Decoding the Data: The relationship we have with certain ingredients

We’ve all been there when ordering from a full service restaurant (FSR) menu. The deal-breaker: that one ingredient that makes or breaks our decision on which item to order.

“I would order that wrap, except that it has cilantro in it,” or the flip side “This pasta has goat cheese, I have to get it.” Individuals will always have unique tastes and preferences, but certain ingredients are more polarizing than others.

Consumers often either love or hate these menu items, which may elicit extreme reactions, both good and bad.

At first glance, an operator would be smart to ensure the broadest appeal across its ingredients in order to resonate with the masses and increase the probability of success.

However, doing so risks blandness. While some of these polarizing ingredients have detractors, they also have passionate fans. It is important for FSR operators to strategically balance their menu with broad-appeal ingredients as well as exciting, polarizing items to set itself apart in a competitive market.

Keeping the classics

There are certain menu items that are loved by most Canadians. According to The NPD Group’s FSR Report, classic ingredients like bacon and mushrooms fit this bill. When asked, 54 per cent of FSR consumers said bacon would make them more likely to order an item if it was an ingredient, while only 14 per cent said that it would make them less likely. Similarly, 51 per cent of consumers are more likely to order a dish when they learn that mushrooms are included, compared to only 16 per cent who are less likely.

These are the universal “winners” in the FSR marketplace. Including them in a menu item will, in general, make people more likely to order it. But these ingredients are also ubiquitous in FSR, and focusing on bacon and mushrooms will hardly set your restaurant apart from the rest.

Beware the neutral

Of particular concern on a menu are ingredients that don’t bring about strong responses in either direction, having no effect on consumers’ orders. Almost half of FSR consumers are neutral to items such as Parmesan or gouda cheese, fresh basil, onions and spinach. While these ingredients won’t drive customers away, they also won’t lead to much excitement. These ingredients certainly have a place on FSR menus, but operators should be careful not to depend too heavily on them, as no restaurant aims to have its customers feel “neutral” after their dining experience.

Capitalizing on the extreme

The trickiest part of this equation is properly balancing out the ubiquitous winners and neutral mainstays with the exciting, polarizing ingredients. Avocado is one of these ingredients: 35 per cent of consumers are more likely to order an item if it’s included, but 28 per cent are less likely. Similarly, 31 per cent of consumers are enticed by olives, while 34 per cent say olives in a dish are a turn off. Brie, goat cheese, jalapenos and shrimp are all similar: they garner a lot of love from some consumers, but dissuade others who might have otherwise ordered that dish. With a limit on the number of items that can be put on a menu, operators have to be careful not to offer too many niche dishes that will alienate consumers, which is why a menu shouldn’t have too many of these polarizing ingredients at the same time.

Striking the right balance

To say that operators should strive to find the right balance of ingredients on their menu is overly simplistic; the perfectly balanced menu has always been the goal of restaurateurs. What is important for operators is to become aware of how polarizing certain ingredients may be.

Operators often tend to look at the menu from a macro perspective. They make sure not to skew too heavily to certain proteins or starches, but do they consider they may have too many polarizing ingredients, or perhaps not enough? If brie cheese, jalapenos, olives and avocados are present in most dishes, or a menu leans too heavily on bacon and mushrooms, a restaurant risks losing out on traffic. This research shows it is important for every operator to not only optimize the mix of food types on their menu, but also the food ingredients.  

Scott Stewart is an account manager, Foodservice Canada for The NPD Group. NPD has more than 25 years of experience providing consumer-based market information to the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.npd.com or contact him at scott.stewart@npd.com.