Menu labeling and the three phases of restaurant adoption

Restaurants aren't stupid.  They want to make a buck or two.  So as various food trends grow, they often offer relevant options: low fat, heart healthy, low calorie, whatever.  And now, gluten-free and paleo.  What's nice is that there are a decent number of menu options that don't require much, if any, alteration to be labeled as one or the other.  So it makes it easy for a restaurant to "offer" these meals.  It reminds me of a good line from Robb Wolf's book, which went something like, You've eaten lots of paleo meals before -- you just haven't eaten them in a row. 

So here are the three phases of restaurant adoption.  

  1. Restaurants ignore.  You have to custom order. Few producers make products for you.
  2. Restaurants re-label and tweak. They find easy, existing menu options to "offer". Niche food producers address the market.
  3. Restaurants design specific meals, source novel ingredients, or base their entire restaurant on your concept. And the big CPGs create these products.
Natural and organic have been in phase 3 for quite some time.  Gluten-free has been moving from 2 to 3.  Paleo is moving from 1 to 2. 
 
Below is a menu from suburban Detroit at a nicer restaurant.  Notice the "GF" (gluten-free) next to multiple of the salad options.  Do you think they invented a Tenderloin Cobb Salad, Thai Shrimp Salad, or Porter Salad just to appeal to the gluten-free crowd?  Unlikely.  They realized they already had dishes that were gluten-free - or close enough to easily alter - and so they simply marked which ones those were. That said, they're marking the entire menu with this label, and it's the only food label on the menu.  There's no heart healthy or low fat labels.

Here's a menu from San Francisco.  Notice the Paleo Steak Salad "for all you cavemen out there".  Now that's what I call progress.  Okay, so this is just one option, rather than a label across the entire menu, and I'm sure it's as easy as adding a few words on a dry-erase board.  But I'll take it.

Comments

Any idea what restaurant that

Submitted by Hazel on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 14:10.

Any idea what restaurant that is (in San Francisco)?  I'm heading up there this weekend and would love to check it out and give them my business!

Ok, when were you in the

Submitted by Cromulent on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 08:41.

Ok, when were you in the Detroit area?

early April for a week

Submitted by John on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:42.

early April for a week

But what's that fried egg

Submitted by WyldKard on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 12:57.

But what's that fried egg cooked in?

patience, we'll get there

Submitted by John on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:43.

patience, we'll get there

 Totally jealous of those of

Submitted by Meghan on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 11:51.

 Totally jealous of those of you living in areas where the transition is happening. Here in southern Ohio...not so much. Of course it is pretty easy to create a Paleo meal, but  a girl can only eat so much meat+broccoli, and even that can be dangerous. Two days ago I ordered pork tenderloin and steamed veggies, and I did so quickly in order to get back to my conversation and forgot the usual questioning of the server. My food arrived covered in butter and cheese...neither of which was included on the menu description. Beyond that, it would also be nice to see some interesting recipes once in awhile.

Just a side add - many places

Submitted by Teena on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 11:27.

Just a side add - many places while making these types of changes don't really know what they're doing - sure added a gluten-free lable to a salad without croutons is all fine and dandy, but the staff often doesn't do the indepth research that those of us with celiac do - and so the salad dressing isn't GF (granted it is easy to ask for dressing on the side) or it doesn't occur to the kitchen staff that they shouldn't use the same cutting board, knifes, or just pick the croutons out. Not a big deal if being GF is a choice, but for those of us who CANNOT eat it, it is a big deal. Those new to being GF find it too easy to just take the restaurant's word and end up eating something they shouldn't.That all said, I'm grateful that places are trying and learning - particularly that GF doesn't mean rice flour subsitutes of tried and true comfort food. 

great points

Submitted by John on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:45.

great points

great points

Submitted by John on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:45.

great points

Just a side add - many places

Submitted by Teena on Tue, 05/03/2011 - 11:27.

Just a side add - many places while making these types of changes don't really know what they're doing - sure added a gluten-free lable to a salad without croutons is all fine and dandy, but the staff often doesn't do the indepth research that those of us with celiac do - and so the salad dressing isn't GF (granted it is easy to ask for dressing on the side) or it doesn't occur to the kitchen staff that they shouldn't use the same cutting board, knifes, or just pick the croutons out. Not a big deal if being GF is a choice, but for those of us who CANNOT eat it, it is a big deal. Those new to being GF find it too easy to just take the restaurant's word and end up eating something they shouldn't.That all said, I'm grateful that places are trying and learning - particularly that GF doesn't mean rice flour subsitutes of tried and true comfort food. 

 If you truly had celiac

Submitted by Dragonmamma/Naomi on Wed, 05/04/2011 - 12:45.

 If you truly had celiac disease and couldn't handle even a molecule of gluten, then is it even possible to go out to eat AT ALL unless a restaurant is totally gluten-free? I think it's unrealistic to expect a restaurant to have two entirely different food prep areas with different sets of equipment to prevent cross-contamination.

 If a restaurant is going to

Submitted by Teena on Thu, 05/05/2011 - 15:45.

 If a restaurant is going to advertise as having gluten free options, then i dont think it unreasonable to expect a small dedicated counter for those dishes. and i do expect the restaurant to have researched enough to know not to put blue cheese in a salad or to buy soy sauce that is certified gluten free. and i really expect them to know better than to put my bread in the same basket as regular bread.  degree of sensitivity aside, if you claim your restaurant has gluten free options then it is not unreasonable to require separate equipment . myburger should not be tossed onto the same griddle you just tosted a bun on, and to not have that separate space but to advertise items as gf is lying. it is not unreasonable for people with food allergies to want and to be able to eat out and to do so without getting sick.