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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

Zac’s Burgers: A Case Study

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When most guys his age were still hitting burger bars after a ballgame, Pete Politarhos decided to open one. And he hasn’t looked back. Today, Zac’s Burgers has three restaurant locations in the Philly area, plus a concession at Lincoln Financial Field and two food trucks for catering events around the Tri-State.

“Probably the biggest thing for us is that the Henny Penny fryer has simplified what we do in the frying area. With the controls and the filtering, it has taken a big headache away and helped me serve my customers efficiently and better.”

Pete Politarhos, Zac’s Burgers

Zac’s is a family business with 28 employees. Business is good, and expanding is always a consideration.

Learn More:

Zac-s-Burgers-case-studyDownload

3 Ways Our Henny Penny Fryers Maintain Food Quality

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It’s no surprise that many operators struggle with how to maintain food quality in a restaurant. A lot of it comes down to your fryer oil!

In the restaurant industry, we call a 35 lb. container of bulk cooking oil a “jug-in-box” or “JIB” for short. Not surprisingly, just like everything else restaurants are paying more for these days, JIBs have increased in price too. How much? Depending on what type of cooking oil you purchase, a JIB will now run you as much as four times what you paid in 2019. So, today you’ll pay between $40 and $100 for a JIB of cooking oil and that’s wholesale pricing.

Increasing costs associated with fry oil and inflation in general are important reasons to make sure you’re prioritizing keeping your commercial fryer in tiptop condition.  Doing so will not only ensure you continue to dish up quality menu items that delight your customers, but it will also help manage costs and prioritize profits.

To help, I’ve identified three tips that will keep your commercial deep fryer operating in peak condition.

1. Resist the Temptation to Cut Corners

With cooking oil prices spiking, some operators may be tempted to keep their fry oil longer than they should. They may rationalize, asking themselves, “What’s another day or two, or even a week going to hurt?” Well, that’s a bad idea and for a few reasons.

Not only will your food not taste as good, oftentimes taking on a burnt flavor and smell, reusing old oil can open the door to bacterial buildup and well, that’s not good for your customers’ health or your restaurant’s reputation. But, there’s a solution.

Filter, Filter, Filter

Routine filtering of your vats is the single most important thing you can do to ensure the quality, taste, and consistency of your food. That means the first person that you serve gets the same great tasting meal as the last person you serve.

Some commercial fryers are equipped with built-in oil filtration systems, like Henny Penny’s, which come standard on every open and pressure fryer. Not only does the automatic system reduce the manual effort associated with filtering, but it extends oil life, translating into thousands of dollars in annual savings.

How often you should be filtering is dependent on what you’re frying, how much you’re frying, and how old your oil is. This free Filter Frequency Calculator will help you determine the ideal filtration frequency for your restaurant.

Because time is money in the restaurant business, when you’re filtering your vats, you’re not frying product in them. Luckily, some fryers on the market like the Evolution Elite allow for filtering by individual vats, so you can filter one vat while frying in others.  And, because it’s a low-volume oil fryer, it filters completely in less than 4 minutes, so you’re able to get back to frying even faster.

2. Clean Up Your Act (or, at least your fryer’s)

I don’t need to list all the reasons and benefits associated with routinely cleaning your commercial fryer, but I can tell you what could happen if you don’t. I read a news article recently about a restaurant fire and the investigation determined the fire started in a deep fryer-vent due to lack of cleaning of the commercial cooking equipment.

No operator expects this will happen at their restaurant and it likely won’t if they adhere to a daily cleaning regimen and a deep cleaning schedule every few weeks.

Commercial Fryer Cleaners – Choose Wisely

When it comes to choosing a commercial fryer cleaner, it’s important to remember they’re not all equal. No one knows that better than Bill Sparks, VP of Operations and Franchise Sales for Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken who agreed to ask his franchise owners to test Henny Penny’s Prime Cleaner against their current product.

The side-by-side tests were planned for one month, but within a week, Bill said he started getting feedback from owners, commenting that the difference was like night and day.  Sparks said the following:

“Our owners have 21-year-old fry pots looking like they’re brand new. Plus, they’re saving time on each clean-out, since you don’t need to neutralize with a vinegar solution.”

avatar

Bill Sparks

VP of Operations and Franchise Sales

You can learn more about the franchise’s experience and plans to equip every new store with Henny Penny fryers by clicking here.

