For many operators, sandwiches are a menu cornerstone. It’s a category that has consistent consumer demand and offers opportunity for innovation. As a result, the number of new sandwiches introduced onto chain menus has grown steadily. To fulfill diners’ desires and test their own culinary skills, many chefs have manipulated the mix of protein and bread with complementary condiments and produce to create memorable signature items.
They elevate flavor. Operators experiment with sauces and spreads to create bold new tastes. The olive tape-nade on Buca di Beppo’s roasted vegetable sandwich provides a compatible flavor boost. Similarly, the Parmesan-Caesar spread at Applebee’s gives the Italian Chicken and Four Cheese Panini just the right accent.
While some condiments—such as Marie Callender’s spicy cayenne-Buffalo sauce or Damon’s chimichurri mayo—may provide a nonintimidating way to explore the unfamiliar, others represent an inventive recycling of old favorites.
Take horseradish, which is hot again, both literally and figuratively. The garlic-horseradish spread at Einstein Bros. Bagels or the horseradish mayonnaise at Steak and Ale are new approaches to the standard, and Blimpie’s wasabi horseradish offers a double dose of pungent flavor.
Other operators borrow flavors from existing menu items to create new dishes. Big Boy’s special-recipe blue cheese dressing, served on the Big Blue Chicken Sandwich, was originally used in the chain’s salads. Bakers Square’s hot spinach and artichoke spread, which tops the Chicken Florentine Parmanini, is a clever reuse of the ubiquitous appetizer dip. In the same way, Schlotsky’s gets double duty from basil pesto, which migrates from a Mediterranean pizza to a chicken-and-pesto sandwich.
They add texture. While lots of attention has been given to the element of flavor on menus, relatively less has been paid to texture. But the rise in popularity of crusty breads has opened the door to other crunchy sandwich ingredients. Au Bon Pain has stepped up to the plate with its use of snow peas on a smoked turkey sandwich and crispy noodles on a chicken option. Subway adds crispness by offering raw produce like red onions and green peppers. Einstein Bros. Bagel’s feta-pine nut spread taps into rising interest in Greek flavors, while daikon sprouts, cucumber and jasmine rice at World Wrapps give a satisfying crunch to the Japanese-inflected Samurai Salmon Wrap. Arby’s chicken Salad Sandwich is made with celery, chopped apples and toasted pecans. At Friendly’s, chewy signature Fronions, or fried onion rings and strips, are added to the BBQ Sliced-Steak Sandwich.
They present an image of healthfulness. The widespread appearance of produce on sandwiches indicates that operators are responding to the strong growth of salad sales and adding a healthful image to their sandwiches. In fact, Chick-fil-A’s popular Cool Wraps are essentially salads presented in flat bread. The char-grilled chicken version lists romaine and iceberg lettuces, red cabbage, tomatoes and carrots among other ingredients. The seasonal Cranberry Gobbler sandwich at Bruegger’s Bagels included not only cranberry sauce, but also cucumbers and sprouts. Corner Bakery’s California Grille Panini features artichoke hearts, plum tomatoes and spinach to lend a premium touch and suggest freshness.
They leave culinary fingerprints. As patron expectations of restaurant food rise, corporate chefs respond by devoting more time and attention to preparation technique and its impact on the image of the dish. For example, on Bahama Breeze’s Herb-Roasted Chicken sandwich, not only the chicken but also the red peppers are roasted, the mushrooms are sautéed, and the onions are grilled. At Bugaboo Creek Steak House, the onions that finish a prime rib sandwich are caramelized, and at Bertucci’s the eggplant in a panini has been fire-roasted before being topped with fresh basil.
The Crab Cake BLT at Morton’s is accompanied by a dill-caper sauce, and at Uno Chicago Grill, a sweet cranberry-ancho chile chutney adds both flavor and color as a condiment served on the side of sandwiches.
Looking ahead, we can expect the level of creativity to increase as sandwiches become more acceptable at dinnertime and as chains address growing consumer sophistication.
Nancy Kruse, president of The Kruse Company, is a trends analyst based in Atlanta. E-mail her at [email protected].