The bread, buns and rolls used to create sandwiches across the U.S. restaurant industry maintain a strong correlation to prevailing trends. Datassential, Chicago, notes that brioche has been one of the fastest-growing sandwich carriers over the past four years, up 97 percent. Pretzel buns also continue to trend forward and grew 24 percent over that period.
When it comes to menu item descriptions, language matters. “Some of the fastest-growing carriers in the past year take the options that are already trending to the next level with descriptors that evoke artisan craftsmanship or an even more-premium connotation,” says Mike Kostyo, trendologist, Datassential. “We're seeing a rapid growth in terms like ‘butter croissant,’ ‘honey wheat’ and ‘buttermilk biscuit’ on menus.”