Mintel Menu Insights Adds Non-commercial Foodservice Menus

Mintel Menu Insights, which tracks flavor, ingredient, marketing and nutritional claims from the 350 largest U.S. chain restaurants and 150 independent restaurants, is adding new non-commercial food service menus to its mix. 

Specifically, it has added non-commercial food service menus from hotels, colleges, universities, assisted living and senior centers, and convenience stores to the Menu Insights database.

Similar to restaurant menu tracking, Mintel Menu Insights' non-commercial data capturing allows users to track top-line information, including menu items, descriptions, ingredients, flavors and cooking preparations. Wherever available, Menu Insights' menu tracking data will capture other vital information, including nutritional claims, brand names and ingredient claims.

Mintel Menu Insights features one million items on 2,400 food and drink menus updated quarterly to track evolving menu trends. The group also collects monthly limited time offer and menu additions descriptions. 

From local sourcing initiatives to health and wellness programs, non-commercial food service is also where many food trends take hold, Mintel Menu Insight says. Overlooking campus dining, hospital cafeterias, on-site dining services and hotel eateries could mean missing out on the places where most Americans eat at least one meal a day.

The first in-depth look at Mintel's new non-commercial data focuses on hotel eateries and includes menu details from the primary restaurants at some of the nation's largest hotel chains, including Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton properties. 

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