Innovative Desserts Can Boost Check Averages and Drive Off-Peak Traffic

CHICAGO, Oct. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers love dessert: 63 percent indulge at least once a week. While most customers tend to favor standard sweets like cookies, cakes and pies, many seek to finish their restaurant meals with something new, according to Technomic's Dessert Consumer Trend Report. The study encourages foodservice brands to strike a balance between traditional and more innovative offerings, such as miniature desserts that appeal to younger consumers ordering them as snacks, meal replacements or a lower-calorie treat.

Incremental dessert sales, and thus higher check averages, could result from brands taking risks and putting a new twist on an old standby, such as the Boston Kreme Croissant Donut at Dunkin' Donuts or the Strawberry Nachos at Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom, the report indicates.

"Refreshing the dessert menu can land a restaurant in that sweet spot of appealing to consumers who love to order their favorites as well as a new set of diners excited about new flavors," says Kelly Weikel, Technomic director of consumer insights. "Brands can't go wrong with a well-executed brownie or sundae, but they could also pile on the incremental sales if they think up different ways to pitch dessert, from an afternoon pick-me-up to a flight of several small treats."

Compiling findings from more than 1,500 U.S. consumers, as well as operator interviews, Technomic's MenuMonitor, Digital Resource Library, Consumer Insights Planning Program and Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, the Dessert Consumer Trend Report also reveals:

• 58 percent of desserts are purchased on impulse;
• 34 percent of consumers say they are more likely to order dessert if a smaller-portion option is available;
• Today's most preferred desserts are brownies (67 percent), apple pie (65 percent) and chocolate cake (59 percent);
• Among Top 500 chains, caramel, carrot and vanilla are the fastest-growing flavors of baked goods.

[View larger INFOGRAPHIC: Spotlight on Desserts]

The Technomic Dessert Consumer Trend Report is one of many topics in its 2015 Consumer Trend Report series, offering the most current analysis, insight and opportunities to help grow your business. Our best-in-class intelligence combines 50 years of foodservice expertise with critical findings from over 7,000 menus per year and nearly 30,000 annual consumer interviews.

Find more information about the Dessert Consumer Trend Report here:
https://www.technomic.com/Reports_and_Newsletters/Consumer_Trend_Reports/dyn_PubLoad.php?pID=41

Technomic publishes a complete library of Consumer Trend Reports. To learn more, please visit Technomic.com or contact one of the individuals listed below. For Technomic updates, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or our blog.

Contacts:
Press Inquiries and Report Details: Kelly Weikel, (312) 506-3830, or [email protected] 
Purchasing Details: Patrick Noone, (312) 506-3852, or [email protected]

About Technomic

Only Technomic, a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We impact growth and profitability for our clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, or other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at www.technomic.com.

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