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Chicken

3 Tips To Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More!

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With every ringing in of the new year, I’m asked to look into my crystal ball and make predictions about the restaurant industry and menu trends.  Most of the questions I’m asked relate to the most consumed animal protein in the world: chicken. In fact, it’s forecast that in 2022, Americans will consume more than 97 billion pounds of chicken. Not surprisingly, most of the questions that restaurant operators ask relate to how they can keep their customers coming back, clamoring for more chicken.  Three of the most common questions I’m asked about chicken are: “What should I add to my menu and why, and how will it impact my bottom line?”

Well, as with all predictions, there are no guarantees, but here’s what I believe is coming down the poultry pike in 2022.  Let’s start with the first question: “What should I add to my menu?”

Serve Up: Versatility

From tasty tenders and boneless nuggets to fried chicken sandwiches and crispy wings, chicken is perhaps the most versatile protein on menus today.  That versatility will play an even greater role in 2022 due to supply chain-generated shortages and spiking poultry prices. To help foodservice operators navigate through these challenging times, we’ve put together a series of free chicken guides filled with insights on how to serve up consistently legendary chicken every time, tips on raking in poultry profits, and much more.  Click here to download the first guide.

Embrace the Whole Bird

Surging restaurant demand and labor shortages mean operators are going to continue to pay more for premium cuts of chicken. In 2021, the price for chicken breasts more than doubled, and while the price for bone-in chicken wings saw more modest increases, in at least one quarter of 2021, bone-in chicken wing prices surged by more than 80 percent.  All of this translates into higher menu prices.  One way restaurant operators can hedge their bets, as it were, is to consider a whole-bird strategy.

What’s that? It’s buying more of the bird, including the thighs. So, instead of paying top dollar for just chicken breasts or wing pieces, operators who buy more parts of the chicken may realize a savings by negotiating with their suppliers.  It’s a cost-saving strategy that’s working for 10-location chain, Wing It On, which did just that and introduced “thigh wings” to its menu in 2021.

The Thighs Have It!

This less expensive, dark-meat cut of chicken is juicy, flavorful, and in my estimation, will be 2022’s chicken star.  Traditionally available at chicken-only chains, like KFCs and Church’s Chicken, as well as many independent, family-style restaurants, chicken thighs are now finding a prominent place on more quick-service restaurant (QSR) and fast casual menus.

Of course, seasoning, sauces and cooking method are all critical to whatever thigh item you add to your menu.  It’s a recipe that Wingstop, which owns more than 1,400 restaurants worldwide, believes is working.  In mid-2021, Wingstop launched its virtual restaurant brand, Thighstop, which features bone-in thighs and boneless thigh bites coated in one of its 11 flavored sauces.

In the coming months, I believe we’ll see even more restaurants adding chicken thighs to their menus and recent news headlines would seem to support that trend.  Are chicken thighs destined to become the new wings? Well, maybe (that’s a big maybe); click here for my take on it.

Serve Up: Innovation

“Why Innovation?’ ties into the second question restaurant operators often ask me.  2022 will present both challenges and opportunities for restaurant operators.  We’ve already discussed many of the challenges, but for those willing to embrace innovation, 2022 could be a game changer.  Let’s start with chicken on the menu.

Beginning in 2019 and continuing on through 2020 and 2021, we saw the escalation of the chicken sandwich wars.  It seemed there was no end in sight to the number of new chicken sandwiches and chicken biscuits appearing on breakfast, lunch and dinner menus at QSRs, fast casuals and casual-dining chains all vying to gain more market share. In the final analysis, while supply and demand contributed to higher prices for chicken breasts, the “war” has been a good thing in some respects. Restaurants, eager to cash in on this opportunity, upped their game in an effort to create the tastiest, most tantalizing chicken sandwich, and consumers rewarded their favorites at restaurants by eating them up, literally.

