Chocolate has always topped the favourites list for desserts, with 86 per cent of Canadians having consumed chocolate within the last three months. However, from rising health concerns to flavour preferences, how can restaurants include sweet treats on their menu that will appeal to guests and raise cheque totals?
Health vs. indulgence
The ever-increasing desire to live a healthier lifestyle may be deterring some from ordering off the dessert menu, but 60 per cent of people are eating roughly the same amount of chocolate as they did last year. Customers may even consider chocolate healthy, calling it a “mood booster.” 92 per cent of people consider chocolate to be a treat and feel that it is good for someone’s mental health to indulge occasionally. So, while the trend towards a healthy lifestyle is growing, balance is still important to consumers who value indulgence, too.
Restaurants should take these considerations into account when engineering their menus, adding desserts to share, sampler platter, and smaller servings for customers who want to treat themselves while working towards their health goals.
Snacking habits
Along with creating smaller portions for health-conscious customers, restaurants offering grab-and-go items for snackers can also help the bottom line. Consumer snacking habits have shifted, even as inflation continues, with 75 per cent of consumers finding room in their budget for snacks, and 65 per cent of people saying that chocolate is a staple in their diet.
51 per cent of people have adjusted their snacking to include high-protein choices, so adding items that include nuts, seeds, protein powder, and more to your grab-and-go menu may help attract new sales.
Today’s trends
The global influence has made its way to chocolate flavours, with exotic fruits like guava, melon, passionfruit and pomegranate getting attention.
As well, as dietary restrictions gain more real estate on menus, restaurants adding a dairy-free or vegan option to their dessert list may well see those cheque totals increase for that portion of your clientele. 20.7 per cent of this year’s chocolate production was plant-based, showing that there is an opportunity for restaurants to profit from this customer segment.
Chocolate continues to be a fan favourite, and while there are still many who favour a traditional dessert, customer habits are shifting and restaurants need to adjust, too, if they want to make the most of their margins.
