The Coronavirus pandemic didn’t start the conversation but rather made it the hottest one in the industry: takeout and delivery have skyrocketed, and there’s no reason to think that is going to slow down anytime soon. Born out of that are pressing questions about how to prepare great food that holds up through the delivery process while also making the customer feel safe.
Portion control packets will be a huge part of the new normal for their ability to deliver a great-tasting condiment from a brand diners connect with and the added bonus of ensuring a contactless process.
“Consumers will continue to prefer sauces and condiments that are in portion control packets due to concerns about potential contamination,” says Dan Plunkett, vice president of Garner Foods, the makers of Texas Pete® Hot Sauce. “Additionally, they still enjoy customizing to-go orders with flavorful condiments. That’s where our hot sauce thought leadership is helping operators through the recovery.”
Another advantage of individual portion control packets is that they present options for every type of diner. For example, Datassential reports that 71 percent of restaurants now call out at least one “spicy” item on their menu, a direct result of the fact that Gen Z and millennials overwhelmingly love spicy foods. Datassential’s research also shows that the boomer generation feels a bit more tepid about spicy foods, instead preferring a medium heat. Texas Pete® Hot Sauce offers solutions with Texas Pete® Original Hot Sauce, a medium level of spiciness, and a Texas Pete® Hotter Hot Sauce for the younger crowd.
The most pivotal advantage of the portion control packets, though, is that it enables operators—dealing with the tightest margins they’ve ever experienced in an industry already known for being cutthroat—to create sustainable margins with signature sauces.
“Every operator has taken another look at their costs through this crisis,” says Nikki Green, Garner Foods national accounts manager. “Many are turning to comfort foods that can be prepared easily and provide higher margins—items such as loaded fries, pasta, and mac and cheese. Super-sizing high margin items gives customers perceived added value. Adding a few packets of Texas Pete® Hot Sauce at a minimal cost adds even more value and brand loyalty to take-out, drive-thru, or delivered orders.”
Now isn’t the time to offer diners budget brands that garner no name recognition, especially when it comes to items like hot sauce that already offer high margins. Partnering with an established brand will help diners know that they are getting great value for their dollar, which will be paramount as the country moves forward with an increasingly shaky economy.
“The Texas Pete® brand is the fastest-growing hot sauce brand among the top five retail brands in the U.S.,” Plunkett says. “That makes Texas Pete a high-value partner in a co-branding opportunity to make anxious customers feel safe.”
For more information on how to add portion control packets from the hottest brand doing it, visit TexasPeteFoodservice.com.