While I don’t see our love affair with chicken sandwiches and wings cooling anytime soon, the “war” may be over, or, at the very least, enjoying a temporary cease fire.

Plant-based Chicken Wars?

In addition to chicken sandwiches, many restaurant operators are adding less-expensive chicken-like, plant-based sandwiches, nuggets and buckets of fried “chicken” to their menus.

That’s right, buckets of fried faux chicken. In early January, Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, announced that it will start selling buckets of plant-based fried “chicken” nuggets from Beyond Meat across the United States. Even though the company says it’s for a “limited time,” the Beyond Fried Chicken rollout speaks to the trend gaining increasing traction with consumers.

Other QSRs which have either added plant-based chicken to their menus or are testing it include Burger King, which is serving vegan chicken nuggets in the United Kingdom and testing its 8-piece Impossible nuggets at select restaurants in the U.S., Domino’s UK, which is selling vegan-chicken pizza, and Panda Express, which is selling Beyond the Original Organic Chicken for a limited time only at select locations.  To find out more about other brands focused on offering the “chicken” without the bird, click here.

Is plant-based chicken right for your restaurant? My answer depends on your existing menu, customer feedback, and your vision. As always, at Henny Penny, we offer complimentary customized needs analyses to our customers, as well as our prospective customers. Any one of our 90+ global distributors would welcome hearing from you and learning more about your food service dreams. Just click here to locate your nearest Henny Penny distributor partner.

Faux Chicken:  To Fry, or Not to Fry

Most of the plant-based chicken products on menus today are fried. Just like with animal protein, vegan chicken must be fried to crispy perfection, but without burning, which can happen. For plant-based chicken, I recommend the Evolution Elite open fryer. It comes in electric or gas models and features 1 to 4 wells, which can “protect” plant-based chicken from cross contamination with oil used to fry animal protein in other vats. What’s more, the Evolution Elite uses 40% less oil than other comparable vats.

Test it; Try it out!

Thanks to the proliferation of ghost kitchens, restaurant operators can test new, innovative menu items and explore new markets without the hefty price tag typically associated with trialing new products.  If you think you’ve got a winning new product but aren’t sure whether it will be a hit with customers, simply add it to your ghost kitchen menu.  If sales go through the roof, you’ll know you’ve got a winner. If sales fall flat, just take it off the menu. That’s the great thing about ghost kitchens. They’re an ideal testing platform.

Elevate Your Flavors

Great food has always been synonymous with great-tasting flavors. In 2022, “different” is going to play a role in flavor experiences. Don’t be afraid to incorporate new flavors into your menu, whether that’s via a brine, an injectable sauce or marinade or new dipping sauce to help create an innovative culinary experience.  In terms of unique flavors for 2022, there are several international flavors making headlines, including Asian, Caribbean, Polynesian, Mediterranean-inspired flavors and more.

Lab-grown Meat

In 2022, alternative sources of protein will continue to gain momentum and interest among restaurant operators and consumers alike.  Although the USDA hasn’t approved the sale of lab-grown meat—also referred to as cultured meat—in the U.S., the regulatory agency appears to be heading in that direction as it’s considering how best to label meat and poultry cultivated from animal cells.  Cultured meat is already gaining traction with environmental groups who like the idea of slaughter-free meat cultivated from animal cells. What does the future hold for cultured meat? Well, it’s hard to say, but at the very least, it’s important that restaurant operators know it’s on the horizon.

Serve Up: Consistency

Finally, remember that no matter what you’re serving, consistency is king with customers. It’s also the answer to how everything we’ve already discussed will benefit your bottom line. Customers will keep coming back for more if you consistently keep delivering the same quality product every time.

The fry has got to be just right every time to ensure the chicken’s juicy inside, crispy outside, hot, and fresh. Here are my top picks for frying chicken consistently.

If you’re a smaller operation with a single restaurant or a few, I have two recommendations:

4-Head Pressure Fryer.

