Bistro Sandwiches Continue As Top Food Choice Part I Of II

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that when you decided to order a sandwich at a restaurant, that your choices were limited to ham and cheese, pastrami on rye, or a club sandwich. Traditional sandwiches and plated entrees move on over; bistro sandwiches are the favored choices of many Food Retailers and restaurant patrons these days. Upscale sandwich sales, especially during the lunchtime hours, continue to soar in comparison to other dishes offered on restaurant menus.
Traditionally plain sandwiches have given way to the likes of crusted pepper ham; buffalo glazed turkey with Portobello mushrooms, and delicious Panini’s. Upscale sandwiches are not exclusive to deli’s; but can also be found in grocery stores, coffee shops and burger joints across the United States.

A recent study from R&I Industry Resources 2008 Top 400 Chain Rankings revealed that “the country’s top sandwich/bakery-cafe chains posted $25.1 billion in sales, up around 10% from $22.7 billion in 2007.” This news is great for restaurants, especially with the slumping economic state that America is currently experiencing. It was also discovered that consumers are less likely to cut back on their lunchtime expenses compared to dinner expenses, thus keeping the sandwich as a top trend menu choice.

Sandwiches are available in a variety of meat and cheese combinations to tantalize the taste buds. Many restaurant patrons gravitate towards various steak sandwiches within their food and beverage management because it makes them feel like they are getting more bang for their buck. The good news for Food Retailers is that you can use value induced cuts of meat and still produce a product that your customer will enjoy. Less costly meats such as flank steak and brisket are often used as an alternative to the more costly cuts such as prime rib or tenderloin steak. Chef’s are finding that they can still
produce amazing sandwiches at a much reduce price.

Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion to this post.