As all-day snacking continues to proliferate—consumers eat an average of 2.8 snacks between meals every day, according to Technomic’s 2018 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report—restaurants are working hard to capitalize on that share of dollars. One way some operators are trying to draw in more sales of snacks is with desserts.
Snack-sized, portable sweets, offered for both onsite consumption or as a take-it-for-later-treat, are perfect for restaurants of any size who want to increase check averages or boost business between meals. But adding housemade desserts for mid-morning, mid-day or evening snacking can be costly—and wasteful, if everything doesn’t sell. That’s why a number of operators choose to serve speed-scratch desserts that can be wrapped individually, or spruced up to make a signature item—whichever the restaurants’ needs are. Here’s a few ways to increase diner interest in between-meal treats.
Highlight quality
Even when consumers are indulging in something sweet, they’re still interested in the quality of ingredients and overall quality of what they’re eating. For instance, according to Technomic’s Snacking report, 35% of consumers say it’s important that snacks are made with just a few simple ingredients, while 35% say it’s important that they’re natural or additive-free. Sweet Street desserts are made with clean ingredients and don’t contain any GMOs, and some desserts are also gluten-free, like the Chocolate Nut Torta Made with Nutella or the individually wrapped GF Chewy Marshmallow Bars.
By calling out great ingredients and including sourcing details where possible, restaurants can signal to diners that the sweets are suitable for specialized diets and for those who want more natural options.
Strategize promotions
To ensure customers are aware of snacking options, it’s important for restaurant operators to showcase what’s available. Even for packaged snacks sold near the carryout register, for instance, listing them on the menu may encourage dine-in customers to add them to their check and take them to go. For takeout and delivery orders, restaurants can offer family meal bundles, for instance, with included desserts, or offer those same desserts in catering packages—and make sure they’re listed on catering menus as well as on third-party delivery sites.
Other promotions can include happy hour specials where desserts are sold at a slightly lower price or as part of a shareable snack package. Be sure to promote any events like this through social channels so that customers know about the special pricing.
Offer a variety
According to Technomic’s Snacking report, consumers purchased packaged snacks 67% of the time, and prepared snacks 33% of the time. Offering a variety of snack-sized sweets for both dine-in options as well as grab-and-go helps ensure that any customer considering a treat can find what’s convenient for their day. For instance, offer plated desserts like Sweet Street’s Chocolate Peanut Butter or Oreo Stacks—indulgent and rich, perfect for a mid-evening dessert after happy hour. And for customers who want to take something to go, individually wrapped Toffee Crunch Manifesto Blondies or Peruvian Chocolate Manifesto Brownies are the ideal size for a snack to enjoy a few hours after lunchtime.
All-day snacking isn’t likely to fade out anytime soon. For restaurants that want to capitalize on the trend, offering high quality desserts, thinking strategically for promotions and offering a good variety of desserts are all great ways to keep diners coming back again and again for their favorites.
This post is sponsored by Sweet Street Desserts