Although it’s a pressure fryer, it’s engineered to be versatile. That means you can open fry using the same unit. Just leave the lid open and select a different program.  It also comes with built-in Automatic Pressure Assist, which is exclusive to Henny Penny alone. Pressure Assist uses an external means of developing pressure for small product loads that otherwise would not build optimum pressure levels on their own.  So, if you just need to pressure fry one order of chicken for one customer, Pressure Assist allows you to do that instead of letting a full load of product go to waste. To learn more about all of the 4-head pressure fryer’s features, click here.

FlexFusion Platinum Series Combi Oven.

This versatile combination convection oven, steamer and grill has it all and does it all. It fits the bill no matter if you need to bake, braise, steam, sous vide or grill your chicken. The Combi Oven truly does offer the flexibility small restaurant operators need without taking up valuable kitchen space. Click here to find out more and check out various models.

If you’re a high-volume restaurant chain, my two recommendations would be the Velocity Series Pressure Fryer and our SmartHold Humidified Holding Cabinet.

Velocity Series Pressure Fryer.

This powerful machine can cook 8-heads of chicken in 25% less oil than other high-volume fryers, plus it replenishes oil automatically from an onboard reservoir, which means there’s no manual add-backs and fewer disposals. Best of all, because it filters automatically after every cook cycle, it extends the life of oil by nearly 4 times compared to other high-volume fryers. If that weren’t’ enough, because Henny Penny’s products are “engineered to last,” this fryer’s heavy-duty stainless steel fry pot comes with a 7-year warranty. Click here for more info and available models.

SmartHold Humidified Holding Cabinet.

SmartHold distinguishes itself by creating the perfect conditions for holding almost any food up to 200% longer than most holding cabinets. Its automatic humidity control maintains any humidity level between 10% and 90%, ensuring your chicken stays crispy, juicy, and fresh for hours at a time. Click here for all the features and available models. With today’s labor shortages, cooking in large batches and holding to serve can be a game changer for high-volume restaurants. You need a lot less people in the kitchen.

As I wrap up my predictions for chicken in 2022, I’d just like to add that the fact that poultry has now eclipsed pork as the number one protein consumed worldwide is proof positive that the future for chicken, in all its forms, is bright.

To help you on your way, be sure to sign up to receive the first in a series of three free chicken guides, filled with helpful tips from our chicken experts.

Finally, my hope for you, as restaurant operators, is to continue to utilize this versatile bird to consistently serve up innovative, unforgettably delicious chicken sandwiches, wings, nuggets, thighs, tenders and more every time!

Download Free Chicken Guide Here

Originally Posted By Chef Gregg, Corporate Executive Chef for Henny Penny

Ask the Experts: How Do You Expand Your Menu?

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If you’re looking to add chicken to the menu, there are two basic paths you can follow: Integrate chicken into your current food/store concept, or feature it as a special item, delivery-only, or even a virtual brand. That choice will guide your decisions on what products, equipment, accessories and supplies you will need to source.

Operations and process.

It doesn’t take a lot of space to have a safe and efficient chicken “program” generating profits all day long. In many cases, the only reconfigured space will be the raw prep and breading areas for chicken, which need to be separate to avoid cross contamination. Refrigeration should be reorganized to keep fresh chicken separate from other ingredients. Depending on your concept and volume, you may want to add a separate chicken-only refrigerator or freezer. As with your existing operations, raw product should flow directly from prep to cooking, holding and packing.

Where does it go, how does it flow?

Get very familiar with the equipment you plan to purchase. Be certain you have accounted for all dimensions and clearances. It is easy to overlook things like door swings. Don’t.

  • Raw ingredients and proteins should always flow from refrigeration to prep to cook to service.
  • When adding poultry to existing production, keep raw product prep and handling separate from other ingredient prep areas. Install additional hand wash and/or double sinks where possible.
  • If your new chicken menu will be mostly pick up or delivery, locate additional holding and packing near egress or delivery entrance.

