Restaurant Operators to Market More Sandwich Variety

That old lunchtime standby – the sandwich – is due for some upgrades. It turns out that younger consumers, in particular, are not too excited about the traditional sandwich. And findings by Technomic, a foodservice industry consulting firm, show that restaurant operators should consider making changes to their sandwich offerings in order to increase sales.

Here’s a summary of the findings:

  • Consumers are still big sandwich eaters with nearly 6 out of 10 people eating them 3 times a week.
  • Favorite types of sandwiches include deli sandwiches (57%) and sub sandwiches (47%).

Sandwiches are rated as good when they contain the following:

  • Good meat quality 86%
  • Fresh ingredients 84%
  • High quality bread 81%
  • Customized (77%)
  • Large quantity of ingredients (75%)

While quality and taste are key factors when consumers decide where to purchase their sandwiches, they also pay attention to price.  And these days, consumers consider a sandwich to be a satisfactory selection for either lunch or dinner. Darren Tristano, EVP at Technomic, says that the sandwich market is rather saturated but also versatile. Consumers appreciate the ability to purchase a sandwich on the go and to control portion sizes. Operators who pitch their marketing messages to appeal to these consumer demands are likely to see sales increase.

[Source: Consumers Looks for More Sandwich Variety, Finds Technomic. Technomic. 13 May 2010. Web. 20 May 2010]
Kathy Crosett

Kathy Crosett

Kathy is the Vice President of Research for SalesFuel. She holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and oversees a staff of researchers, writers and content providers for SalesFuel. Previously, she was co-owner of several small businesses in the health care services sector.