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October 14, 2003 - Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul)Melissa Levy The "C"-word most often tossed around in restaurant circles these days isn't "calories" or "cholesterol," or even "carbohydrates." The buzzword du jour is "choice." From fast-food to buffet to table service formats, restaurateurs are dishing out a wider variety of menu items to cater to consumers' far-flung diets. With two-thirds of U.S. adults classified as overweight, restaurants can't afford not to respond. But their strategy has as much to do with a healthy bottom line as it does a trim waistline. Restaurant-industry sales -- and stock prices -- finally have been gaining momentum in recent months, rebounding from a slump caused by the weak economy and international unrest. At the same time, competition for restaurant market share is fierce, and the financial stakes are high. The National Restaurant Association expects the 870,000 restaurant and food-service outlets in the United States to ring up sales of $426 billion this year, a 4.5 percent improvement from 2002. Minnesota's share of the market should be nearly $6 billion, an increase of 4.4 percent from last year, the Washington, D.C.-based trade group said. While top sellers always might be traditional burger-and-fries fare, fast-food chains and other eateries increasingly are marketing a broader range of food choices, as well as providing more detailed nutritional information to consumers.In doing so, they want to avoid the "veto vote" that causes a group of diners to go elsewhere because one person can't find anything acceptable to eat at the restaurant. The industry also has tried to deflect negative publicity and the potential of legal action that blames it for contributing to the nation's obesity woes. Restaurant executives maintain that consumers have a personal responsibility to make their own meal choices -- no matter what that choice is. The quandary: Some people's opinion of healthful eating might be a modest green salad, with unbuttered roll and low-fat dressing on the side. But their dining companion might be looking for a low-carb, high-protein steak dinner. "You could open a restaurant and have people eat raw carrots and no one would come to you," said Glenn Drasher, executive vice president of marketing at Buffets Inc., the Eagan-based operator of chains such as Old Country Buffet. "I think the idea is balance." Boosting performance There is some evidence that offering items such as entree-sized salads can help boost a company's financial performance. Fast-food pioneer McDonald's serves as an example. Since introducing its Premium Salads line nationwide this spring, McDonald's has posted six consecutive months of sales improvements at U.S. locations open at least a year -- a key retailing measure known as same-store sales. (Its domestic same-store sales rose 10 percent in September, the Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain said last week.) In contrast, McDonald's had recorded negative U.S. same-store sales every month of 2002. The world's largest restaurant company also posted its first-ever quarterly loss last summer. To stem the tide, the chain has tried to revamp its operations by slowing restaurant expansion while improving food quality and service. Chairman and CEO Jim Cantalupo said in an April news release that the newly launched salads -- which include California Cobb and Bacon Ranch -- are "just one example of how we are attracting more customers through compelling, new menu offerings." The McDonald's chief also said he's optimistic that the strategy will build momentum and translate into sustainable, profitable growth. McDonald's first offered salads in 1986, making it one of the first fast-food chains to do so. Its latest version features Newman's Own salad dressing, and the option to add grilled or crispy chicken. The chain wants to offer a menu that provides a "well-rounded experience with a lot of variety and choice," Ken Barun, McDonald's vice president of healthy lifestyles, said in an interview. Growing portions Although most Americans still eat the majority of their meals at home, restaurants have become a "growing part of American eating patterns," said Harry Balzer, vice president of the NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based market information company. Growing indeed. The size of an average restaurant meal is 170 percent larger than a meal made at home, he said. The obesity debate puts restaurants in an interesting position. "They can only provide the means, not give consumers the will" to eat healthfully, Balzer said. Karen Thon of Oshkosh, Wis., appears to have the will. After surveying the greasy, salty offerings at the food court of the Mall of America in Bloomington recently, she chose a plate of beef and broccoli, with steamed white rice. The 60-year-old follower of the Weight Watchers diet said she would eat only half of the ample portion of rice to conserve some of the 22 daily "points" she gets under the plan. Her guide to navigating the often-confusing waters of nutritional restaurant cuisine is her well-worn Weight Watchers book that includes points for dishes at a growing number of national chains. As she paged though the book, she pointed to entrees for McDonald's, Long John Silvers, Kentucky Fried Chicken and even Krispy Kreme doughnuts. "I carry it everywhere," she said. There are plenty of variations on the healthful eating theme. Applebee's recently received national media attention when it said it would team with Weight Watchers to launch a special menu section next year. Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurants in several U.S. markets have been highlighting more-healthful items already featured on their menu. Television ads in the Seattle area tout four meal combinations with less than 10 grams of fat. A grilled chicken sandwich, side salad with fat-free dressing and diet soda, for example, has 7 grams of fat and 410 calories, the Dublin, Ohio-based chain said. Wendy's also is one of the fast-food companies that has been testing kid's meals that offer an option of milk and fruit cups instead of soda and fries. (None of Wendy's tests is in the Twin Cities area.) But as T.G.I. Friday's works to dedicate a section of its menu to more-healthful options, one selection could be called a "cheeseburger-cheeseburger" -- two smaller patties served without a bun, which caters to followers of the Atkins and South Beach diets that limit carbohydrates, not fat intake. "The range on how do you eat better is huge," said Richard Snead, president of the restaurant division of Carlson Companies Inc. of Minnetonka, which operates Friday's. "We want to give choices in three to four different lifestyles." Food flops Diners may say they like more-healthful items on the menu, but they don't always order them. And attempts to offer these options in the past have come and gone like many a fad diet. Among the most high-profile flops was McDonald's McLean burger. Plenty of restaurants added salad bars in the 1980s and '90s, only to later pull them out. Balzer, of the NPD Group, notes that overall salad consumption is down from a decade ago, although people are eating them more at restaurants. The availability of healthful food and the variety of menu items were among the lowest-rated among a dozen attributes that market research firm Sandelman & Associates asks consumers about. In contrast, the taste and flavor of food, accuracy in filling the order and the cleanliness of the restaurant always rank in the top three spots, said Bob Sandelman, president of the Villa Park, Calif.-based market research firm. But eating healthfully is important to some people, especially as they get older and pay more attention to nutrition. So chains have been adding more-healthful items -- or items that are perceived as being more healthful, Sandelman said. After all, there can be a major difference between the perception of healthful eating and reality. A Crispy Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad topped with ranch dressing at McDonald's has 660 calories and 51 grams of fat. In comparison, a Big Mac has 600 calories and 33 grams of fat. Nutritionists also chide restaurants for serving portions that are too large and for making it far too easy to super-size meals. "You feel like an idiot if you don't do it," Julie Miller Jones, professor of food and nutrition at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, said of spending the few extra cents it takes to get the extra-large fries and mega soft drink at the nation's fast-food chains. But value-obsessed consumers wouldn't respond well to smaller portion sizes, restaurant operators insist. While Jones realizes that people do have a responsibility for making smart eating decisions, she worries that many won't pay attention or care until they face a serious health problem or a condition such as pregnancy. Jones wants restaurants "to be part of the solution," perhaps by offering more whole-grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. "We have to work on ways that work for the unmotivated," she said. Pizzaz Restaurant1 |