Throughput matters.

The measure of the efficiency of your chicken program is throughput—how many servings in what amount of time.

  • A multi-bank open fryer increases throughput by letting you cook different chicken products at the same time.
  • Team combis—two cooking chambers stacked vertically and controlled separately— accomplish the same thing.
  • A holding cabinet also improves throughput by leveraging the production of any number of vats by letting you cook ahead of time.
  • If you plan to feature one main item—bone-in fried chicken or whole rotisserie birds, for example—go for capacity over flexibility. That means the largest pressure fryer you can find and/or one big combi oven with a roll-in cart.

When kitchen space is tight (always), you will also want to think in terms of capacity to footprint. Instead of adding a two-vat fryer in a different spot, you may want to rearrange things a little and replace your old single vat fryer with a three-vat fryer. You’ll save space and get that third vat’s worth of efficiency and oil savings. A combi oven can replace multiple pieces of equipment. A Team Combi doubles your capacity and versatility from the same floor space.  A half-size holding cabinet can fit under a counter.

Aside from optimizing your kitchen layout and processes, there is a lot more to implementing a profitable chicken program. As a foodservice operator, where do you begin?

Sourcing to Serving is a step-by-step planning guide from our chicken experts that will help you make key decisions about:

  1. Menu and operations
  2. Sourcing product and equipment
  3. Installation, start-up, maintenance
  4. After-sales service and support

Click here to download Sourcing to Serving for FREE and get 22 pages packed with everything you need to know about adding chicken to your menu.

What’s Next For Virtual Restaurants?

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Three ways to keep yours thriving in a post-pandemic world.

For restaurant operators, 2022 will be a pivotal year filled with promise, challenges, and change. It’s promising because as coronavirus cases continue to decline, medical experts believe the pandemic phase of COVID-19 is nearing an end, and that means a full return to in-person dining cannot be far behind.

That’s certainly welcome news for restaurant operators who faced unprecedented challenges during the past two years.  But, what does that translate into for virtual restaurants, which boomed during the pandemic? How large of a role will they play in the industry’s future? As more customers return to in-person dining, will consumer interest in ordering from ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants wane? And, what will it take to remain relevant amidst all the changes ahead?

We spoke with two leading restaurant industry experts about what they believe is critical to navigating the transition back to “normal” and how to come out on the other side profitable and with even more potential than before COVID.

It’s a Digital World. Embrace It!  

As is often the case…necessity is the mother of invention. That was certainly the case for restaurant operators who had to pivot in a significant way during the pandemic just to survive.  Unfortunately, many didn’t survive COVID shutdowns and an estimated 90,000 restaurants in the U.S. remain either temporarily or permanently closed.  Those who did survive relied exclusively on takeout and delivery, which became their lifelines. And, since delivery service isn’t something most restaurants offer, they turned to third-party delivery service providers (DSPs) with their user-friendly apps for help.  In fact, while most industries struggled during the pandemic, the food delivery service and app market saw explosive growth.  In a recent survey focusing on delivery and digital ordering, nearly 60% of consumers said they use a mobile app when ordering takeout. What’s more, customers surveyed said they’d welcome even more technology and would be open to automated voice ordering and even robot or drone-delivered food.

No one knows better about the benefits associated with embracing the new digital-enabled era than Marc Butler, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at HOA Brands, which is the franchisor of Hooters, as well as the fast-casual brand, Hoots Wings.

Butler says virtual restaurants are a real trend in the industry right now and one he doesn’t see going away. HOA isn’t new to the virtual restaurant space, having launched its first virtual concept four years ago, after being approached by a DSP eager to add more virtual brands to its platform.

“Uber Eats came to us with a unique proposition involving virtual brands and the Dallas market. At the time, they were seeing a high degree of searches for burgers via their platform, but said there weren’t enough burger concepts to meet demand.  Dallas is an important market to us, so we decided the time was right to develop a virtual concept focusing on burgers.”

