ROSEMONT, IL - The foodservice industry is experiencing another shift as many consumers begin to return to their pre-pandemic routines, which includes the pleasure of eating at their favorite restaurants. With this shift in behavior comes an increase in demand across the sector, and US Foods is helping its industry allies prepare for that influx with its latest Summer Scoop^™ titled “Dining Out Is In Again.”

“Through each phase of the pandemic, our commitment to helping our restaurant operators ‘Make It’ with product innovation and expert resources has remained our number one priority,” said Vice President of Product Development and Innovation, Stacey Kinkaid. “As restaurants quickly move closer to, or reach, full capacity, solving back-of-house labor challenges is more critical than ever. As a result, operators need products that are easy to prep back-of-house; require fewer culinary skills; and deliver on taste, quality, and profitability. With Summer Scoop, we’ve designed a product lineup to help restaurant operators meet these challenges head-on.”

The new Summer Scoop includes 18 on-trend, versatile, and profit-driving products created to reduce back-of-house preparation and skilled labor demands, according to a press release. With 62 percent of operators saying they are concerned about finding skilled workers during the pandemic, restaurant operators struggle to balance the resurgence of on-site diners and existing take-out and delivery operations ramped up during the pandemic.

Summer Scoop aims to address these challenges with innovative products that can drive higher profits and help operators save approximately 85–95 percent in back-of-house preparation time compared to making from scratch, drastically reducing the challenges for restaurants operating with fewer and less-experienced kitchen staff.

Summer Scoop also highlights a variety of labor-saving products that are versatile and easily integrated into summer menu favorites, including:

Simple Summer Menu Additions Hot Off the Grill

• Chef’s Line^® Alabama White Barbeque Sauce
• Chef’s Line All Natural Seasoned Beef Brisket Steak Burger
• Chef’s Line All Natural Italian Sausage Burger
• Chef’s Line Roasted Garlic & Herb Compound Butter

Fast and Flavorful Ingredients

• Cross Valley Farms® Apple Pineapple Pico De Gallo
• Chef’s Line Toasted Coconut Pineapple Flavored Ice Cream

Even as dining out continues to recover, off-premise dining trends consumers adopted during the pandemic are expected to remain even as on-site normalizes to pre-pandemic levels. Summer Scoop offers innovative and labor-saving products to support the continued growth of off-premise dining, and these products are equally as profit-driving when served in-house. Highlights include:

Grow Profits with Grab and Go

• Monogram^® Tamper Evident Beverage Pouch
• Thirster^® Organic Ginger Lemon Kombucha & Thirster® Organic Red Raspberry Kombucha
• Chef’s Line Crispy Italian Tomato and Mozzarella Arancini
• Patuxent Farms^® Biscuit Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks

In addition to these innovative product solutions, US Foods also provides free one-on-one consultations with its expert Restaurant Operations Consultants (ROCs). US Foods ROCs have already helped thousands of restaurants solve their biggest challenges during the pandemic. They remain dedicated to providing free virtual consultations on ongoing operations pain points such as menu engineering and profitability, staffing and labor, finance and cost management, and how to access restaurant relief grants. In addition, the company has US Foods ROCs dedicated to the support questions about US Foods CHECK^® Business Tools, designed to help restaurant operators navigate the restaurant technology landscape and find the right solutions for their operation.

To learn more about US Foods’ latest strategy to bolster the sector, click here.

As more innovative offerings and blueprints arise within the industry, AndNowUKnow will be here to keep you updated.

US Foods