FOODBYTES

SEPTEMBER 2016 | ISSUE 33 | YOUR FREE DATASSENTIAL TREND REPORT

THE HOTTEST TRENDS &

THE LATEST RESEARCH ON
CAKES, ICE CREAM, PIES,
COOKIES, & MORE
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Two years ago Datassential released our MenuTrends Keynote Report:

Desserts, diving deep into consumer and operator data on cakes, cheesecakes,
pies, cookies, and beyond. Now, we’re releasing an all-new report with the
latest data and insights from this category, plus a brand new frozen dessert
section covering ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, and more.

Seasonal menuing, health trends, nostalgia, ethnic flavors – overall industry

trends are having major impacts on dessert menus. With nine out of ten
restaurants menuing desserts, these changes are echoing throughout every
single segment. This report makes sense of the current dessert market – what
consumers want, what they’re already eating, and what they think about flavors,
ingredients, and dishes. We break it down into every opportunity area, from at-
home to away-from-home consumption, retail to restaurants, breakfast to late-
night snacks.

We also leverage Datassential’s OPERA panel, the industry’s largest operator

panel with over 30,000 restaurant, retail, and on-site operators, to uncover sales
trends, challenges, opportunities, and what operators’ future plans are. We
combine it all with trend data from MenuTrends, with over a decade of menu
analysis from more than 100,000 menus.

In this month’s FoodBytes we’re giving you a sneak peek at the over 200 pages
of data, analysis, insights, and opportunities you’ll find in the full MenuTrends
Keynote Report: Desserts. If desserts matter to you, don’t make a move
without this invaluable resource.

For questions, a sample of the report, or to purchase the full report, contact
Datassential Managing Director Brian Darr at 312-655-0594 or
brian.darr@datassential.com.

45%
OF CONSUMERS
HAD CAKE IN
THE PAST WEEK
In the report, discover everything from frosting
attribute importance to which cheesecake
formats operators purchase.

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And 28% of operators already

NEARLY offer gluten-free desserts. In
fact, “gluten-free” is one of the

ONE QUARTER
fastest-growing terms on dessert
menus, with over 300% growth
over the past 4 years.
OF OPERATORS ARE PLANNING TO IN THE REPORT
ADD GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS Operators break down all of their current
and future dessert initiatives, plus dive into
overall health trends and sentiments.

Nearly all full-service restaurants

serve some type of dessert, while
slightly fewer LSRs offer it.
IN THE REPORT
Discover the most menued dessert varieties in
each category, dessert prices by segment, sales
changes, and the dessert attributes that matter
9 OUT OF 10 RESTAURANTS
most to consumers. SERVE DESSERT

Half of operators look for

dessert information in

50% magazines and on

of operators say they use
food industry magazines
and websites to gather
information on desserts
websites, while 44% say
vendor sales reps are a
common resource.
IN THE REPORT
Find all ten information sources that operators
use, plus the biggest dessert challenges that
operators need assistance with.

DATASSENTIAL’S FOODYTES: DESSERT KEYNOTE REPORT 3

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AND 41% MENU

MINI DESSERTS

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THE
PERFECT CHOCOLATE
SUNDAE? CHOCOLATE
We asked consumers to build their CHOCOLATE
perfect ice cream sundae. Most chose
Chocolate is consumers’ favorite
classic flavors and toppings – check
flavor in nearly every dessert
out the percentage who chose the
category. Of course, there are
following options below:
thousands of desserts that
feature chocolate – white
chocolate, mint chocolate chip,
WHIPPED
28% CREAM
Mississippi mud pie, ganache,
dark chocolate, and more.

HOT IN THE REPORT

28% FUDGE
Uncover opinions on chocolate
varieties and options in every
category, plus learn which
chocolate flavors are growing
on menus.
CARAMEL
22% SAUCE

CONSUMERS SOUND OFF ON

CHOCOLATE
40% ICE CREAM
PIE INNOVATION
“I would like to see something similar
to cake boxes – a kit that has the crust,
VANILLA filling in a bag, and strips of dough for
40% ICE CREAM the top that bakes really quick, for
those newbies like me.”
IN THE REPORT IN THE REPORT
Discover insights in every frozen dessert Find quotes from both consumers and operators on
category – ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, retail options, foodservice, unmet needs, and more,
gelato, shakes, floats, and more, from plus dive into pie trends, seasonal flavors, and
consumption to purchase intent. desired attributes.

