Even the smallest upgrades of your sandwich offerings can generate excitement.
By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor
When Americans purchase lunch out, they often don’t want to see the same things on the board every day.
As evidence, in a recent survey by Chicago-based Technomic research company, about 60% of the respondents said that menu variety influences their lunch purchases. Also, 28% said the availability of frequent limited time offers (LTOs) is important.
Bread and sauces are the keys to developing premium sandwiches that can easily compete with the upscale offerings at fast casual restaurants, said Shayna Snyder, culinary project coordinator for Culinary Visions, a Chicago-based research company. Some of the latest offered by restaurants include brioche, croissants and pretzel rolls.
A selection of sauces, such as spicy barbecue, creamy chipotle, basil pesto and garlic aioli, can up the flavor ante without intimidating the customer who might just want a taste of something different. Regional—especially Southern—and ethnic influences are hot today, so pimento cheese may replace the usual mayonnaise and cheese or, for an Asian twist, red chili sauce or sriracha mayonnaise can add a little heat.
“These tweaks are a good way to give customers a taste of something different without intimidating them,” Snyder said. “And they’re a great way to attract Millennials who have the most adventurous palates.”
ADDING VARIETY WITH LTOs
Kwik Trip, which operates 430 convenience stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, gives its customers plenty of options with its proprietary Kitchen Cravings collection of hot and cold sandwiches and wraps. On any given day, the choices include about two dozen grab-and-go varieties, said Paul Servais, foodservice zone leader at Kwik Trip.
Eighteen core items provide the basis for the program, with LTOs rotating in and out throughout the year. Some of the LTOs are seasonal, such as fish sandwiches during Lent. Others are developed to reflect ingredients and flavor profiles that are trending in the general marketplace.
“We saw that Wendy’s was doing well with a pretzel cheeseburger, so we offered one as an LTO and it quickly became a core item,” Servais said. “For another LTO, we added onions and cheese to our Angus steak melt and that became a core item as well.”
Not all LTOs are destined to attain core status, but each is given enough time to earn a permanent place, Servais said. They are usually kept on the menu for three months.
“We try to estimate how much product we’ll need for three months and order accordingly,” Servais said. “That way, if the item is not successful we’re only on the hook for three months worth of product.”
One or two LTOs are featured at a time. Usually one is tailing off when the next one is added. They are priced in line with the rest of the sandwiches.
“We like running LTOs because they create excitement both for customers and store employees,” Servais said. “It’s easier for the employees to do sampling when they have something new to taste and talk about.”
KEEPING IT FRESH
Another way that Kwik Trip keeps its lunch line-up fresh and exciting is to offer traditional favorite sandwiches on different varieties of bread and rolls. Ham and Swiss are available on a regular roll or a pretzel roll. The same goes for the Angus cheeseburger. Among the popular options for sandwiches is the sourdough bun.
A full condiment bar, which includes everything from lettuce and tomato to about a half dozen different sauces, including red hot and chipotle, provides patrons ample opportunity for customization.
“Our program’s not flashy, but it is effective,” Servais said.
In-store, a different sandwich is featured in a price promotion every day. For the past 18 months, Kwik Trip has also offered a $3.99 “Eat Smart Combo,” bundling a sandwich, fruit cup and bottle of water, which Servais said is building in popularity.
SUPPLYING SANDWICHES
FriendShip Food Stores, which has 22 locations in the Northwest Ohio area, uses several different methods of delivery for its sandwiches, said Kevin Bible, the company’s foodservice district manager. Some of the stores receive their sandwiches from outside suppliers.
Six of the stores use a large supplier that offers around 60 varieties of sandwiches. The stores generally carry a selection of about 20. Although the sandwiches are currently sold under the supplier’s brand name, Friendship Food Stores is planning to work with the supplier to develop a private label program.
The foodservice managers at each store determine which varieties to carry based on the store’s demographics and past sales. They have the autonomy to add and subtract items as they see fit. Although most of each store’s selection consists of core items, the managers can add LTOs to keep the category fresh and interesting.
Even six smaller stores with limited room for fresh sandwich inventory carry at least five or six different varieties from a local commissary. The commissary is responsible for delivering the sandwiches and keeping the selection fresh and rotated.
Two of the Friendship Food Stores have their own in-house delis, a model the company intends to apply to future locations, Bible said. He explained that it is much more profitable to make the sandwiches in the stores because the company can set the price points and sell fresh product at much higher margins.
“The margins on the sandwiches from the outside suppliers are 35-40%,” Bible said. “We’re looking at between 50-70% when we make our own.”
FriendShip stores with delis produce about 40-50 different sandwiches per day. Although customers in these stores have the option of having their sandwiches made to order, most opt for the grab-and-go selections.
“Building an in-store deli program is a scary process, but it’s really worthwhile if you commit to it and do it right,” Bible said. “When you have a nice variety of high quality products, customers know you’re in it to win it.”
Customers at the FriendShip stores usually want to buy the kinds of sandwiches they already know they like—for instance, egg salad is a huge seller, he said. But the stores offer an extensive condiment bar to let them spice up their sandwiches any way they like.
When it comes to condiments, FriendShip goes “the full nine yards,” Bible said. Among the offerings are hot sauce, honey mustard, spicy and regular ranch, and marinara sauce.
“We keep the program simple, but still give customers a chance to try new flavor combinations if they want,” Bible said.
LOS ANGELENOS
At Famima!!, a retailer with nine stores in the Greater Los Angeles area, customers can choose from about 35 sandwich varieties, 25 of which are cold and 10 are hot, said Noriyuki Kinoshita, general manager of the company’s merchandising department. Famima is a chain of small, upscale convenience stores owned by FamilyMart of Japan.
Ten percent of the sandwich menu rotates quarterly, while the other 90% consists of long-time top sellers.
In addition to the basic tuna, chicken, turkey and ham that are the best sellers, Famima also offers three or four spicier options, including buffalo sauce, sriracha sauce or jalapeño bits for more adventurous palates. Since customers began asking for healthier bread options, nearly 70% of the stores’ sandwiches are now served on whole wheat.
“Sales of sandwiches on whole wheat have been really growing over the past 3-4 years compared to traditional white bread,” Kinoshita said.
4 Sandwich Takeaways
• Consumers are looking for lunchtime variety.
• Offering different breads, sauces and other condiments adds excitement to sandwiches.
• Use LTOs to keep the menu fresh.
• New varieties give employees something to sample and promote.