As America eases into summer, pandemic recovery is well underway. New coronavirus cases have fallen. More than half of the population has been at least partially vaccinated. In restaurants around the nation, dining room restrictions have ended and social distancing and mask wearing rules have been dropped, encouraging an influx of much-needed patrons.
Operators still face challenges, however. One of the most acute: staffing. The May 12 edition of Black Box Intelligence’s weekly Restaurant Industry Performance Pulse noted that “while the industry has added close to 650,000 new jobs since the beginning of the year, there are still about 1.7 million pre-pandemic restaurant jobs that have not yet returned.”
In fact, a lack of labor is hindering the reopening of many restaurants, according to an April 2021 National Restaurant Association COVID-19 operator survey. “This is a large contributor to why more than half of full service operators and 42% of limited service operators polled are unable to open at the maximum-allowed capacity and grow back their business—they do not have enough employees to staff the restaurant,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of NRA’s Research & Knowledge Group, in a mid-May statement announcing the results.
The streamlined menu
In this climate, controlling costs—particularly labor—is imperative for survival. “The financial pressures of cost of goods, increased labor and operational expenses, utility price hikes, and rising packaging costs were all amplified by the pandemic,” says Chef Greg Ische of Boar’s Head Brand.
As a result, operators are likely to keep menus short, recipes uncomplicated and plate presentations simple. They will cross-utilize ingredients as much as possible. Increasingly, they will turn to ready-to-use food products, such as fully cooked proteins, to reduce scratch cooking.
Foods that are seasoned, fully cooked and ready to plug into a recipe offer major streamlining advantages. Whole-muscle proteins such as turkey, chicken, ham and beef—which typically require significant time, labor and cooking skill to prepare from scratch in house—are notable examples.
The positive results that some restaurants have achieved by simplifying operations “mean streamlined menus will likely be the norm in 2022, at chains as well as independent restaurants,” Nation’s Restaurant News reports. “In the face of rising costs and an extremely tight labor market, many operators plan to keep their menus lean.”
The versatility advantage.
Operators get a head start in streamlining the menu, enhancing consistency and creating appealing new items when they begin with Boar’s Head Bold® meats. These seasoned, fully cooked, whole-muscle premium products can be used in many different forms—sliced, shaved, diced, cubed, chopped, pulled, shredded and cut into medallions. They are versatile building blocks for signature dishes across industry segments, dayparts and meal occasions—from breakfast and lunch through dinner and snack time.
Ready-to-use proteins like these are versatile across menu applications as well, allowing operators to keep inventory costs in check and deliver clear benefits over scratch cooking, Ische adds.
Wide-roaming flavor profiles
New menu items are even more enticing to customers when they incorporate on-trend flavors. The Boar’s Head Bold® line of premium meats, for example, encompasses global and regional American flavor profiles—everything from Japanese, Indian, Mexican and Jamaican to Hawaiian, Cajun and Texas BBQ. In the hands of an imaginative chef, they are the centerpiece of exciting dishes requiring minimal labor.
Take these Asian-inspired loaded french fries—a versatile recipe with global flair that Ische recently developed in the Boar’s Head Culinary Lab. It showcases Boar’s Head Bold® Ichiban Teriyaki® Style Chicken tossed with crispy fries and scallions and then topped with kimchi and Korean chili aioli. “It’s a delicious combination and easy to execute,” Ische says.
Another appealing option: Turkey BBQ Flatbread, made with new Boar’s Head Bold® PitCraft™ Slow Smoked Turkey Breast, which is seasoned with a dry rub of brown sugar, guajillo chili peppers and paprika, then slow-smoked over mesquite wood. It offers a flavorful journey reminiscent of authentic Texas barbecue.
For help streamlining your menu utilizing ready-to-use, premium proteins, as well as recipes and product information for the Boar’s Head Bold® line, visit boarsheadfoodservice.com/takeflavorfurther.
