As comfort classics and retro foods grow in popularity, these items continue to be an area of opportunity for operators. Churros, for example, have grown 33% on menus since 2013 and are mentioned on 4.3% of menus overall. According to Technomic, churros are popular with consumers and are driving the fried dessert category at LSRs and FSRs because of their convenience and portability:
- 40% of consumers know churros (Datassential MenuTrends)
- 28% of consumers want to try churros (Datassential MenuTrends)
Churros are often paired with trending flavors and ingredients. The flavors most commonly menued with churro dishes are cinnamon (39.8%), cream (23.8%), chocolate (18%) and ice cream (17.3%), according to Technomic. Although churros are most often menued as a dessert, operators have an opportunity to add them across the menu. Churro dough itself is not very sweet; it’s the cinnamon sugar or topping that makes it a sweet tasting dessert, so they could work with savory flavors as well.
Technomic states that restaurants are starting to borrow ideas that are found at carnivals and state fairs and creating more upscale varieties for their consumers. Chefs from all over find churros to be a perfect blank canvas when creating a dish for any specific daypart. They can be simply served with a morning coffee as a breakfast dish, rolled in cinnamon sugar for a quick snack, paired with a savory dipping sauce as an appetizer or delicately prepared as a more upscale recipe concept for dessert.
J&J Snack Foods takes pride in our variety of churro brands such as OREO® Churros, California Churros and TIO PEPE’S Churros. Our authentically crafted churros fill the demand for a premium product, and are a versatile menu offering for all segments.
*OREO Is a registered trademark of Mondelez International Group, used under license.
Sources:
Technomic Ingredient Trends; Technomic Dessert Consumer Trend Report; Datassential MenuTrends
This post is sponsored by J&J Snack Foods