Torani

Thirsty for Flavor

Restaurant beverage sales, historically, suffer during an economic downturn, but things are different in the drinks department this time around. These days, many consumers are substituting drinks for foods at snack occasions and specialty coffees and smoothies for the morning meal, reports market researcher NPD Group.

TAKEAWAY: Beverages are a good way to increase ticket averages in these tough economic times by offering specialty beverages.

Lemonade Reinvented

This summer, more than a few restaurant operators are making lemonade their main squeeze, using the familiar iced and tangy beverage as a springboard for some of the season’s most cooling cocktails. They say that the riffs that result—simple but pleasing, relatively low in alcohol and modestly priced—are hard to beat for sheer refreshment.

TAKEAWAY: Lemonades have been thought of as a simple drink, but by adding extra flavor to it, operations can create increased interest to them on their menus.

R&I's Beverage Census Study helps operators deliver the right mix on beverage menus

Carbonated sodas, drip coffees and Cabernets won’t be departing from drink menus anytime soon, but for foodservice operators, getting ahead of the competition calls for devising beverage lineups that reach beyond the standard playbook.

TAKEAWAY: Special consideration of the market of a beverage should be given before it is added to a menu. Strategically adding beverages to the menu can lead to more customers coming in to the operation.

A Return to Elegance

At Chicago’s Sepia, the signature drink is the Old Fashioned, but each season it’s newly fashioned to include ingredients like fresh peach in the summer and fig and almond in the fall. Elsewhere, juleps, Negronis and Stone Fences have been rescued from obscurity. Standards like the Bloody Mary and sangria are getting upgrades. Even Cosmos and mojitos are growing up— just like the people drinking them—to become serious flavor experiences instead of just overly sweet happy-hour lubricants.

TAKEAWAY: Adding signature touches to a classic drink is one way to create new interest in these beverages.

Targeting Beverages for Demographics

In today’s beverage wars, contenders are spread across the supermarket. They fill the dairy case and the juice aisle, the soft drink section and the beer coolers, and let’s not forget the shelves containing coffee, tea or water selections. While competitors try to market to niche demographic groups, it’s important to also remember that threads of commonality can be found among even the most-diverse groups. Insights can be learned from all.

TAKEAWAY: Consumers are more aware now than ever of how the ingredients in the products they purchase affect their health. Consumers are looking for products with more natural ingredients that meet this health halo.