3 Ways to Combat Inflation
Published on: 08/23/2024 in All, Featured
While the broader economic context may suggest that inflation is decreasing, the reality for restaurant operators remains one of heightened cost-consciousness. According to Datassential’s 2024 Trends Report, a staggering 71% of operators identify escalating food costs as their most pressing challenge.1
In this environment, you can help operators combat inflation in the following ways.
1. Offer Versatile Ingredients
Enable enhanced efficiency and menu streamlining by offering versatile ingredients. Consider how even one SKU can be used across multiple menu items, streamlining inventory. For instance, PERDUE® No Antibiotics Ever Homestyle Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks work well in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and tacos to bowls and salads.
Another way to maximize product versatility is utilizing chicken across dayparts. With blurred boundaries between meal times, there’s a greater opportunity to menu chicken from breakfast, lunch and dinner to appetizers and snacks. Consider how the popular brunch dish chicken and waffles and the on-trend chicken sandwich both use crispy, breaded chicken. PERDUE® No Antibiotics Ever Breaded Homestyle Chicken Breast Filets are ready to go from bag to table in minutes, making them the perfect option for providing in-demand crunchy, juicy chicken across the menu.
2. Minimize Labor for Maximum Impact
Another way operators can save is to minimize the labor required to execute menu items. So, help your operator customers by offering fully cooked products. PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® TENDERREADY® No Antibiotics Ever Sous-Vide Style Fully Cooked Chicken Halves, for example, offers operators the benefits of a sous-vide style culinary experience, while reducing labor.
For operators looking to serve chicken with enticing grill marks, PERDUE® Fully Cooked Grill Marked Fajita Chicken Breast Strips are a great option. Marinated and oven roasted, these strips can add a lean protein to salads, tacos, sandwiches, and more.
3. Add Value Wherever Possible
By offering products with attributes that are in demand with consumers, operators can raise menu prices to combat inflation.
For example, demand for halal is growing, with a projected 200% growth in menu mentions over the next four years.2 PERDUE® HARVESTLAND® No Antibiotics Ever Halal Buttermilk Breaded Chicken Tenderloins allow operators to menu the halal-certified chicken diners want in key markets, specifically colleges and universities, are willing to pay more for — without paying extra for product certification or stock additional SKUs.
Research also shows that the majority of consumers are willing to pay more for poultry dishes that feature the following claims:3
● No Antibiotics Ever
● All Vegetarian Fed with No Animal By-Products
● Clean Label with No Chemicals/Preservatives
● Responsibly Raised/Industry-Leading Animal Care
● Free Range/Organic
By offering versatile products that minimize labor and command premium prices, distributors can help operators combat rising food prices while serving high-quality menu items.
Sources
- 2024 Trends Report, Datassential, 2024
- Halal, Datassential, 2023
- Perdue Proprietary Research, May 2022