From Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to school graduations, the spring and summer months offer plenty of reasons for consumers to celebrate. This spells opportunity for restaurant operators, who can likely expect bigger crowds putting in larger orders: each occasion gives consumers an excuse to splurge a little, spending more money or eating more indulgently as they treat themselves and their loved ones. When it comes to restaurant operators looking to increase sales during special-occasion seasons, offering premium desserts is a recipe for success.
Regardless of the occasion, operators will still need to overcome common barriers to dessert sales that persist throughout the year. According to Technomic’s 2019 Dessert Consumer Trend Report, among consumers who say they rarely or never eat dessert, most (64%) cite being too full from their meal as the reason.
That said, operators looking to sell more desserts are being helped by the off-premise boom. Forty-nine percent of consumers say they eat restaurant desserts at a location other than the place where they bought it, including at home.
Catering is a particularly burgeoning opportunity. Social catering, which would include big orders delivered for an at-home graduation party or celebration of Mother’s or Father’s Day, will grow 4.3% this year, or considerably faster than restaurant sales as a whole. Occasions such as those will account for 60% of all social catering occasions in 2020, according to Technomic.
Whether diners want a restaurant dessert at home or on premise, individually wrapped products present a solution. To service customers who stay at the restaurant for dessert, serving an individually wrapped product is as easy as opening the package. For Mother’s Day or Father’s Day takeout, catering or delivery orders, the pre-portioning eases the stress on kitchen operations and the logistics of getting orders out the door.
Offer quick customizations to elevate everyday dine-in offerings: top a brownie with a caramel drizzle and toasted pecans or swirl chocolate ganache onto the dish before plating a blondie, and highlight it as the Mother’s or Father’s Day dessert special. With a complex sweet-and-savory flavor profile, Sweet Street’s Zoe’s Crush Gluten Free Manifesto® Cookie—made with toffee, almonds, toasted sesame, candied ginger, single-origin Peruvian chocolate and a hint of umami from miso—is a showstopper when served a la mode. In just seconds, a signature dessert is ready to dazzle Mom or Dad on their special day.
For celebrating at home, individually wrapped treats are a no-brainer. This option is especially appealing to graduation parties bringing in dozens of customers with different preferences, or parties who want to add on dessert to a large to-go order. For delivery, each member of the party can choose a dessert. For the larger orders typical of catering, an assortment of pre-portion treats can be included as part of a party package. The host is spared the challenge of doing the actual slicing.
Sweet Street also offers a variety of individually wrapped desserts in self-display Retail Ready packaging, giving customers the option to grab and go at the register. With portable options like Sweet Street’s Chewy Marshmallow bars, made with brown butter and sea salt; Sandy’s Chocolate Chunk cookies, studded with crunchy pretzel bites; or Lemon Blueberry cookies, with a summery flavor combo that’s perfect for warm-weather occasions, diners won’t need—or want—to get their sugar fix anywhere else.
With a vast selection of premium desserts made with authentic ingredients and elevated flavors, Sweet Street eliminates the need for operators to choose between quality and convenience. No matter the occasion, Sweet Street provides delicious desserts that make even diners’ busiest celebration days a little bit easier, a little more profitable and a whole lot sweeter. To learn more, visit sweetstreet.com.
This post is sponsored by Sweet Street Desserts