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Marc Butler

Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning at HOA Brands

Butler said while burgers are something that’s always been on their menu, a lot of people didn’t know they sold burgers. “So, we developed our first virtual restaurant concept: Hootie’s Burger Bar. We started testing it, initially in the Dallas market and ultimately, because of promising sales, we expanded it through our entire system. And, today, burgers account for about 10 percent of our total sales.”

Post Pandemic Rx for Virtual Restaurants

Virtual restaurants, like Hootie’s Burger Bar, as well as thousands of others, exist exclusively online and are delivery only. Orders are placed via DSP apps, the restaurant’s own app or the restaurant’s website.  For existing brick and mortar restaurants, rolling out a virtual brand is an ideal way to capture incremental sales without the overhead costs associated with opening a new restaurant.

“Restaurant operators often ask me whether virtual brands are right for everyone, and my answer is they can be,” says Gregg Brickman, Corporate Executive Chef with Henny Penny. Before joining the leading global supplier of commercial foodservice equipment, Brickman was Sr. Director of Culinary Innovation at HOA Brands.  He also worked with the renowned chef Wolfgang Puck.

Apart from staying abreast of trends and technological advances, Brickman and Butler say there are three primary things operators should focus on to ensure their virtual restaurants remain relevant:

Focus on What You Do Best.

Yes, it’s important to know the market and identify any existing opportunities, but Brickman says because it’s delivery, you lose control after the order leaves the restaurant. “Reserve the ultra-innovative, elaborate recipes for in-restaurant dining. With virtual restaurants, what you want to focus on is simplicity because with home delivery, what I’ve found customers want the most is great tasting comfort food.”

Be Consistent!

Brickman says you’re never going to get something that’s quite as good as what you’re served in a restaurant. But he says a dish that’s as close to being restaurant quality delivered to your house is the next best thing. Achieving that isn’t easy, but Brickman says having the right equipment is integral to ensuring consistency. “The biggest things with chefs are consistency and control. And, with home delivery, you’re losing part of that equation.” Brickman says with Henny Penny’s fryers and combi ovens, restaurant operators get the features they need to deliver the consistency their customers want.

Henny Penny Fryers

Brickman says there’s a reason the biggest names in foodservice fry with Henny Penny. “Our fryers aren’t just metal boxes that heat oil up to 350 degrees, they come equipped with automatic top off, and when you introduce fresh oil, they maintain exact, consistent temperatures. You also have automatic filtration, which filters out impurities, ensuring that the first guest gets the same great tasting food as the last guest.”

Henny Penny Combi Ovens

The FlexFusion Platinum Series Combi Oven is another product Brickman says will help virtual restaurant operators ensure consistency.  “Our combi ovens come equipped with more than 250 recipes programmed right into the units. So, whether you’re baking, steaming, roasting, grilling or sous vide a dish, it’s going to help operators produce the same consistent product time and time again.

Keep it Simple!

With HOA Brands, which now has three virtual restaurants and is posed to open more in the future, Butler says understanding what you want to accomplish is essential. “I’d recommend starting by looking at your existing menu and asking yourself ‘what do I want to build awareness of?’ In our case, it was burgers.” Above all else, Butler says keep it simple and avoid “crazy” builds with 10 or more ingredients, which will only complicate things from an operational standpoint and overwhelm the customer.

Is It Worth It?

In the restaurant industry, where profit margins have historically been extremely tight, today’s operators now have to deal with increasing costs brought about by inflation, not to mention grappling with staffing and supply chain shortages.  So, in the final analysis, is investing in a virtual brand worth it?  Both Brickman and Butler agree that no matter if you’re a mom and pop single unit restaurant or a global brand with hundreds of stores worldwide, virtual restaurants can bolster profits.

