- Contents
- *Scope and Themes
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Mintel Menu Insights
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
What you need to know
Foodservice operators, chefs, and manufacturers are continually hoping to beat their competitors (eg cooking at home, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc) to the punch in regard to the newest flavors and dishes that will interest American consumers. This is especially important in a competitive environment where consumers are still cautious about spending on foods eaten outside the home.
The main market trends that are affecting this race for innovation are the changing face of American demographics, consumers growing comfortable within their own kitchens, interest in regional ethnic cuisine, and the “foodie” movement cultivating a group of customers who are seeking more than nourishment when dining out; now, they seek a one-of-a-kind experience.
This report provides readers valuable trended analysis in regard to ethnic cuisines, spices, and flavorings, and the multiple ways consumers learn about new flavors and ingredients. It also goes in depth in regard to popular flavors and cuisines by US divisional area, offering a targeted view regarding popular flavors that operators can utilize in their menus. Lastly, the report homes in on consumer demographic groups and their views on their own eating habits, the ingredients they’d like to see on menus, and what drives them to try new foods with new flavors.
Definition
This report explores the types of flavors, spices, and cuisines that are trending and resonating with consumers when they dine out. This information will help translate to dishes that are hard to replicate in the home, which is one of the main advantages found in foodservice. This report builds on the report Innovation on the Menu: Flavor Trends – US, August 2012.
Mintel Menu Insights
MMI (Mintel Menu Insights) is a menu analyzing tool that provides flavor, ingredient, claims (marketing, nutritional, geographical), preparation, and price trend analysis, based on 3,054 unique commercial menus and 595 unique non-commercial menus. When combined, commercial and non-commercial menus contribute 291,923 unique menu items and 20,791 unique ingredients. The operators tracked in MMI represent 30% of the commercial restaurants in operation across America.
Consumer survey data
For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through GMI to explore consumer attitudes and behaviors toward flavor trends in foodservice. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in January 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.
Mintel selects survey respondents by gender, age, household income, and region so that they are proportionally representative of the US adult population using the internet. Mintel also slightly over-samples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results and to allow for more precise parameter estimates from our reported findings. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.
While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (White, Black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.
Abbreviations
The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report:
| BFY | Better-for-you |
| BLS | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| C-store | Convenience store |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| CPG | Consumer Packaged Goods |
| CPI | Consumer Price Index |
| DPI | Disposable Personal Income |
| FDA | Food and Drug Administration |
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Terms
The following terms are used in this report:
| Chain | Multiunit foodservice concepts operating under a single brand name, such as McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. A restaurant chain consists of two or more restaurants owned by one person or company. Typically all restaurants in a chain have similar décor and serve the same food. |
| Consumer unit | Defined per the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) as either: 1) All members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other legal arrangements; 2) A financially independent person living alone or sharing a household with others, or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house, or residing in permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel; or 3) Two or more people living together who pool their incomes to make joint expenditure decisions. Financial independence is determined by the three major expense categories: housing, food, and other living expenses. To be considered financially independent, a respondent must be able to provide at least two of the three major expense categories. |
| Fast casual | A hybrid segment of fast food and casual dining, combining the convenience of limited service with the ambience and quality of full service. Defining features include check averages of $6-9; décor that is more sophisticated than a QSR (quick service restaurant); and food prepared to order, with customization of ingredients by patron being the norm. |
| Fast food | Used interchangeably with QSR. |
| Foodservice | All places that prepare food outside the home are included as part of the foodservice industry, including food operations in supermarkets, schools, hospitals, factories, and prisons. Restaurants make up the largest part of the foodservice industry. |
| Franchise | In most franchise agreements, a restaurant owner grants another person or company the right to use the name of his/her restaurant. This right also includes the use of the original owner’s patented products, building designs, and trademarks. In return, the original owner receives a fee. In addition, the franchisee usually pays a percentage of the restaurant’s income to the original owner. |
| Full-service restaurant | Establishments that provide table service. Food is ordered at the table and is paid for at the end of the meal. The segment comprises several subsegments, differentiated primarily by check size. These include family/midscale restaurants and casual dining restaurants. |
| Independent | A single restaurant that is not part of a chain. |
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Generations are discussed within this report, and they are defined as:
| World War II | The generation born in 1932 or before. In 2014, members of this generation are aged 82 or older. |
| Swing Generation | The generation born between 1933 and 1945. In 2014, members of the Swing Generation are between the ages of 69 and 81. |
| Baby Boomers | The generation born between 1946 and 1964. In 2014, Baby Boomers are between the ages of 50 and 68. |
| Generation X | The generation born between 1965 and 1976. In 2014, Generation Xers are between the ages of 38 and 49. |
| Millennials* | The generation born between 1977 and 1994. In 2014, Millennials are between the ages of 20 and 37. |
| iGeneration** | The generation born from 1995 to present. In 2014, Matrices are aged 19 or younger. |
*also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers
** previously known as Post-Millennials, Matrix Generation
In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows:
| CPI | The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. The CPI and its components are typically used to adjust other economic series for price changes and to translate these series into inflation-free dollars. Examples of series adjusted by the CPI include retail sales, hourly and weekly earnings, and components of the national income and product accounts. In addition, and in Mintel reports, the CPI is used as a deflator of the value of the consumer’s dollar to find its purchasing power. The purchasing power of the consumer’s dollar measures the change in the value to the consumer of goods and services that a dollar will buy at different dates. The CPI is generally the best measure for adjusting payments to consumers when the intent is to allow consumers to purchase, at today’s prices, a market basket of goods and services equivalent to one that they could purchase in an earlier period. It is also the best measure to use to translate retail sales into real or inflation-free dollars. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics definition. |
