Supermarket Perimeter - February 2023 - 32

Deli: Catering
people, they could go for the EZ Entertaining Tray that only needs four
hours' notice versus the Danny's Favorite Cheese & Charcuterie Tray
that requires 24 hours.
Once the customer has determined that the serving amount and
time frame for the product fits their needs, they can click on it and get
more information, such as the specific cheeses and accompaniments
that are included.
Providing a drink menu with plenty of choices is another way to
secure a consumer's business.
Wegmans offers its private label coffee boxes, plain water bottles,
flavored water, sparkling water, vitamin-infused water, iced tea, cola,
diet cola, ginger ale, diet ginger ale and even kombucha so that there is
an option for anyone's drink preference.
There are also 7-pound ice bags available so that is one last step the
customer does not have to think about.
Another way to have exactly what a consumer wants is offering
custom, create-your-own items.
One place Wegmans does this is with its pizza menu. The customer
can choose between a regular pizza, sheet pizza or veggie crust pizza
and select any sauce and toppings they want. For the customer who
wants things more simplified and efficient, there are also a variety of
signature pizza flavors to choose from.
Other custom products that Wegmans offers are create-yourown
muffin, donut and bagel trays; custom sub sandwich and wrap
assortments; custom sushi trays; custom cheese quartets; and createyour-own
cakes and cupcakes.
Along with gluten-free diets, customers are also often planning for
vegetarian or vegan guests.
Wegmans' catering meu has a lot of starters and sides that are
naturally vegetarian-friendly such as pretzel bites, vegetable trays,
edamame, kale and quinoa cakes, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, green
beans, mashed potatoes, potatoes gratin, and salads. However, the
menu goes an extra step by ensuring that there are vegetarian entrées
full of flavor as well.
The sandwich options for custom trays include a Vegan Veggie
Crunch, the assorted pinwheel tray includes a veggie pinwheel, the
hot soup choices include a broccoli cheddar soup, the pasta menu
offers macaroni and cheese or a penne with seasoned tomato sauce,
and the Sushi Veggie Garden Tray has six different types of plant-based
sushi rolls.
While a lot of retail stores and even sushi restaurants may have
a couple of options, such as an avocado roll and a cucumber roll,
Wegmans experiments with texture and flavor to create the following
choices:
* Garden Beet
* Quinoa Brown Rice Garden Vegetable
* Vegetable
* Quinoa Brown Rice Vegetable
* Avocado
* Cucumber
Wegmans' menu is also a great model by having a
selection of foods with unique or luxury items
while also including a plain version for
consumers who are not interested in
being that adventurous.
For example, some of the
vegetarian items can also cater
to people who want more
traditional foods. In the pasta
section, there is a lobster
macaroni and cheese, but
right next to it there is also a
regular macaroni and cheese for
children, people with a lobster
allergy or people who just like
things plain. For penne, there is
an option with sausage and vodka
sauce, and there is also the plain
penne with a seasoned tomato sauce.
For mashed potatoes, there are both sweet
potato and plain choices.
Lastly, when creating a catering menu, it is important
to keep up with flavor trends. In a recent study,
Chicago-based Datassential found that Asian flavors
and ingredients will be on of the top 10 trends in 2023.
Wegmans' catering menu not only offers a wide
variety of sushi rolls and nigiri beyond the vegetarian
choices, but it also features pork wontons, pork
steamed buns, pan-seared pork potstickers and
chicken teriyaki dumplings.
32 - FEBRUARY 2023
Wegmans offers
pizza choices,
unique sushi
options, donut
and bagel trays
and more.
JHVEPhoto; DD Images; shaiith - stock.adobe.com
Supermarket Perimeter - February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - February 2023