“At HOA Brands, it’s definitely been worth it.  For all three of our virtual concepts, we have data that suggests a high percentage of these orders are incremental.  Almost three quarters of the orders are placed by customers who have never ordered from our core Hooters brand before.”

Marc Butler, HOA Brands

To put the profit potential in perspective, Butler says their three virtual restaurants are generating about the same volume associated with several established brick and mortar Hooters restaurants.

“In the virtual restaurant space, the profit potential might not be in the tens of millions of dollars, but with the incremental sale, a lot of smaller numbers can add up to something big.”

Serve Up Endless Possibilities With Chicken!

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One big reason chicken is so popular is that there are so many ways to prepare it. Whole roasted… 8-piece fried… wings, tenders, thighs… and that’s just the bird. Breadings, seasonings and cooking methods can easily alter the flavor and texture of chicken into a wide range of menu items. The hardest part may be deciding what you want to offer!

Given this, it’s no surprise there are so many chicken-only chains. Some only offer one kind! Naturally, these kitchen operations are devoted to chicken, although the equipment used will differ depending on how many different types of chicken are on the menu. For retail delis, convenience stores and pizza places that want to add chicken, we take the same idea—a chicken focused program—and scale it to your space and existing operations. It’s important to think of it this way, because profitability and efficiency depend a great deal on using the right equipment, accessories and practices.

Two methods: Frying, and every other way in a combi oven

There are almost as many ways to cook chicken as there are to serve it—frying, roasting, grilling, smoking, boiling, sous vid, etc. Fortunately you won’t need a separate piece of cooking equipment for each method. In fact, you could do them all with a fryer and a combi oven. Keep in mind what we said about using the right equipment. Not all combis, for instance, are equipped with built-in smokers or the capability for low-temperature steaming. And not all fryers are built to cook bone-in fried chicken all day long.

The specifics of each equipment platform will largely be determined by what you want to serve and how much. That, in turn, may be influenced by your store concept, customer base and meal part. For example:

  • If pizza is the main event, you may want to serve chicken wings, tenders and nuggets as a protein choice or to capture families with young children.
  • A family restaurant may want to introduce a fried chicken dinner and a chicken sandwich for lunch.
  • Wings can happen just about anywhere—they travel well and can be cooked and served anywhere from snack portions to multiple dozens.
  • Whole rotisserie-style chickens roasted in a combi oven are a mainstay for grocery and retail foodservice.

Flavor profile

The flavor profile for chicken is determined mostly by the breading and seasoning, and partly by the method of preparation.

Keep in mind, a flavor profile covers taste and texture.

  • Big, flakey crispy chicken filet sandwiches are often double-dredged in medium spicy breading and cooked in an open fryer.
  • If you’re going to serve traditional southern-fried bone-in chicken in volume, you will want to do it in a pressure fryer. It’s faster, less greasy and the breaded texture is softer. We’ll learn more about the differences in fryers and techniques later.

Seasonings do the same thing as breading for chicken roasted or grilled in a combi oven. The initial burst of flavor comes from the surface—skin or skinless.

  • Seasonings can be used along with a dry-heat cooking stage to darken and crisp the skin for rotisserie style whole birds.
  • Smoking at lower cook temperatures imparts a distinctive flavor deeper into the product. Combis with built-in smokers make it easy to create signature smoked wings, smoked quarters, or shredded chicken for BBQ, salad and pizza toppings.
  • Low-temperature combi steaming, particularly the sous vide process, creates exceptionally moist and evenly cooked chicken that holds up well as an ingredient in soups, salads and sauces.

There is a lot more to implementing a profitable chicken program than deciding how to cook the birds. As a foodservice operator, where do you begin?

Sourcing to Serving is a step-by-step planning guide from our chicken experts that will help you make key decisions about:

  • Menu and operations
  • Sourcing product and equipment
  • Installation, start-up, maintenance
  • After-sales service and support

Click here to download Sourcing to Serving for free and get 22 pages packed with everything you need to know about adding chicken to your menu.