3. Work Smarter. Not Harder

Another way your commercial fryer can help maintain food quality is by ensuring recipe consistency.  The digital age we live in comes with advantages and one of those is some commercial fryers are now equipped with advanced controls that allow operators to choose from a selection of preprogrammed recipes or simply program in their own recipes.

In my job, I spend a lot of time working with restaurant brands, getting their programs just right for their proprietary processes. With Henny Penny fryers, we have the ability to change cooking perimeters.

For example, a restaurant might have a recipe program that starts at 330 degrees and for the second stage, the temperature goes down to 320 degrees, and then, up to 340 degrees. What they’re doing is creating a product that you can only get from them. They’re creating a texture and taste at the end of the cooking cycle that nobody else can copy or repeat.

Want some tips on how to refine your frying program? This free download includes the top five frying mistakes and what you can do about them.

Your Fryer’s Best Friend – A Heated Holding Cabinet

Finally, want to know the “secret” to keeping your food fry-fresh for hours after it leaves the fryer?  Using a heated holding cabinet in conjunction with your fryer can extend food life without sacrificing quality. Think about it.

Whenever you’re using your fryer by itself, you have to wait 10 to 12 minutes before you can place more chicken in there. But if you’re taking that same chicken and cooking it ahead of time for 6 minutes and then putting it in the heated holding cabinet at 185 degrees with 15 percent humidity, you’re able to hold that product for 2 hours!

Then all you have to do is flash it inside the fryer for a minute or minute and a half, and you’ll have a product that’s crispy on the inside yet juicier on the inside because it wasn’t cooked in the fryer for 10-12 minutes.

Originally posted by Chef Gregg from www.HennyPenny.com

Why Your Commercial Kitchen Needs A Pressure Fryer And Heated Holding Cabinet

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If you’re serving a chicken-heavy menu featuring items like bone-in wings or juicy tenders, you’ll love having a pressure fryer and a heated holding cabinet in your kitchen. (And if you’re not serving chicken, we’ve got four reasons you should be!)

Combining a fryer and a full-size holding cabinet allows operators to implement batch cooking. This means the product is fried in large batches before the rush and served fresh out of a holding cabinet.

Together, pressure fryers and heated holding cabinets create an ideal ‘system’ for commercial kitchens, specifically fried chicken concepts. Here’s why:

#1: Fried Chicken Holds Well

Pressure fryers are arguably the best commercial fryers for fried chicken. Why? Pressure frying maintains the chicken’s moisture and flavor while sealing out excess cooking oil. Retaining that moisture helps maintain quality when the chicken is transferred to a holding cabinet.

Holding cabinets allow food life to be increased without sacrificing food quality. Fans that circulate hot moist air evenly throughout the cabinet help maintain safe temperatures and a quality product.

Premium holding cabinets with precise humidity control can keep chicken fresh and ready-to-serve for anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours.

#2: Less Staff in the Kitchen

With batch cooking, there are significantly less staff members needed in the kitchen. Today’s labor shortages make this is a huge win for operators.

Our own Corporate Executive Chef, Gregg Brickman, says that holding cabinets offer extensive relief for restaurants. “Henny Penny holding cabinets allow restaurants to serve consistent, quality items while also easing pressure on the kitchen. And, when you don’t have as many staff members in the kitchen due to staffing levels or pandemic restrictions, the cabinets can actually relieve as much pressure as adding another employee or sous chef.”

Read more about how kitchens can handle peak order volume without adding staff: click here.

#3: Increase Throughput Significantly

Batch cooking allows for increased throughput by prepping orders in advance, meaning no stress during peak order volumes.

Dedicate the hour before rush time to filling the holding cabinet. After that, simply manage the cabinet instead of the fryer. Establish a point that the cabinet should be refilled once a certain amount of product has been depleted. You’ll never run out of chicken this way, and your ticket times will be quicker than ever!

Increased throughput capabilities mean that kitchens can balance dine-in, carryout, and delivery orders with ease. With the increase in off-premise demand, many restaurants have struggled to keep up – some have had to restrict delivery hours on 3rd party apps or decline carryout orders altogether. Batch cooking can eliminate this issue!

When implementing batch cooking, it’s also important to consider your fryer’s total load capacity. Our Velocity Series is perfect for this application because it can cook an entire 8-head of chicken in just one load.

#4: Decrease Food Waste

A lot less food gets thrown away when you’re cooking in large batches and have a holding cabinet on hand. For high volume kitchens, batch cooking is a proven way to decrease food waste.

