How to Capitalize on Increased Snacking

Snacking occasions now capture 15% of all foodservice traffic

What does snacking mean and how can you capitalize on this trend?

According to NPD CREST, over the last two years, traffic sourced to the snacking daypart, especially later in the day, has increased five out of nine quarters. Part of the reason behind this trend is that Americans are eating more on the go meals and snacking on fewer, smaller meals instead of sitting down to large quantities of food at one sitting. They are also are eating less expensive meals, including snacks. Quick service restaurants have been able to capitalize easily behind menu items like snack wraps and late afternoon beverage promotions. Specifically, items such as salty snacks, snack bars, cookies, brownies and beverages have shown growth in quick service.

There is more to the snack story, however, as a look at full service restaurant menus shows. Mintel notes that casual dining establishments offer 25 percent of the snacking items on menus today, with products like hamburger sliders that are now so popular they can be found on menus across segments and with a variety of different proteins, sauces and toppings.

In fact, appetizer menus at full service restaurants have long offered consumers snacking options to share as a group or for late night outings, with snackables and sharables in the form of everything from nachos to bruschetta and beyond.

How can an operator, whether quick service or full service, capitalize on the snacking trend and bring in traffic that may otherwise trade out of foodservice? And how can an operator do that without cannibalizing their check average? Consider a special late night menu or a to-go snack menu that is marketed separately from your regular menu. Additionally, try something a large national operator has had success with: offer a bounce back coupon to customers who come in early in the day that includes a special offer from your afternoon or evening snack menu to encourage repeat traffic.

From a menuing standpoint, offer smaller snacking options and items that are naturally shareable, like nachos, pizza and bruschetta. Also consider portable snacking options like wraps and smoothies for consumers that are looking to your restaurant for quick, on-the-go options. Playing with your menu and your marketing, even slightly, may offer up new opportunities to capture snacking consumers.

ConAgra Foodservice offers a wide range of products that operators can use on snacking menus throughout the day. Angela Mia® tomatoes and sauces fit nicely into pizza and bruschetta recipes, and our new Petite Diced Tomatoes use a smaller cut to make an excellent start for a salsa to top nachos or snack wraps. Also consider J. Hungerford Smith® toppings and shake bases for your blended beverages. Our line includes new, innovative, industry leading items such as Superfruit – Acai Berry and Raspberry Topping for smoothies and milkshakes and new Dark Chocolate Fudge and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Toppings for dessert and snack bars.

Source: The NPD Group / CREST

For more information, visit our website at www.conagrafoodservice.com, or contact your Sysco marketing associate.

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