Innovation on the menu doesn’t have to be focused on entrées; it’s important to extend the same strategies, if not more intensely, to the so-called left side of the menu where appetizers are listed. Young consumers most often are those who order appetizers in restaurants, and this connected group is calling for more ethnic-focused innovation.
More than two-fifths of consumers aged 18–34 say they would like more restaurants to offer appetizers (and small plates) with ethnic flavors or ingredients, according to Technomic’s “2015 U.S. Starters, Small Plates & Sides Consumer Trend Report.”