CALABASAS HILLS Calif. The Cheesecake Factory, long known for serving guests heaping portions of its upscale-casual fare, is now rolling out a line of smaller-sized dishes at lower prices.
The new Small Plates & Snacks menu is designed as a “pre-appetizer” or to be combined with other dishes to make a meal, The Cheesecake Factory Inc. said Thursday. The offerings follow a growing restaurant industry trend toward smaller and less expensive menu options, as operators attempt to drive traffic at a time when customers are looking for greater value and more healthful options.
Cheesecake Factory’s new menu includes 16 dishes priced from $3.95 to $6.50 each, including beets with goat cheese, hand-battered onion rings, shrimp scampi crostini, ahi tartare, stuffed mushrooms or pizzettes.
“We have actually been developing our Small Plates & Snacks menu for quite some time; however, we thought now was the perfect time to introduce it to help make The Cheesecake Factory even more accessible to Americans looking for reasons to get out and celebrate,” said Mark Mears, the company’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “But don’t let the name fool you, at The Cheesecake Factory we don’t do anything small.”
Others following a less-is-more strategy include Chili’s Grill & Bar, which introduced 10 menu items under $7 earlier this month, such as Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers, a half order of quesadillas or two mini beef burgers. The Brinker International chain also has promoted its Bites line of mini sandwiches for months.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing a new menu in Denver stores that includes a “Low Roller” selection of smaller, lower-priced items such as a vegetarian soup for $2.99 per cup; a single taco and soup for $4.65; and a side salad for $2.95 or $3.65 with chicken.
In the quick-service segment, mini burgers as snacks or add-on items have been introduced recently by such chains as Burger King, Jack in the Box and Johnny Rockets. Sandwich chain Quizno’s rolled out last month the $4 Torpedo sandwiches, designed to compete against rival Subway’s $5 Footlong offerings.
Chains such as Darden’s Seasons 52, T.G.I. Friday’s and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro also are offering small-portioned dessert “shots” priced around $2.
Because many consumers are dining out only for special occasions in the current recession, The Cheesecake Factory’s marketing emphasis has recently focused on promoting the chain as “the perfect place to celebrate any occasion.”
With the new Small Plates & Snacks menu, the chain is offering guests two gift cards to be redeemed at a later visit. In addition, guests will receive one free item from the Small Plates & Snacks menu with the purchase of every two entrées priced at $9.95 or more, and one free slice of cheesecake with every $30 purchase. The promotion is available through May 10 at any of the chain’s 146 locations, excluding Hawaii, officials said.
In addition, the chain is launching a “Share Your Celebration” sweepstakes encouraging guests to upload a photo and description of their celebration. Photos will be posted to the “Celebration Gallery” on the company website and participants will be eligible to win a four-day trip for four to Disneyworld and associated theme parks, a VIP dinner at The Cheesecake Factory and $1,000 in spending money, as well as other prizes.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].