The concept of batch cooking isn’t new – in 2016, Foodservice Director Magazine published an article about how Franklin College was able to significantly reduce food waste in it’s dining halls. After implementing batch cooking, their food waste costs plummeted from over $250 a month to around $30.

Frying under pressure at lower temperatures also reduces wasted frying oil and helps extend its useful life. This added benefit of pressure frying is especially important given today’s inflated oil prices.

#5: Built to Work Together

As mentioned earlier, fried foods like chicken retain more moisture when cooked under pressure. A humidified holding cabinet is the perfect companion for a pressure fryer because it can keep the product moist and juicy for an extended period.

At Henny Penny, our pressure fryers and holding cabinets are built to work together as a system. When transferring product from our 8-head fryers to our holding cabinets, there is no re-racking required. Crew members simply slip a sheet pan under a lip on the fryer that allows for a seamless transition into the holding cabinet.

No re-racking means more consistent food quality, increased food safety, and a less time-consuming process for the back-of-house crew.

Our global network of exclusive distributors can work with you to develop set points for everything from your fryer’s cook cycle to your holding cabinet’s ideal temperature, humidity level, and maximum hold time. Click here to request more information from your local distributor.

The popularity, versatility, and profitability of chicken make it a no-brainer for any menu. Download this free ebook from our experts and start serving chicken like the pros.

Keep Reading

Check out our Fried Chicken Restaurant Equipment Guide to read more about the equipment you’ll need to start dishing out golden-fried goodness.

Originally posted on HennyPenny.com

Chicken Thighs: The New Wings?

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It’s happening with chlorine. It’s even happening with ketchup packets. And now everyone is freaking out over the chicken shortage.

The saying goes that there are two seasons for chicken wings, Super Bowl and the rest of the year. Weirdly, this year’s Big Game viewership was down 8 percent from the year before but, according to the National Chicken Council, wing consumption was up 2 percent. In one weekend, we ate a record 1.42 billion chicken wings!

No wonder there’s a chicken shortage. If you are a chicken restaurant operator battling it out with your supplier or about to launch a virtual chicken concept, stop for a moment and consider this: Nowhere does any of this news coverage mention a shortage of chicken thighs.

For every pair of chicken wings, there is a pair of chicken thighs selling for roughly half the price per pound and more than twice the meat per serving. That alone should be enough to pique an operator’s interest these days. The problem is, chicken thighs don’t get the same respect from the American palate that they do elsewhere. That’s mostly due to a lack of marketing. Taste tests have consistently shown that three out of four consumers prefer the flavor of thighs to breasts or wings. Thigh meat is moist and tender with enough fat from the bird itself for flavor so you can taste the chicken, not just what it’s breaded, marinated or cooked in.

As part of a “whole-bird strategy,” thighs are proving to be an ally for Wingstop to keep up with demand and increase contract-based purchases. The Dallas-based chain with more than 1,500 units has been testing a bone-in thigh product to add to their regular lineup. Nathan’s Famous plans to roll out two new chicken sandwiches, both featuring boneless, skinless thighs. The more intense flavor of the thigh holds up beautifully in both the Nashville Hot fried version and the marinated grilled sandwich, according to a senior executive with the chain, calling them some of the most flavorful options in the industry.

If you’re a smaller operator or a food truck looking to stay in the chicken game while maintaining high-margin profitability, give thighs a try. Like wings, thighs can be served bone-in or boneless, breaded and deep-fried, baked or grilled. I like them twice-fried with Korean style breading and a sweet, spicy gochujang sauce. If you’re in the northeast, you might try dredging them in “clam fry” breading. In the south, pressure fried with hot honey sauce and a fried green tomato. One of my favorite ways to do chicken thighs is to French them into lollipops. Like drumsticks, thighs hold up well to this technique. The result is tender meat slightly compressed and massed towards one end of the bone, with the other exposed for the “handle.” They make terrific finger food. And compared to half a dozen wings, one or two thighs makes for a lot less mess.

Just remember, consumers are not conditioned to appreciate thighs the way they have been with wings, tenders and breasts. Your best bet is to come up with a signature item, give it a niche, do trial promotions, and start a whisper campaign. Once you get a few people eating and enjoying chicken thighs, the good word will spread!

For more information on frying and understanding your options, click here. Or, if you’re already frying and want to analyze an existing program, check out our free download: The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Frying Program (and how to fix them).

Originally published on www.HennyPenny.com
by Chef Gregg; Henny Penny Corporate Executive Chef