SPONSORED EDITORIAL
When Crispy Is Critical
Are your french fries built to go the distance in take-out and delivery applications?
SPONSORED EDITORIAL
When Crispy Is Critical
Are your french fries built to go the distance in take-out and delivery applications?
By Flavor & The Menu
March 11, 2024
By Flavor & The Menu
March 11, 2024
No one wants a soggy fry.
This may be as close as we come to a universal truth in foodservice. The value proposition of french fries is clearly defined. We anticipate a craveable experience: with each bite, a crispy exterior gives way to a warm, creamy center. But all too often, our expectations are dashed when it comes to consuming fries beyond the footprint of a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Most consumers understand the trade-offs inherent in off-premises dining. When a meal must travel miles instead of yards, the added time (and sometimes the moisture-trapping to-go packaging) will affect the quality of many menu items, especially french fries, altering the taste experience. Still, most of us maintain high expectations for getting the greatest value for our meal dollars, and how an operation delivers on those baseline requirements has a profound effect on customer satisfaction—and repeat business.
Fries are at particular risk here. When let down by cool, soggy (or rock hard) fries too often, take-out and delivery diners will not only choose to forgo fries in favor of other side dish options, they may even choose an entirely different menu mix offered by another restaurant.
It’s something of an “invisible” problem, however, as operators rarely hear feedback from off-premises patrons about the quality of the meal at the point of consumption, nor are they privy to a customer’s future decision-making process. While fries remained a top-ordered favorite of GrubHub patrons in 2023, a more sobering statistic from the National Restaurant Association in its State of the Restaurant Industry Report 2023 clearly defines the stakes here: “Two in three operators still sell fries that were not designed to make it home, resulting in soggy fries (and sad customers).”
A Sure Thing
McCain® Foodservice Solutions aims to reduce the off-premises quality gap with its McCain® SureCrisp® line of fries featuring a battered coating that maintains their crispiness longer. Available in 10 SKUs, including shoestring, crinkle, waffle, spiral and skin-on varieties, McCain® SureCrisp® fries hold hot temperature and fresh flavor longer while delivering consistent quality and customer satisfaction.
“Off-premises food quality is an extension of a brand’s reputation,” notes Raghav Srivastava, Head of Innovation at McCain Foods. “You would never serve soggy fries in-house, so why would you allow that experience at home? Since traditional fries utilized for take-out and delivery are often lukewarm, soggy and disappointing, operators have a major opportunity to improve customer satisfaction with a solution that’s designed to go the distance.” McCain® SureCrisp® fries were designed specifically with take-out and delivery orders in mind, he explains. “They can go further, arrive crispy and last longer than conventional fries. Delivering a crispy fry experience that’s consistent with in-house quality is one of the easiest ways to secure brand loyalty and help ensure customers keep coming back for more.”
Following a spike in popularity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, off-premises dining has become a strategic priority for most operators. And its fundamental imperatives remain: Consumers want high-quality food where and when they desire. The National Restaurant Association estimates that consumers order off-premises meals at least once a week, while 2023 research from Technomic reveals that the off-premises market is strong and still growing in every category: drive-thru, take-out, direct delivery from a restaurant and direct delivery from a third-party service. And according to Statista, the online food ordering/delivery segment is forecast to reach $1.22 trillion in 2024.
Restaurant operators must give all due consideration to the elements that will make take-out and delivery a successful line on P&L statements. And when delivery is an essential part of the business, crispy fries are paramount. McCain® SureCrisp® fries can give operators greater peace of mind that fries eaten off-premises aren’t undermining their reputation for serving up consistent quality or risking future business potential.
The product is easy to incorporate into your operation. “The preparation requirements for McCain® SureCrisp® fries are exactly the same as conventional fries, and they can be ready to serve in a matter of minutes,” says Mark Slutzky, Director of Culinary at McCain Foods. “However, unlike many traditional fries, they stay crispy upon delivery—and their fluffy center is packed with authentic potato flavor.”
Ensuring Fries Are a Craveable Prize
Product versatility is another predominant quality required by today’s foodservice chefs. McCain® SureCrisp® fries offers in-house advantages alongside its off-premises benefits. For example, the line is well-positioned to help operators take advantage of the enduring loaded fries trend, as well as menu applications where fries are incorporated within handhelds, from Israeli falafel sandwiches to unique burger builds. Of course, these options are likely to be available for both in-house and off-premises dining.
“Loaded fries have become considerably more popular in recent years, solidifying their position as a menu mainstay,” reports Slutzky. “While bacon, cheddar, onion and jalapeño are some of the most sought-after toppings, new incarnations like loaded Korean kimchi fries incorporate more novel ingredients, such as garlic, ginger and gochugaru. And a drizzle of ranch or side of blue cheese dip are popular matches for a variety of other approaches.” It takes a strong fry to stand up to toppings like these, plus favorites like chili and melted cheese, but McCain® SureCrisp® fries are up to the job.
The challenge is clear. On-premises fry sales are double that of off-premises fry orders, says Srivastava. With McCain® SureCrisp® fries, you are leveraging a key advantage that will help your take-out sales take off.
