Enhance your Dessert Menu for the Season

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A great way to increase average customer spend is to promote and enhance your dessert menu. With 41% of consumers eating dessert after a meal at least once a week,¹ foodservice operations should always offer dessert. During the end of the year around the holidays, customers are more likely to indulge and treat themselves. Take advantage of this time by offering a menu that offers variety as well as high profit margins. As you cut back on your inventory in order to control costs, you can use products in several different ways by customizing them for a limited time seasonal menu.

Below are some of our pre-made dessert you can easily customize for holiday LTOs: 

• Cheesecakes- NY Cheesecake 10’’ 16SL (Ferraro# 4400776)
• Chocolate Cake- Chocolate Cake 14SL Bindi (Ferraro# 4401014) 
• Brownies- Brownie Chocolate Chip Davids (Ferraro# 4400047)
• Cannoli- Cannoli Shells Large Hand Rolled Marino (Ferraro# 4400700), Cannoli Cream w/ Chocolate Chips Vitale (Ferraro# 4400344)
• Cookies- Cookie Chocolate Chip 2oz. Thaw & Serve (Ferraro# 4400263)
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See our Holiday Dessert Guide with a stocking list here.

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Using Seasonal Flavors

Offer variety and create a unique dining opportunity that revolves around the season. Some in season flavors to include are pumpkin, berries, peppermint, cinnamon and apples. Customers are more likely to try your dessert if it is a limited time or seasonal offer.

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Garnish for Presentation

Garnish pre-made desserts with sauces, syrups, whipped cream, powdered sugar, fruit or nuts. Play up the season’s flavors by adding a cinnamon or peppermint stick to your plate. This will add perceived value and create something truly unique without taking too much time and effort.

Here are some Ferraro items you can use to be creative with on your dessert:

• Pecans- Fancy Medium Pecan Nut Pieces (Ferraro# 120137)
• Powdered Sugar- Confectioners Sugar Domino (Ferraro# 120592)
• Cinnamon Sugar  (Ferraro# 2000208)
• Caramel Topping (Ferraro# 5050688)
• Raspberry Topping (Ferraro# 5050687)
• Blueberry Topping (Ferraro# 5050689)

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A Treat to Go 

Individually package your limited time holiday themed dessert for takeout and strategically keep it by check out. Ideally your container would be clear in order to see what’s inside! This is a great opportunity to make a sale on an impulse buy. According to a Technomic report, consumers say that more than half of their dessert purchases are impulse-based. It also found that 64% of consumers who rarely or never eat dessert say it’s because they are usually too full from their meal.¹ Make sure to remind them if they say they are too full that to-go options are available.

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Ideas and Inspiration

• Cinnamon Apple Cheesecake- Thinly sliced apples on a plain NY style cheesecake with cinnamon sugar on top.

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• Jolly and Bright Brownie a la Mode- A dollop of whipped cream or ice cream on a premade chocolate chip brownie that was warmed in the microwave right before serving. Add some berries like blueberries and raspberries.

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• Winter Peppermint Cake- Simply add some peppermint candy pieces on the outer side of a slice of cake with vanilla icing or powdered sugar.

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• Holiday Cannoli- Add some red and green sprinkles (or whichever color you feel is relevant) in the cream or attached to a chocolate shell around the edges.

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Sources:

1. Technomic Shrinking Dessert Menus Highlight the Increased Need to Optimize the Product Mix Oct. 2019

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