Combining operational ease with strong consumer appeal, pasta is a go-to foundation for innovation.
As one of America’s most-loved foods—89% of consumers love or like it, according to Datassential—pasta has a home on menus just about everywhere. Pasta does its best work for operators as a feature or special item, where guests can take advantage of the chance for safe experimentation.
“Any opportunity we have where we can feature a pasta dish as an LTO, we’ll take it,” says Michael Boyer, F&B Product Development Chef for Nordstrom Restaurant Group. “With the built-in popularity of pasta, developing menu promotions that revolve around pasta gives us an almost-guaranteed win.” Pasta is a consistent player on Nordstrom menus, both in sit-down cafés and grab-and-go outlets, and it's always Barilla. “We are long-time fans of Barilla. They offer the quality and consistency we can deliver for our customers.”
A much-loved pasta promotion
Heart-shaped foods have been on a seasonal roll around Valentine’s Day (and sometimes Mother’s Day!) with heart-shaped pizzas at many restaurants and heart-shaped donuts at Krispy Kreme, and even heart-shaped trays at QSRs. Nordstrom found a winning combination in its month-long Valentine’s Day promotion last February that starred Barilla Love, capturing the spirit of the season with the limited-edition heart-shaped rigatoni pasta. A simple swap of the regular menu’s pasta shapes for the Barilla Love, including dishes like Barilla Love with Bolognese & Meatballs, Barilla Love with Spicy Shrimp Pomodoro (pictured) and Barilla Love with Chicken & Lemon. “We’re excited to run the promotion next year, too, doing both special pasta dishes featuring Barilla Love and serving up a retail offering,” says Boyer.
A kids menu promotion with heart
Nordstrom extended its Valentine’s Day promotion to its kids menu, offering Barilla Love Mac and Cheese. “In a dish we already know we can execute well, switching into heart-shaped pasta gave us a whole new selling point for the dish—kids loved it,” says Boyer. “It was a great promotion.”
Get more of the Love!
Seasonal and holiday-themed LTOs are a proven strategy for driving traffic and engagement. When the innovation is as simple – and profitable – as pasta, it’s a can’t-miss opportunity. Barilla Love is available for distributors to pre-order through DOT Foods now, shipping in early 2025. Quantities are limited, so make moves now!
For more information on Barilla Love heart-shaped pasta, recipe inspiration and more, visit www.barillaforprofessionals.com/en-us/heart-shaped-pasta/.
This post is sponsored by Barilla for Professionals