Visit SureCrisp.com to review the different McCain® SureCrisp® product options, hear operator testimonials and sign up to receive more information and resources.
No one wants a soggy fry.
This may be as close as we come to a universal truth in foodservice. The value proposition of french fries is clearly defined. We anticipate a craveable experience: with each bite, a crispy exterior gives way to a warm, creamy center. But all too often, our expectations are dashed when it comes to consuming fries beyond the footprint of a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Most consumers understand the trade-offs inherent in off-premises dining. When a meal must travel miles instead of yards, the added time (and sometimes the moisture-trapping to-go packaging) will affect the quality of many menu items, especially french fries, altering the taste experience. Still, most of us maintain high expectations for getting the greatest value for our meal dollars, and how an operation delivers on those baseline requirements has a profound effect on customer satisfaction—and repeat business.
Fries are at particular risk here. When let down by cool, soggy (or rock hard) fries too often, take-out and delivery diners will not only choose to forgo fries in favor of other side dish options, they may even choose an entirely different menu mix offered by another restaurant.
It’s something of an “invisible” problem, however, as operators rarely hear feedback from off-premises patrons about the quality of the meal at the point of consumption, nor are they privy to a customer’s future decision-making process. While fries remained a top-ordered favorite of GrubHub patrons in 2023, a more sobering statistic from the National Restaurant Association in its State of the Restaurant Industry Report 2023 clearly defines the stakes here: “Two in three operators still sell fries that were not designed to make it home, resulting in soggy fries (and sad customers).”
A Sure Thing
McCain® Foodservice Solutions aims to reduce the off-premises quality gap with its McCain® SureCrisp® line of fries featuring a battered coating that maintains their crispiness longer. Available in 10 SKUs, including shoestring, crinkle, waffle, spiral and skin-on varieties, McCain® SureCrisp® fries hold hot temperature and fresh flavor longer while delivering consistent quality and customer satisfaction.
“Off-premises food quality is an extension of a brand’s reputation,” notes Raghav Srivastava, Head of Innovation at McCain Foods. “You would never serve soggy fries in-house, so why would you allow that experience at home? Since traditional fries utilized for take-out and delivery are often lukewarm, soggy and disappointing, operators have a major opportunity to improve customer satisfaction with a solution that’s designed to go the distance.” McCain® SureCrisp® fries were designed specifically with takeout and delivery orders in mind, he explains. “They can go further, arrive crispy and last longer than conventional fries. Delivering a crispy fry experience that’s consistent with in-house quality is one of the easiest ways to secure brand loyalty and help ensure customers keep coming back for more.”
Following a spike in popularity during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, off-premises dining has become a strategic priority for most operators. And its fundamental imperatives remain: Consumers want high-quality food where and when they desire. The National Restaurant Association estimates that consumers order off-premises meals at least once a week, while 2023 research from Technomic reveals that the off-premises market is strong and still growing in every category: drive-thru, take-out, direct delivery from a restaurant and direct delivery from a third-party service. And according to Statista, the online food ordering/delivery segment is forecast to reach $1.22 trillion in 2024.
Restaurant operators must give all due consideration to the elements that will make take-out and delivery a successful line on P&L statements. And when delivery is an essential part of the business, crispy fries are paramount. McCain® SureCrisp® fries can give operators greater peace of mind that fries eaten off-premises aren’t undermining their reputation for serving up consistent quality or risking future business potential.
The product is easy to incorporate into your operation. “The preparation requirements for McCain® SureCrisp® fries are exactly the same as conventional fries, and they can be ready to serve in a matter of minutes,” says Mark Slutzky, Director of Culinary at McCain Foods. “However, unlike many traditional fries, they stay crispy upon delivery—and their fluffy center is packed with authentic potato flavor.”
Ensuring Fries Are a Craveable Prize
Product versatility is another predominant quality required by today’s foodservice chefs. McCain® SureCrisp® fries offers in-house advantages alongside its off-premises benefits. For example, the line is well-positioned to help operators take advantage of the enduring loaded fries trend, as well as menu applications where fries are incorporated within handhelds, from Israeli falafel sandwiches to unique burger builds. Of course, these options are likely to be available for both in-house and off-premises dining.
“Loaded fries have become considerably more popular in recent years, solidifying their position as a menu mainstay,” reports Slutzky. “While bacon, cheddar, onion and jalapeño are some of the most sought-after toppings, new incarnations like loaded Korean kimchi fries incorporate more novel ingredients, such as garlic, ginger and gochugaru. And a drizzle of ranch or side of blue cheese dip are popular matches for a variety of other approaches.” It takes a strong fry to stand up to toppings like these, plus favorites like chili and melted cheese, but McCain® SureCrisp® fries are up to the job.
The challenge is clear. On-premises fry sales are double that of off-premises fry orders, says Srivastava. With McCain® SureCrisp® fries, you are leveraging a key advantage that will help your take-out sales take off.
Visit SureCrisp.com to review the different McCain® SureCrisp® product options, hear operator testimonials and sign up to receive more information and resources.
