Dairy Processing - March/April 2023 - 12

growth at 24% and top menu penetration at
midscale (10.1%) and casual dining (24%).
Offering a signature appetizer, such as a
regionally-focused queso dish, lets operators stand
out among competitors, and patrons are there
for it. The same Datassential research found that
more than half of all consumers look forward
to ordering signature appetizers at specific
We also are
hearing from
operators that
queso seems
to fill the gap
for whatever
new challenge
comes their
way. "
Chef Daniel 'Billy' Kalil,
Land O'Lakes
restaurants they visit.
" Give your customers something to crave that
speaks to your region, " Kalil said. " [Using queso]
you are able to personalize to your heart's content
without risk of breaking your sauce. "
In the face of continued staffing challenges
for restaurants, queso can also be a reliable dish
that can hold its flavor and texture well while
also serving as a base for an array of dishes,
meaning less maintenance for a tighter workforce.
" When you may be short-staffed yet still don't
want to cut corners, a high-performing cheese
sauce can save time, cost and headaches, " Kalil
added. " A premium queso can maintain its flavor
and texture throughout the shift, all while meeting
guests' demands for a craveable appetizer. That
very same sauce can also be used as a blank
canvas for multiple dishes, from traditional dip to
a burger topping. "
A high-performance queso sauce can help
operators maintain a consistent and delicious
signature dish no matter how it's served.
" Queso crosses over multiple dayparts, starting
the day as a topping on a delicious breakfast bowl
or filling nighttime cravings topping nachos, "
Kalil said.
PIZZA REIGNS SUPREME
Pizza continues to be one of the most popular
food options for Americans, with 350 slices eaten
by the second. According to the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA), about 13%
12 MAR-APR 2023 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
of Americans eat pizza on a given day. Although
the first pizza shops didn't open in the US until
the early 20th century, consumers now spend $37
billion a year on pizza, accounting for a third of the
global market.
Since 1995, cheese consumption has nearly
doubled due to the high consumption of pizza in
the United States. The USDA also noted that a
usual two-slice serving of pizza accounts for 37%
of the daily recommended calcium consumption.
Papa Johns recently debuted a new pizza
that has cheese under its crust on the bottom.
The Crispy Parm Pizza is served on a thin crust
that has been seasoned with a blend of shredded
Parmesan and Romano cheeses and can be topped
with any toppings.
" At Papa Johns, we pride ourselves on our
dedication to innovation, " said Kimberly Bean,
vice president of menu strategy and calendar
planning. " For this product, we set our sights on
one of the most fundamental pizza ingredients -
cheese. We have taken cheese where we've never
had it before - flipping the pizza over and putting it
underneath the crust. In doing so, we are providing
consumers with more ability to customize their
pizza experience, while also enjoying a unique and
surprising twist on a fan-favorite meal. "
If consumers crave more than cheese, Little
Caesars added new toppings to its Slices-N-Stix,
which combine pizza slices and breadsticks.
Slices-N-Stix features four pepperoni pizza
slices and eight cheese breadsticks in one box.
Consumers can now add jalapeños or bacon as a
topping to the cheese breadsticks.
" What's better than the iconic combination
of delicious pepperoni pizza and cheesy
breadsticks? " said Greg Hamilton, chief marketing
officer at Little Caesars. " We think the option of
savory bacon or spicy jalapeño will really heat
things up for pizza. "
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