DATASSENTIAL’S FOODYTES: DESSERT KEYNOTE REPORT 5

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FLAVOR OPPORTUNITY

of consumers

40%
OF CONSUMERS
ARE INTERESTED
IN ETHNIC 36% splurge
DESSERTS on dessert

Think authentic ethnic options

When consumers have extra money while dining
like churros, mochi, alfajores,
out, they’re most likely to spend it on desserts.
and baklava. Forward-thinking
In particular, Generation Xers are statistically
chains can experiment with
more likely to indulge in desserts, while
these dishes and flavors through
Millennials are more likely to splurge on alcohol
approachable formats.
compared to other demographic groups.

IN THE REPORT
IN THE REPORT
Find ethnic dessert menu
Discover dessert consumption by variety and
examples from across the country,
meal part, plus consumption changes by
operator interest in ethnic
category and demographics.
desserts, and menu gaps.

MILKSHAKE FLAVORS AT EVERY MAC TREND STAGE

Surprise and delight consumers with lesser-
PASSION FRUIT PEACH known milkshake flavors like passion fruit or
peach, or give them familiar classics with
INCEPTION ADOPTION
banana or strawberry shakes.

BANANA STRAWBERRY IN THE REPORT

Find dessert dishes, flavors, and ingredients at every
PROLIFERATION UBIQUITY stage of Datassential’s Menu Adoption Cycle (MAC).

CHEF-CRAFTED COOKIES
At Chicago’s Cookies have grown in every single segment
Next, menus since 2005, but the strongest growth is in
were presented fine dining, where they’ve grown 64%. Fine
inside a giant dining restaurants are where trends start –
fortune cookie as look for the next generation of cookie flavors
part of a Modern and trends in this segment.
Chinese dinner. IN THE REPORT
Uncover the top-growing desserts in every segment,
plus favorite cookie varieties, brands, and formats.

DATASSENTIAL’S FOODYTES: DESSERT KEYNOTE REPORT 7

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LAST MONTH’S

TRENDSPOTTING
DINE AROUND
INTERNATIONAL
In August we took you on a
CONCEPTS
road trip around the country,
seeking out the destination- We traveled the world to find
worthy restaurants that unique street foods that are
attract consumers for their powering international chain
must-try eats. From islands menus. You are sure to find
to mountaintops, see what something new in this issue,
makes these operators from bunny chow in South
special. Africa to kolbice in Hungary.

IN OCTOBER: Tampa IN OCTOBER: Greece

ON THE MENU WORLD BITES

Last month we looked at Discover why Moroccan
chicken oysters, beverage flavors and ingredients like
trends like Crowlers and harissa, merguez sausage,
sake, sweet eats with fruit and ras el hanout are
pies and butterscotch, and trending on today’s menus,
the latest in guacamole. plus dive into consumer data
on everything from couscous
IN OCTOBER: ‘Nduja, to Moroccan donuts.
tonkatsu, alternative fries,
ganache, tofu, lattes. IN OCTOBER: Indonesia

CREATIVE CONCEPTS
FOODBYTES
As the grocery business
continues to change and Take a deeper look at food
adapt, we showed you what trends and see how you can
makes the freshest, leverage both blink-and-
healthiest supermarkets tick, you’ll-miss-it crazes and
from prepared foods to store bonafide, long-lasting,
designs to grab & go, and so industry-wide trends.
much more. IN OCTOBER: Datassential’s
IN OCTOBER: Next-Level Latest Report
Donuts

TIPS
In our summer issue, we
looked at charred & burnt For information about an issue or to subscribe
food, coffee mocktails,
kombucha, fancy donuts, to a title, contact Datassential Senior
paella, bacon-wrapped Publications Manager Mike Kostyo
appetizers, hummus, &
coleslaw. at 312-219-6435 or mike@datassential.com.
FALL ISSUE: Raclette,
jackfruit, poke, lemonade,
wasabi, & more.

DATASSENTIAL’S FOODYTES: DESSERT KEYNOTE REPORT 9

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