Weekly Roundup – Week of 9.12.2022
September 16, 2022
This week’s roundup covers notable food-and-beverage-related news stories from around the globe and beyond curated by our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
Stadium Food & Beverage Outlets Upping Their Game
Foodservice at stadiums has become just as important as the games being watched, and food and beverage hospitality services are revamping menus to indulge more sophisticated palates and align with trending flavors and formats that deliver a more exciting experience for fans. In addition to classic handheld favorites – hot dogs, brats, and burgers – fans are enjoying new ethnic offerings with a twist, inventive snacks, and even flavorful plant-based items. Through Legends Hospitality, Cowboy fans at AT&T Stadium can expect Fried Mozzarella Burgers, Lobster Mac-N-Cheese, Muffuletta and Steak Sandwiches, and Plant-Based Touchdown Tots to name a few. And Aramark Sports + Entertainment is scoring big with snackable bites being offered throughout its ten NFL stadium locations this year. Here are a few that FoodBeast highlights:
- Crabby Cheese Puffs Mozzarella Sticks – M&T Bank Stadium
- DORITOS FLAMIN’ HOT COOL RANCH Chicken Sandwich – Paycor Stadium
- FUNYUNS Dusted Polish Boy – FirstEnergy Stadium
- Sugar Daddy Brown Sugar Sandwich – U.S. Bank Stadium
- Philly Jawns – Lincoln Financial Field
Starbucks Boost Drink Production With New Technology
At its Investor Day on Tuesday, Starbucks announced new equipment technology and kitchen layouts to increase drink production, simplify operations and take the stress off baristas. The new layout and system, named the Siren System, eliminates the need for staff to manually scoop out ice and open refrigerators to retrieve ingredients. During a live test, the company compared the Siren System against a barista making a Mocha Frappuccino®. Using the Siren System, the drink took 35 seconds to prepare as ice and most ingredients are dispensed directly, while the barista made the drink in 83 seconds. According to the Yahoo Finance article, “the company is exploring “load balancing” technology that can send orders to stores that have the capacity to actually fulfill them – instead of to stores already being slammed by drive-thru customers, for instance, Chief Technology Officer Deb Hall Lefevre said in an interview with Reuters.” Over the next three years, Starbucks Corp projects profits to grow between 15% to 20%. Learn More.
Are Consumers Sacrificing Safety To Save Money?
With inflation soaring and the economy slowing, consumers continue to look for ways to save a dollar, which just might be detrimental to their health. A new study from Attest finds that six in 10 consumers buy foods that have reduced prices because they’re about to expire, and more than 46% eat food past its expiration date. 56.5% said they would eat potato chips and other snacks after their expiration date and nearly half said they would eat cookies and candy after the expiration date. However, far fewer said they’d eat past-date items that are perishable such as bread, yogurt, and fresh meat. Overall, consumers appear to be lowering their standards, including buying fewer premium foods and reducing spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, to save costs. Read Story.
Three Trends Food Producers & Grocery Retailers Should Prioritize
The Food Institute has highlighted three trends from a recent Exploding Topics report, that will affect the food and beverage industry through 2025. The first is growth in DTC food & beverages. Consumer online shopping will continue to drive sales for grocers. The report finds that many DTC food startups are finding traction through underserved markets, notably those catering to special dietary needs, and predicts that retailers will use their online platforms to test new products, offer well-performing DTC brands, and create their own DTC brands. Social media inspiring home cooks is the second notable trend. A report from FONA International indicated that 36% of consumers said social media has changed how they cook at home. Product developers will look to TikTok and influencers for trending flavors and recipes that might work for incorporating into their brand offerings. And the third trend, vertical farming, will continue to grow as more local producers will open locations closer to grocery stores or restaurants for easier, fresh delivery of fruit and vegetables. Read More.
Say What?
Here are a few fun stories to round out the week. Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station have successfully grown rice. It’s the first experiment to produce the entire life cycle of the plant – developing means for continued production and long-term space exploration. Two varieties of seedlings have been produced and since the experiment began on July 29th, the first variety has grown to a height of about 12 inches and the second variety has reached around 2 inches. And, in a cheesy twist of fate, a U.S. resident attempts to smuggle 50 wheels of undeclared cheese across the border from Mexico. She only declared 10 wheels of cheese, but when the CBP officer investigated further, he found the additional 50 wheels which constitute commercial quantities. The driver was assessed with a $1,000 civil penalty and released. Finally, as the royal family says goodbye to their beloved queen, British Royal Warrants that Queen Elizabeth II issued for supplying goods or services to the royal family will become invalid. According to the UK site The Grocer, exactly 100 hundred different food and drink brands are affected by this law. For these brands to continue advertising their relationship to the crown and using the Royal Arms symbol, they must reapply for their appointment within two years. An entire list of food and drink companies with Royal Warrants granted by Queen Elizabeth can be found on the Royal Warrant Holders Association website.
Stop back each week for more industry news and fun stories!
