Dining at resorts and hotels has come a long way. No longer is a continental breakfast all that a guest can expect to find during their stay, for instance. Nowadays, elaborate onsite restaurants, room service menus and bars are on par with—and sometimes even outpacing—local commercial restaurants. For operators of these types of places, keeping menus interesting and appealing can be tricky; offering menu items for diners who want to indulge while on vacation while also offering options that are appealing toward consumers who are more health conscious can be difficult. Thankfully, there are an array of options that are suitable for both groups, including tasty appetizers, fresh salads, hearty (or light) entrees and more.
A changing definition of health
The way consumers define health has changed. Nowadays, consumers may not be as concerned with the number of calories a food has, but they may be looking for other markers of health, such as foods that are all natural or free from preservatives, artificial ingredients or antibiotics. The latter is particularly true in the case of chicken. According to Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Poultry Consumer Trend Report, chicken being antibiotic-free is the most important factor when deciding on a chicken dish to order—37% of consumers say so, compared to 28% who say it’s important for the chicken to be natural, 21% who say it’s important that the chicken is free-range and 16% who say it’s important for the chicken to be organic.
To satisfy these diners, using Tyson® No Antibiotics Ever products are a kitchen staff’s dream. Available in an array of formats—tenderloins, tenders and strips; bite-size handheld; filets and patties; boneless or bone-in wings; prepped and sliced/cubed chicken; premium breast filets; and all-natural segments—these products are perfect for incorporating in menu items from the appetizer menu to entrees and more.
Tasty chicken offerings for every palate
Technomic’s 2019 Center of the Plate: Poultry report finds that the chicken dishes diners are most likely to order include a grilled chicken sandwich (40% say they are likely to order one at least occasionally), a fried chicken sandwich (39%), a chicken salad sandwich (35%) and a chicken wrap (32%). With that in mind, foodservice locations are wise to put those items on the menu, but keeping it exciting means offering those items with unique or trending preparations or flavors, such as Nashville Hot style chicken.
Operators would also do well to serve different formats of chicken—boneless and bone-in wings on the appetizer menu; breaded and fried or grilled items for entrees, etc.—to ensure every diner can find something that’s appealing to them.
Highlighting that the chicken being used is No Antibiotics Ever chicken is also a smart move. By letting diners know what kind of chicken is being cooked, they may be more likely to choose a chicken dish over another dish that doesn’t have a health-halo description.
Keeping food offerings exciting and fresh doesn’t mean changing the menu every week to ensure there’s always something new. Rather, it’s exciting for diners to find the foods they love on restaurant menus. Knowing they’re being served quality food that they can feel good about eating is more exciting to many diners than any global condiment or out-there topping could ever be.
To learn more about Tyson® No Antibiotics Ever chicken, visit https://www.tysonfoodservice.com/products/poultry/no-antibiotics-ever.
This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc.