Research Reveals Foodservice Insight on Rice, Web Usage
Findings Show Rice is an Essential Menu Ingredient; Heavy Reliance on Web for Menu Ideas
Arlington, VA, February 28, 2007 – USA Rice Federation recently conducted an attitude and usage research study with more than 380 chefs and foodservice professionals. The study revealed key insights related to 1) their use of rice and 2) the role the Internet plays in menu planning and development.
Key Insights on Rice Usage
9 in 10 respondents consider rice to be an essential menu ingredient o 83% of operators use some type of white rice: o 59% long grain, 15% medium grain, 19% short grain o Almost half use parboiled rice o Strong use (48%) and interest (28%) in rice blends
Whole grain rice usage is also high with wild rice* at 51%, multi-rice blends at 45% and brown rice at 43%
Nearly 9 in 10 operators typically buy their rice from broadliners
Top 2 perceived benefits of rice are customer appeal (40%) and versatility & variety (38%)
Increased rice usage this past year is attributed to “more ethnic dishes on their menus” (60%), “increased customer demand” (53%) and that rice “fits with today’s menu trends” (52%)
* A surprising fact to some, wild rice is an aquatic grass and not technically in the rice family. Grown in California and Minnesota, wild rice is typically mixed with other types of rice, such as long grain or parboiled rice, for pilaf mixes.
Key Insights on Menu Decisions and Internet Use
Operators are most likely to have their menu decisions influenced by other chefs and colleagues (28% top 2 score) o Other important influences noted in the top 2 box include corporate/owner suggestions (17%), cookbooks (16%), trade shows/conferences (14%) and vendors/sales reps (13%)
62% use the Internet at least once a week for work-related menu ideas, product news or trends
Internet features of most interest to operators include: seasonal recipes (28% top 2 score), menu trends & ideas (27%) and nutritional information (24%)
Recipes are the main driver for more than 40% of operators to regularly visit websites
USA Rice Federation’s research was conducted via Web survey to 382 commercial and non-commercial operators in the following foodservice segments: midscale family dining restaurants, casual theme full-service restaurants, college & universities, healthcare, hotel & lodging, business & industry/corporate dining, primary & secondary schools. Both independent and chain restaurants as well as self-operated and contract-managed facilities were surveyed. The research results are accurate within plus or minus 5.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
For up-to-date trend information, recipes and foodservice news, visit www.MenuRice.com.
The USA Rice Federation is the national advocate for all segments of the rice industry, conducting programs to increase worldwide demand for U.S. rice. The U.S. produces an abundant quantity of long, medium and short grain rice and specialty rice including U.S. jasmine, basmati, arborio, red aromatic and black japonica.
