STORES Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 48)

WORTH WATCHING / RESTAURANTS are so many choices available. “It's time to turn the spotlight on all the menu options being offered and be sure they're communicating how the current menu options can fit into a balanced, active lifestyle.” Chain restaurants might be wellserved to heed Whipple’s advice. Research conducted by San Clemente, Calif.-based Sandelman & Associates finds that the sales of so-called healthier fare began to level off last year. According to the data, one-quarter of surveyed consumers “say they choose healthier options on some or all of their visits to quick-serve and casual-dining chains, but that’s down a bit from the percentages recorded three and four years prior,” says founder and president Bob Sandelman. “And about onethird of the consumers polled say they never purchase these items.” More recently, the focus has shifted to portion size. Messaging around portion size has been in use for years, but for reasons experts can’t really explain, it finally seems to be resonating with consumers. Some speculate that the 100-calorie snack packs have helped consumers climb the learning curve; others attribute the new-found emphasis on portion size to the “mini” fad and to chains such as Seasons 52, which has gained attention for its lighter approach to dining (and its bitesized desserts that allow guests to indulge without overdoing it). T.G.I. Friday’s was the first casual-dining chain to take a broad approach to portion size, and “it’s a leadership position we won’t relinquish,” says Mike Archer, president and COO of T.G.I. Friday’s USA. “We continue to be the only casual-dining chain to move in a more holistic way to address smaller portions and lower prices.” The chain’s Right Portion, Right Price menu is backed by a survey by Harris Interactive on behalf of T.G.I. Friday’s, which found that 82 percent of U.S. adults find it challenging to watch how 48 STORES / APRIL 2008 much they eat when dining out and prefer to dine at a restaurant that offers entrées in various portion sizes. In most cases, McDonald’s menu items are lower in fat and calories than other restaurants, and the portion sizes are more in keeping with dietary recommendations. “It’s not about classifying certain foods or food groups as ‘healthy’ versus ‘non-healthy,’” says Daniel Coudreaut, director of culinary innovation for McDonald’s USA. “It’s about understanding balance and moderation. There are no bad foods: All foods can fit into a balanced, active lifestyle.” Interestingly, McDonald’s has provided nutrition information on its menu for more than 30 years and has had salads on the menu since the late 1980s. By the end of 2004, in fact, it had emerged within the fast-food industry as the largest seller of salads in the United States. Ban on trans fats At Brinker International, a multi-concept operator with more than 1,800 casual-dining-style restaurants, diverse menu offerings are provided to meet an equally wide variety of dietary needs. Romano’s Macaroni Grill offers Steak & Arugula Salad and Simple Salmon on its sensible fare menu; Chili’s Bar & Grill serves up the Guiltless Grill Menu, consisting of four dishes with fewer than 650 calories; and On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina provides the Border Smart Menu (four dishes under 590 calories). Brinker “eliminated trans fatty acids from our cooking oil in early 2005 and began using a proprietary formula of trans-free cooking oil in kitchen fryers,” says company spokeswoman Stacey Sullivan. “Now we’re investigating product innovations which will allow the reduction or elimination of artificial trans fats from all menu items.” At Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands, executives say that offering menu choices to consumers who are trying to eat better has been a top priority for years. “In September 2003 we launched Fresco Style, an option to provide our customer with menu items with less fat and calories and all the same great taste of Taco Bell,” says director of media relations Rob Poetsch. The chain completed a system-wide switch to 0 gram trans fat canola oil last spring; in January it introduced the Fresco Menu — nine items with less than 9 grams of fat. Taco Bell executives are pleased with the initial customer response to the Fresco Menu, Poetsch says. Ruby Tuesday calls its lighter selections Smart Eating Choices. Introduced five years ago, the offerings have evolved and expanded to keep the chain from getting “vetoed” by one or more diners who want to go out, but prefer to choose a restaurant that has something for everyone, says Rick Johnson, senior vice president of Ruby Tuesday. Johnson also points out that Ruby Tuesday is “the only major chain in the casual dining arena that has a salad bar” and that “about 40 percent of all guests visit our fresh garden bar to create an enStORES trée salad or a side salad.” WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - April 2008

STORES Magazine - April 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page More Retailers Bagging Monthly Comp-Store Reports Time-Warner Center's Economy-Defying Results What Shoppers Think 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Eating Locally Grocery Concept2Watch Restaurants Online Services Marketing Human Resources Product Lifecycle Management E-Commerce: Peer Reviews Drive Online Buyers Kiosks Recycling Operations Payment Systems POS Logistics E-Commerce: Getting Personal Website Management LOEB Retail Letter Arts Update Point of View NRF News Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - April 2008

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