Hot Drinks and Warm Foods for Winter

With more than a month of winter still left on the calendar, your restaurant’s customers are almost assuredly growing increasingly tired of the cold weather. That’s where you come in! Keep your patrons warm and their spirits high by offering hot drink and food specials. Here are just a couple of items that will help bridge the gap until the snow melts and spring arrives.

Revitalize with Coffee

It’s no secret that America loves coffee. Found in nearly every office throughout the country, coffee is more than just a pick-me-up: it’s a lifestyle. And rather than brewing cups at home, people are increasingly turning to coffee shops and restaurants to get their fix (1). As espressos and gourmet coffee products increase in popularity, restaurants will be pressured to compete with shops that carry specialty products like butterscotch lattes and caramel macchiatos.

A great way to contend with these niche coffee shops is to offer coffee at a reduced price during winter months when customers need it most. By doing so, patrons will become accustomed to having delicious coffee in your restaurant. Before they know it, stopping by for a hot cup of Joe will just be part of their daily routines.

Another option is to improve the quality of your house coffee or start offering alternatives like cappuccino, espresso, and gourmet coffee. This is of particular importance if Millenials make up a large portion of your restaurant’s target market, as they are the most likely to drink those types of products and willing to pay a premium for their coffee ( 1).

Stay Cozy with Tea

With nearly unlimited flavors, there’s a type of tea to satisfy every customer’s palette. Whether you prefer something spicy or tame, there is a tea out there for you. Unfortunately, most restaurants don’t carry such a wide selection of tea. By offering a variety of tea flavors, you can differentiate yourself from other restaurants and attract new customers.

 A lighter alternative to coffee, tea can boost the immune system and help your customers stave off illness throughout the winter months ( 2). Since tea contains significantly less caffeine than coffee, it is a great option for customers who want just a small energy boost. Herbal teas like chamomile can even soothe the digestion system. Offer cups of tea with add-ins like honey and lemon, and customers with sore throats will be forever grateful.

Indulge in Decadent Hot Chocolate

Family restaurants that are often frequented by kids should make sure to always have hot chocolate on hand during the winter. That way, when a child’s parent asks for tea or coffee, the child can order a cup of hot chocolate and fit right in. Although commonly believed to be an indulgence, hot cocoa has also been shown to be a significant source of antioxidants ( 3).

Don’t forget to also stock up on marshmallows and whipped cream for the ultimate hot chocolate treat! If you really want to spice things up, try offering a hot chocolate special of the day. Some possibilities include gingerbread hot chocolate, peanut butter hot chocolate, and salted caramel hot chocolate. Not just for children, sometimes there’s nothing that hits the spot quite like a hot cup of delicious hot cocoa.

Relax with a Hot Adult Beverage 

Although there might not be anything like a cold beer on a hot summer day, there are several hot alcoholic drinks that can keep you warm on a cold winter night. Restaurants that have liquor licenses can help keep their customers satisfied by offering liquid escapes from the cold. Irish coffee–hot coffee mixed with Irish whiskey–is perhaps the most well-known example. A glass of hot spiked apple cider is another common choice, with rum and bourbon being delicious alcohols to mix with cider. Perfect for drinkers who are looking for more of a kick, a hot toddy is whiskey infused with hot water, honey, herbs, and spices. Try asking your customers what special hot drinks they’d like to see offered during the cold winter months.

Healthy Soup

Even if your restaurant already carries soup, consider expanding your offerings for a month or two. It’ll give diners extra motivation to leave the safety of their comfortable homes and venture into the cold if a large bowl of hot soup awaits them. Chicken noodle soup is the obvious choice, as it’s been shown to have a wide range of positive health effects–including:

• Reducing upper respiratory cold symptoms by minimizing inflammation
• Increasing air flow and movement of mucus
• Hydration
• Improving of the efficacy of cilia – tiny hair-like projections in the nose that prevent contagions from entering the body
  ( 4)

Depending on what region of the country your restaurant is located, you can offer a specific soup that will satisfy the locals. A restaurant in the northeast would benefit from serving a hearty New England clam chowder, while foodservices in the southwest can thrive by offering spicy tortilla soups.

Never-Ending Chili

Few foods spark unbridled passion quite like chili does. Inspiring hundreds of annual cook-offs throughout the United States, chili has a dedicated following of fans who crave variety. When the temperature starts to drop, these chili-obsessed diners don’t just consume their favorite chili. Instead, they want to try every kind of chili this world has to offer! As a restaurant owner, you can take advantage of this by offering a chili of the week throughout the winter.

According to the foremost authority that is the International Chili Society, chili is “any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red/green chili peppers, various spices, and other ingredients, with the exception of beans and pasta which are strictly forbidden”. While this chili con carne style usually includes beef and is what most Texans strictly adhere to ( 5), there are certainly alternative chili recipes that have become prominent elsewhere. Black bean chili is popular among vegetarians who crave the warm, hearty taste of chili but have don’t consume meat. Common in New Mexico, chili verde is made with pork simmered in spicy hatch peppers. By alternating changing the chili your restaurant offers, you will ensure chili connoisseurs keep coming back for more.

Hearty Stew for the Soul

Stew differs from soup in that it’s prepared by simmering meat and/or vegetables in a covered pot for a long period of time. Typically heartier, more filling, and containing less liquid than soups, stews usually feature a meat like beef along with an assortment of vegetables that might include potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, beans, and tomatoes. Other items commonly found in stews include chicken, lamb, sausage, and seafood.

Since stews utilize slow moist heating to make meat tender, juicy, and flavorful, you can use less tender cuts of meat and still yield a delicious meal. This makes stews one of the more cost-efficient dishes for restaurants. But since it takes a long time for a meat’s juices and flavors to seep out via slow cooking, foodservices should prepare a large amount of stew that will provide for many customers’ meals.

References:

1. https://nationalcoffeeblog.org/2016/03/19/coffee-drinking-trends-2016/
2. http://www.today.com/series/one-small-thing/top-10-health-benefits-drinking-tea-t81111
3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/11/031106051159.htm
4. http://share.upmc.com/2014/12/health-benefits-chicken-noodle-soup/
5. https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/173623/styles-of-chili-worth-knowing/