciness to one. range of sweet products. Marble Slab Creamery has turned the heat up with the limited-time Flamin ‘Hot Ice Cream – and for customers who prefer to sip their heat through a straw, there’s a Flamin’ Hot Shake, too.
Pinkbox Donuts in Las Vegas has added Fuego Mango to their lineup. The item includes a shell donut filled with mango chamoy – a spicy pickled fruit-based condiment popular in Mexico – and crushed Cheetos Flamin ‘Hot, topped with chamoy drizzle, mango, trendy tagin and , yes indeed – more Cheetos.
Nancy Kruse, president of Kruse Company, is an Atlanta-based menu trends analyst. As one of the Top 100 Linked In Influencers in the United States, she blogs regularly on food related topics on the Linked In website.
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