I hope everyone is coming back from a successful Mother’s Day weekend (personally and professionally)!  Though I haven’t heard any numbers yet, I’m sure a market-watcher will come out shortly with an estimate about America’s Mother’s Day spending (including restaurant meals).  With the nicer weather and the economic incentive checks making their way across the nation, I’m betting Mother’s Day was good to America’s restaurateurs.

Now for a little article that looks to the future of food trends.  A recent article by MediaPost’s Marketing Daily explores the path of niche foods to mainstream fare in America.  Not only is it a pretty fun read, but the article can spark ideas if your menu could use a little “freshening up.”  Most notably, the article cites gluten-free alternatives and goji berries as up-and-coming menu ideas.  They list green tea, pomegranate, sea salt, and chipotle as niche flavors that have successfully gone mainstream.

Gluten-free could be a great way to welcome an often underserved part of the population into your restaurant.  A QSRMagazine article notes that there over two million Americans are gluten-intolerant.  Besides that, some doctors believe that a gluten-free (or limited gluten) diet can have health benefits even for people who do not suffer a gluten intolerance.  Gluten is found in many foods (anything made with wheat, among other things), and gluten-free options have to be specially made to avoid cross-contamination.  However, many foods that typically incorporate gluten can be made without it with a few changes.  It is even possible to create delicious gluten-free pizza with the right ingredients; see this article about a pizza chain that offers gluten-free pies.  (For proof that gluten-free is possible and tasty—even on vacation in Italy—check out this great blog about the gluten-free life.)

 (tasty gluten-free pizza picture by Gudlyf at Flickr Creative Commons)
 

The upside of the extra work is that restaurateurs who go the extra mile to include gluten-free meals on the menu earn very loyal customers in return.  The National Restaurant Association hosted a “webinar” in April titled “Boosting Customer Loyalty With Gluten-Free Options.”  You can listen to the whole webinar here.

To incorporate gluten-free menu options from your kitchen, make sure you have a separate space for food prep and separate utensils and equipment to complete the meal without cross-contamination.  Call your Serv-U sales representative to find the best prices on the best restaurant equipment for your business.