Offering shareable dishes in the form of appetizers, snacks or small, family-style entrees allows operators to leverage consumer interest in flavor exploration.
These table-spread dishes are an evolution of the snacking, tapas and mezze trends that have gained traction on restaurant menus recently, and they attract consumers of all ages who enjoy the social aspects of dining out. These types of plate presentations also give consumers the ability to customize their own experiences at the table, allowing them to sample what they like and try as little or as much as they want.
Younger consumers are increasingly open to trying new global cuisines, and older generations can be enticed to order these types of items as well if they are presented in an appealing way. By offering shareable dishes in familiar forms, such as salads or small plates, operators can incorporate globally inspired sauces and dips as options that allow for “safe experimentation” among consumers.
For example, tzatziki sauces and hummus from Kronos Foods Corp. can be incorporated into shareable plates in a variety of ways to bring authentic Mediterranean flavors to shared tablespread dishes. Tzatziki sauce in particular is primed for expansion on restaurant menus, according to Ignite menu data from Technomic. It is expected to see above-average growth in menu penetration in the coming years, increasing from 8.4% in the fourth quarter of 2019 to 8.8% by the end of 2021.
Consider offering a flight of Kronos Tzatziki Sauces and Hummus varieties with warm Kronos pita bread or artisan crackers, or pair the sauces with vegetables or chicken wings. Customize the offering by making your own sauce using Kronos White Satin, a great-tasting, thicker alternative to sour cream.
Other Mediterranean foods from Kronos can also help create a menu of shared items with global appeal. Kronos Falafel Balls, for example, can be used to make Tzatziki Toppers, a shareable dish that has appeal for vegetarian, flexitarian and health-conscious consumers seeking vegetable-based protein options. Simply place fried Kronos Falafel Balls on a cucumber salad and top with Kronos Tzatziki Sauce.
Kronos Gyros can also be used in a variety of ways to impart an international touch to shared dishes, such as a gyros salad, gyros tacos or gyros fully loaded fries or nachos.
To make Churrasco-Style Gyros Street Tacos, simply warm Kronos Grilled Thin Flatbreads on a griddle and top with heated KronoBROIL® Gyros Slices, chimichurri sauce, pickled red onion and some crumbled feta or cotija cheese.
For a more familiar dish that everyone will want to dig into, consider Fully Loaded Fries topped with KronoBROIL® Gyros Slices, cheddar cheese sauce, diced tomatoes, diced green onions and a drizzle of Kronos Tzatziki Sauce.
Kronos Foods Corp. has all the ingredients needed to create a variety of Mediterranean-inspired dishes or perfect ethnic mash-ups that all customers can enjoy, from adventurous young flavor-seekers to those who gravitate toward the familiar.
For more ideas and inspiration, visit kronosfoodscorp.com/get-inspired/recipes/.
This post is sponsored by Kronos Foods