bake - August 2016 - 56

cafe

Wraps for Health
Increasingly, sandwich chains and bakery cafes are rolling out

Yet many consumers ﬁnd it difficult to wade through nutrition

wrap sandwiches as a healthy menu option, especially in the

labeling and claims of "healthy" food at restaurants. To help

fast-growing breakfast sandwich category.

navigate the waters, Grellin.org recently updated its previous
rankings of chain restaurants.

Wraps offer a simply and different option for consumers
seeking healthful and grab-and-go sandwiches for breakfast

For the newest rankings, Dr. Lenard Lesser and his team added

and lunch. Wraps can be made with all types of breads, espe-

several new chain restaurants to the list, including Chipotle.

cially ﬂatbreads, and tortillas.

Grellin has published new scores and ﬁndings of the healthiest
chain restaurants in the U.S. on its website. The top ranking

Breakfast wrap sandwiches are driving sales for Subway, which

restaurants in healthier food options are Chipotle, Au Bon Pain,

offers four kinds of breakfast wraps including the most popular

Subway, Rubio's and Bruegger's Bagels. In 2016 there was an

bacon, egg and cheese.

increase in the number of restaurants providing more nutritional data on their items.

In addition, driving growth at Tim Hortons this year are
successful limited-time offerings, including a croissant break-

Gluten-free options are gaining as well. In addition to its signa-

fast sandwich, grilled wraps and Nutella-ﬁlled pastries. A big

ture gluten-free pizza, Florida-based Pat's Place, which serves

contributor during the past year is the AM/PM grilled wraps.

authentic Greek cuisine, is expanding its gluten-free menu with
affordable options like sandwich wraps.

"It's something we launched in Q3 and allowed us to build both
on our breakfast business, but also lunch," says Josh Kobza,

"As a gluten-intolerant person I know what it's like to walk into

chief ﬁnancial officer of Restaurant Brands International, which

a restaurant only to discover it has no gluten-free options,"

owns the Tim Hortons chain. "And I highlight that one in partic-

said Patti Dooley, owner of Pat's Place in Indian Harbour Beach,

ular because I think it was a great way to leverage equipment

Florida.

we already had in the store."
New gluten-free menu items at Pat's Place include wraps,
Kobza says that it is relatively operationally simple innova-

chicken gyros, certain soups and all but one of its salads. "We

tion, "but something that's allowing us not just to build our

kept most of the gluten-free prices the same as our regular

base breakfast business, but also to utilize the restaurant more

items," said Dooley. "Most restaurants tack on a higher price

throughout the day and build our lunch business as well."

because they can. The gluten-free world wants good, safe food,
and will, if necessary, pay extra for it. I don't like that idea. I

Research shows that almost one in four Americans eat at a fast

don't want o take advantage of someone, especially when they

food chain restaurant once a day and eight in 10 people report

don't have other options and need to eat."

eating fast food once a month.

JOHN U N R EIN

56 < AUG 2016 | bakemag.com
http://www.Grellin.org http://www.bakemag.com
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