An Overview of Popular Sandwich Menu Options
A must-have on any lunch menu, sandwiches are the most popular lunch option because they’re easy to eat on the go.1 They’re also an increasingly popular choice for breakfast, especially on weekdays.2
Restaurant owners can draw inspiration from the latest foodservice trends to personalize their recipes with popular cheeses and flavours!
1. Chicken Club Sandwich
Did you know that nearly 50% of consumers order a chicken sandwich at least once every 3 months?3
The club sandwich is one of the most popular sandwich options. Adding this beloved classic to your menu also allows you to get in on the popularity of bacon on lunch menus, especially since its demand increased by 30% in 2022.4 As a bonus, this classic can be enhanced with a cheddar cheese slice, a Canadian favourite, as in our Club Sandwich inspiration.
2. Steak Sandwich
When dining out, 42% of Canadians occasionally order a steak sandwich.5
Why not swap the bread with a bagel6 and add a touch of smoked flavour?7 When combined, these trends create unique options that appeal to different consumer cravings, like this steak and smoked Gouda bagel inspiration.
3. Flatbread Sandwich
As many as 44% of consumers would order a sandwich if it were offered on thinner bread.8 Customizing this element is a great way to meet this demand, for example by offering wraps.
Restaurant owners would benefit from offering original breads, as in this piadina with Pizza Mozzarella cheese, an Italian specialty halfway between pizza and sandwich. Our Pizza Mozzarella cheese is the star of this inspiration with its exceptional stretch. This simple ingredient is one that restaurant owners are likely to have on hand—a plus for optimizing your costs!
4. Lactose-Free Grilled Cheese
Over 7 million Canadians are lactose intolerant.9 Restaurant owners can attract this clientele with menu options tailored to their needs by simply using naturally lactose-free cheeses such as Bella Lodi, Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano and Swiss. The latter is the star of our squash and Swiss grilled cheese inspiration, an option that can entice a diverse clientele!
5. Meatless Grilled Cheese
Cheese is the prime ingredient in sandwiches tailored to a vegetarian or flexitarian clientele. This grilled cheese with artichokes, caramelized onions and raisins is a perfect example and shines the spotlight on Havarti cheese—an increasingly popular menu option. Its creamy texture as well as its sweet and slightly sharp flavour is ideal to enrich a range of dishes, including sandwiches.
How to meet the growing demand for plant-based sandwiches during the lunch rush?10 Add a quick-to-prepare option to the menu with our ready-to-use Plant-Based Mozzarella Flavoured Shred! This versatile ingredient works perfectly in a sandwich, in a grilled cheese or in other vegan options.
Sliced Cheese: Unique Flavours in a Convenient Format
Pre-sliced cheeses are a valuable ingredient in sandwich preparation! This format is practical for operators, allowing them to standardize portions easily and save time in the kitchen while adding unique flavours to make their sandwiches stand out from the crowd. Another way to boost efficiency during the lunch hour rush!
Looking for the perfect cheeses and ingredients to enhance your lunch menu? Contact your Saputo Foodservice representative. For countless other menu ideas and inspirations, subscribe to our À LA CARTE newsletter!
1 Technomic, Consumer Food Trends, 2020
2 Technomic, Sandwich Consumer Trend Report, 2020
3 Technomic, Canadian Centre of the Plate Consumer Trend Report, 2021
4 Technomic, Ignite Menu, Q4 2020-Q4 2021
5 Technomic, Canadian Centre of the Plate Consumer Trend Report, 2021
6 The NPD Group Crest, December 2021
7 Technomic, Canadian Foodservice Digest, 2022
8 Technomic, Canadian Flavour Consumer Trend Report, 2021
9 La Fondation de l’association canadienne de gastroentérologie, 2021
10 Technomic, Ignite Menu, 2022
