Operators across the country are building around pasta as a popular option for family-friendly off-premise dining.
Off-premise, on-point: Family meal bundles and meal kits win for operators and guests
As full-service restaurants continue to adapt to a new dependence on off-premise dining, pasta in family meals and meal kits has emerged as a successful strategy. Here are a few restaurant operators who have released LTOs with these concepts and are finding success.
At 40North Restaurant Group concept The Office Tavern & Grill in Pennsylvania, a National Pasta Month special for October featured Baked Harvest Mac & Cheese with Barilla pipette pasta, roasted mushrooms, butternut squash, fontina and cheddar, bundled together with hot honey fried chicken, flatbread and a salad.
Houlihan’s restaurants found a way to build sales outside of costly 3rd party delivery platforms with their Chicken Parm kits. Driven by social media, guests in the know pre-ordered a day ahead to pick up the kits, which include chicken, sauce, Barilla fettucine pasta with alfredo sauce, spinach dip, salad, breadsticks and cookies.
Why it works: Building a bundle elevates the offering to something consumers won’t make at home, and it makes for a meal that boldly says “value” but still delivers to the operator’s bottom line. Though guests recognize that pasta as a food for takeout or delivery travels well, the meal kit option provides more flexibility for customization and “homemade” appeal.
What the Chefs are Saying:
“The family meal bundles have really done well for us. With pasta as the platform, the combinations are endless, so we can always keep it seasonal, fresh and interesting with new items. They are profitable and well-suited for delivery, plus pasta’s in our wheelhouse, so I know my crews will hit the mark on every order.” - Chef Kevin Felice, 40North Restaurants
“The chicken parm kits had the best performance of any we’ve tried this fall. It’s profitable, and really easy for my teams to execute well. Partnering with Barilla on the marketing gave us a nice boost, and it’s easily something we could bring back in the future!” – Chef Michael Slavin, Houlihan’s
For more off-premise ideas, visit the resource page at BarillaFS.com.
