Consumers are craving comfort and familiarity during these uncertain times, prompting them to dig into classic comfort foods.
The Wall Street Journal reported that frozen pizza, pasta sauce, mac and cheese, and other comfort foods have been flying off the shelves. This echoes the soaring popularity of comfort foods after September 11, 2001. About 15 percent of Americans reported eating more comfort foods while another 14 percent consumed more sweets following 9/11.
In times of stress and social distancing, hearty, traditional dishes are the perfect remedies. To soothe consumers without putting a strain on operations, restaurants should consider our recommendation of offering a limited take-out or delivery menu consisting of comfort foods that fall under any of these categories:
Salty Snacks
When you’re stuck at home, you have plenty of time for snacking. Therefore, it’s not surprising that we’ve seen surging sales in pretzels, popcorn, pita chips, and other salty snacks. Restaurants can give consumers something to munch on throughout the day, such as kale chips. Or pretzels served with creative dipping sauces. Or old-fashioned kettle corn. Consumers can enjoy them as snacks, appetizers, or sides to help pass the day.
Sweet Treats
Everyone wants to indulge from time to time, but that’s harder to do when you can’t sit in a restaurant for a multi-course meal. But whether it’s a cake or a candy bar, chocolate is an indulgence that’s always accessible. Operators are serving chocolate gelato, warm chocolate chip cookies, five-layer cake, or their twists on a classic chocolate dessert to give consumers a tasty sugar rush.
Thanksgiving in Spring?
One menu item that received attention early on in the pandemic is the Gobblerito, a burrito stuffed with Thanksgiving classics served at Pittsburgh's Mad Mex. Though normally served in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Mad Mex decided to bring it back to the menu to give consumers some much-needed comfort.
The restaurant might be onto something. What says comfort like Thanksgiving dinner? With families stuck at home and big holidays coming up, a traditional feast—or a spin on Thanksgiving favorites—could be the perfect way for restaurants to brighten their consumers’ moods.
Food for Body and Soul
While gyms are closing and people are stuck in their homes, staying healthy isn’t easy. Comfort food packed with carbs and sugar doesn’t help. To appeal to health-minded consumers, restaurants can think of alternative ingredients that will lighten the comfort food. Opt for plant-based patties in lieu of beef for burgers. Consider dark and sugar-free chocolate for desserts. Use cauliflower for pizza crusts. With substitutions like these, restaurants can provide both comfort and nutrition.
Consumer Favorites
Comfort food is highly subjective—one person’s childhood staple is another person’s first meal. Therefore, comfort food goes beyond meatloaf, tomato soup, or chicken tikka masala. Comfort food could also be a restaurant’s most popular menu items. Maybe it’s a seasonal item that people line up for year after year. Maybe it’s an innovative fusion dish that a restaurant is known for. Ultimately, comfort food is about feeding consumers’ moods by giving them the meals they crave from particular restaurants.
Your Sourcing Solution
As restaurants begin reopening their dining rooms, comfort food will serve as an effective way to ease consumers back into their doors. At Dot Foods, we carry over 133,000 products, including snacks, sweets, meats, produce, and other foods to help restaurants and operators comfort their consumers.
Dot is here for you during this difficult time. Browse comfort foods and family favorites available now.