Datassentials Menu Tracking Report – 2020

The 2020 Menu Tracking Study was conducted with the objective of understanding how honey is being used in the foodservice industry and to track honey inclusions on menus within key operators and categories.

This study utilized MenuTrends which offers access to over 100,000 distinct US menus and quantitative analysis of more than 1.1 million hand-coded items. The databases cover all types of menus – chains, independents, food trucks, and non-commercial. In addition, the study analyzed the US Chains and Independents database which tracks 4,800 restaurants, balanced to the U.S. restaurant census by segment, region, and cuisine type. It also captures both ethnic and non-ethnic restaurants with 25 different cuisine types.

Key findings include:

• Honey is found on 61% of menus and is projected to grow 3 percentage points in the next 4 years. It has the highest penetration on fine dining menus.
• Honey usage has grown in the non-alcoholic beverage category. Honey works as a natural superfood and functional ingredient in many trending health-focused beverages, such as matcha latte, kombucha, and functional juices.
• Honey is growing in the vintage cocktail space. It’s used both as a sweetener and counterbalance to vinegar or bitter liquors like shrubs, Campari, and fernet.
• Chicken and honey pairings are growing through the introduction of southern classics like chicken thighs, fried chicken sandwiches, and chicken & waffles.
• Honey is recognized for its flavor versatility. Beyond the traditional honey mustard, honey can take on bold, spicy flavors like spicy honey, hot honey, and habanero.

Click here to download the 2020 Datassential Menu Tracking Report.