Inflation is hitting operators hard, forcing increases in menu prices to offset the rising cost of food and labor. But as menu prices rise, the dining public is beginning to balk at the cost of dining out, putting operators in an untenable position.

If you can’t continue to raise prices, what can you do to protect your margins and revenue?

You could substitute cheaper alternatives for more expensive options or cut back your portion sizes. But those moves aren’t going to inspire much customer loyalty.

Instead, what if you substituted an ingredient that increases the perceived value of your menu items to justify higher prices—and lowered your labor costs at the same time?

That’s the value of frozen roasted vegetables. In a 2021 study of menus, entrées with roasted vegetables commanded 27% more than those with steamed vegetables.¹

Premium roasted products can help you capture premium prices, reduce prep to heat and serve, and delight your customers all at the same time.

Why roasted vegetables command premium prices in restaurants

According to Datassential, 81% of diners like or love roasting—and for good reason.² Roasting is well known to enhance and intensify the natural flavors in food, especially vegetables and fruit. Exposure to open heat caramelizes the sugars within and mellows strong flavors into rich, multilayered perfection, adding depth and complexity to the overall dish.

Roasting has a similarly positive effect on appearance. Roasted vegetables simply look more upscale with earthier colors and slight charring, conveying the impression that the kitchen took more time and care in their preparation.

“Most customers don’t take the time to roast vegetables at home,” says Michael Zeller, Corporate Executive Chef at Simplot. “So they’re more likely to be perceived as something special by people when they’re dining out.”

Frozen roasted vegetables reduce labor in foodservice

If roasted vegetables offer so many advantages, why aren’t more restaurants offering them? In a word, labor.

Roasting vegetables from scratch is one of the more time-consuming tasks in any kitchen thanks to the numerous steps involved. First, you have to wash, seed, stem and, in some cases, peel the produce. Next, you need to slice and dice them to a consistent piece size, trimming any blemishes and bruises. Then you have to drizzle them with olive oil and season them before putting them into the oven, broiler, or grill.

With hourly wages now exceeding $20 per hour in many markets, making roasted vegetables from scratch doesn’t make a lot of economic sense. The real challenge, however, is getting a consistent finished product from scratch day after day.

“Different people cooking means different piece sizes, different blend ratios, different degrees of roasting,” says Chef Zeller. “It’s almost impossible to get the consistency that frozen offers.”

Premium pricing: What’s it worth to you?

As consumers (and business owners), we’re calculating the value of products and experiences all the time. When prices rise, we look harder at what we’re getting for our money. In that vein, it’s important for restaurants to make sure their patrons feel they’re getting a good value in spite of today’s elevated menu prices. Substituting something they love (roasted vegetables) in place of the same-old (steamed vegetables) can help you do just that.

Content courtesy of Simplot Foods

¹ Datassential MenuTrends, 2021
² Datassential SNAP™, 2018