Foodservice Trend: Bring the Heat 

Spicy Food Is More Popular Than Ever With Diners 

Foodservice trends come and go as quickly as a swipe in today social-media saturated environment. However, some trends seem to stick around for multiple years. That’s the case with spicy food, which has been a hot trend for the past several years. 

American diners have been craving more heat in their food as interest in global cuisines has risen and multiple social media trends have highlighted spice for cooking at home. Do you want to appeal to these spice-seeking guests? Foodbuy Foodservice shares several ways to add some heat to your menu. Read on to learn more. 

Offer Spicy Add-Ons 

Spicy food isn’t for everyone, but the people who crave this flavor may be willing to add it onto existing dishes. An easy way to please everyone, is to add ways to enhance heat to existing dishes. For example, offer chili oil or pepper add-ons to dishes like soups and pastas.  

You can also offer levels of spice for customers to choose from. For example, guests can request level 1 for no spice or level 5 for very spicy. This is already a common practice in many Asian restaurants but can be used in a variety of cuisines. 

Explore Spicy Cocktails and Mocktails 

Whether you stick to mocktails or have a full bar, spice-infused beverages can be a great addition to your drink menu. Recipes like jalapeno margaritas and ghost pepper bloody marys can become new staples for your restaurant. You can even allow your bartenders to get creative ad create new signature cocktails and mocktails that play around with spicy ingredients. 

Test the Waters With an LTO 

Not sure if your diners will go for spicy options? The best way to ease into a new menu direction is through limited time offers (LTOs.) You can start with one menu item or create a series of dishes using spicy ingredients. Either way, a short sprint showcasing these items will give you a good idea of how more permanent menu additions will be received. 

Make the Most of Your Menu 

Making regular updates to your menu is a great way to ensure that you’re adjusting your offerings alongside consumer preferences. It’s important to try to strike a balance between adding new options and keeping customer favorites on tap.  

If you want additional help with menu planning and purchasing, ask your Foodbuy Foodservice account manager about our Culinary Solutions Team. Our professional culinarians provide chef-to-chef support on initiatives like updating menus, reducing SKUs, and optimizing purchasing.