Snack Time

Three ways to capture snack sales

Snacking is here to stay, as many Canadians have fundamentally changed the way they eat. Life on the move requires flexible dining options. That shift in dining habits, coupled with the menu proliferation of small plates and bar snacks, makes the snacking trend rich with opportunity. Nearly half of consumers (48%) snack at least twice a day, with 17% doing so three times or more per day.* “There’s less adherence to a strict 9-to-5 work schedule, so Canadians are looking for more flexible eating occasions that match their busy lifestyles,” says Kira Smith, corporate chef, Kraft Foodservice. Adding a snacking strategy to your operation can help boost traffic between dayparts. It’s a win-win, as your guests will most likely appreciate the lower menu cost and the chance to try a number of different smaller items.

* Technomic’s 2014 Canadian Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report

BAR SNACKS

Add another line of revenue with an enticing bar snacks menu. It doesn’t have to be extensive—just well executed. Bar snacks offer mini flavour adventures with little commitment and great reward. They allow guests to choose a snacking occasion over a meal occasion, but still come to you for both. Give-away snacks are another way to enhance the customer experience. They can be as easy as Corn Nuts—salty, crunchy and crowd-pleasing.

AFTERNOON & LATE NIGHT MENUS

A lot of restaurants call the afternoon hours “the dead zone”—that time between lunch and dinner service that just limps along. The same can be said for those lingering hours after the dinner rush and before the lights go out. Turn the afternoon and late night into a bar-only menu, encouraging business during the casual, after-work pop-in and the late-night snack attack. Make the snacks craveable and affordable for a winning strategy here.

On-the-Go Snacking

Target snackers who don’t have time to stop with ready-to-go options. Make it hassle-free and your guests will build it into their harried routines. Consider an array of single-serve tablespreads with familiar carriers, like bagels, soft pretzels, apple wedges and carrot sticks. For ready-to-go offerings that require no labour, look to single-serve fan favourites like Corn Nuts, peanuts and pretzels.

Millennial Mindset

Serious Snackers

Millennials, that coveted demographic of younger consumers, are driving changing eating habits, embracing the clockless day as the new normal—snacking is a huge part of their lifestyle. According to a study by Y-Pulse and the Culinary Visions Panel:

Younger Millennials (19-25) snack more often in the past year and favour a ‘snack throughout the day’ lifestyle
Middle Millennials (26-30) are snacking most during the late afternoon and before dinner
Older Millennials (31-36) are snacking in the mid-morning and late afternoon about the same amount as they did a year ago

Snacking Recipes

Our chefs at the Kraft Culinary Centre take snacking very seriously. They offer recipes that won’t tax your back of house, but offer big flavour—one craveable bite at a time.

BAR SNACKS

Steak & Scallion Rolls with Mediterranean Aioli

Spicy "BLT" Flatbreads

Creamy Edamame Dip with Peppers

AFTERNOON or LATE NIGHT

Mini Caesar Bites

Hot Artichoke Dip

Cheeseburger “Tots”

ON THE GO

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Hot Smoked Salmon Taco

Italian Hoagie

See more snacks and small bites

On-the-Go Snacking

Super Spreads

Get turnkey snack ideas for your life-on-the-run customers. Mix it up—we’ve got ways to make them love their morning or snack routine. Inspiration starts with Kraft Single-Serve Table Spreads Also, find signature spreads that won’t tax your back of house.

Easy mix ’n’ match spreads

READY TO GO

Single-serve portions give customers the dressings they want in takeout and delivery. With more than half of eater occasions being off-premise*, make sure you are offering Kraft Single-Serve Dressings to ensure your patrons are getting the flavour, quality, variety and consistency they expect. Available in 40 mL pouch and 18mL cup.

*NPD year ending February 2014

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