During the pre-conference workshop, Scott Lutz, new president of ConAgra's (Omaha, Neb.) snacks group, explained how innovation can be simultaneously easy and difficult: The elements are easy, but sticking to them is hard. Furthermore, the most profound ideas—or the “Big A-ha,” as Lutz termed it—is rarely something totally new. “Usually, it is something you've always known but may have forgotten,” explained Lutz. Innovation is a means of converting this knowledge and key insights into solutions that create a distinct value. Nonetheless, great ideas still may fail if executed improperly, and a company needs to narrow its focus to tap the idealistic motivations. While Lutz recommended that companies develop fewer ideas, he suggested they also should develop those ideas more fully.
Detailing concepts that have been developed to fruition at the foodservice level, Diane Fox with FoodBeat Inc. (Wheaton, Ill.) offered an in-depth look at food items debuting on prominent restaurant menus. Current breakfast options include more indulgent items, and 96 new appetizers were introduced in the first half of this year. Asian and barbecue starters are making headway, with some ethnic influences making their mark. The top three most-menued appetizers (in order) are nachos, wings and quesadillas.