Sandwiches a Mainstay of Restaurant Fare

By FES Staff -- Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, 5/28/2008 12:17:00 PM

Sandwiches continue to be a mainstay of restaurant fare, making up 31 percent of all limited-service restaurant entrées and 15 percent of entrées at full-service restaurants, according to Technomic’s “Sandwich Consumer Trend Report.” Once viewed as mostly lunch fare, the sandwiches can play an important role in driving sales in all day parts, the study shows.

Toasted sandwiches and paninis continue to grow in popularity as entrée options in the dinner day part, while the portability of breakfast sandwiches boosts breakfast day part sales, according to the Chicago-based research firm. Sandwiches continue to gain ground in the growing away-from-home snacking segment.

As sandwiches become more popular, consumer expectations for this menu item continue to increase. “Given strong consumer trends toward healthy eating and an increasing consumer appetite for bolder flavors and premium ingredients, this presents an enormous opportunity for operators to menu more innovative sandwich offerings,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic.

Technomic’s survey of more than 1,500 consumers revealed that 39 percent of those eating at limited-service restaurants and 51 percent at full-service restaurants were not fully satisfied with available sandwich options, wanting new and unique ingredient offerings, flavors and combinations.  Learn more about the report.