Bringing Ethnic Flavors to QSRs

Seattle has its own micro-Asian trend: teriyaki restaurants (over 500 in Washington State with 300 around Seattle). These simple, inexpensive restaurants highlight glazed, grilled proteins and vegetables and are perceived as a healthy alternative to fast food.

“Of particular interest is that many of the ethnic street foods and ingredients seem to be popping up in QSRs before appearing anywhere else,” says Hanson. QSRs are influencing restaurants in a bubble-up fashion. After Chipotle menued barbacoa beef (slow simmered and shredded beef) it began showing up on upscale menus. Barbacoa is now considered a mainstream Mexican ingredient.

To help find the next potentially big thing in QSRland, cast your eyes on these bold, flavorful cuisines: Brazilian, Indian, Moroccan and Vietnamese. Look for signs of regionality and reinvention of Mexican and South American, Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern foods, and techniques and flavor profiles in such items as okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pan-fried cakes with various regional ingredients), saganaki (Greek fried cheese), mojito (with its combination of sweet, citrus and mint) and chermoula (an all-purpose Mediterranean and North African marinade often with garlic, coriander, lemon juice and various other herbs and spices).

Starbucks found success with green-tea lattes and blended drinks. It has menued a Latin-influenced dulce de leche latte, partnered with a pastry-crust mango-pineapple empanada—a sweet rendition of a traditionally savory snack. Pinkberry, a dessert chain with units in California and New York, menus a green-tea frozen yogurt.

Creations Dessert House in San Francisco serves mango glutinous rice balls (mochi), an item likely ready for wider appeal as evidenced by the appearance of mochi ice cream in the frozen-food section of grocers these days. Pinkberry also carries mochi.

Some Indian chains to check out include MasalaWok, “a casual Indian diner with a Chinese twist,” with three locations in Texas and one in Virginia. Dishes at the chain include spinach masala served with paneer (vegetarian cheese) and rice with potato, lamb, chicken or shrimp curries.

The Spice Hut, “the Indian fast food experience” with four San Francisco locations, menus paratha (stuffed flatbread), biriyani (rice with spiced meat and/or vegetables), kebobs, paneer and vegetable cakes, tandoori shrimp, onion kulcha flatbread, and dosa (crispy rice cakes).

Look for reinvention or new twists on mainstream favorites like lasagna (along the lines of Pizza Hut’s Tuscani pastas), fish tacos, egg rolls and sushi. Also keep your eyes on local, organic, green and sustainable influences on global cuisines, and more American influences seeping abroad.

Global kings and angry Whoppers

In addition to the obvious draw for product developers working with international QSR clients, domestic R&D can benefit from keeping an eye on what’s happening overseas to get some ideas for domestic expansion—and sometimes these ideas are one in the same.