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]