Orlando, Fla. – According to the National Mango Board’s (NMB) 2011 Consumer Attitudes and Usage Study, 47 percent of mangos are eaten outside the home. With this in mind, the NMB works closely with foodservice professionals, chefs and operators to encourage the use of fresh mango in dishes at restaurant chains across the United States. The NMB has seen great success in increasing fresh mango menu items in 2012 with four NMB mango promotions.
In February, the NMB partnered with BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse for the third year in a row to promote permanent mango menu items in their restaurants. The promotion ran from February to April 2012. BJ’s used an in-restaurant menu outsert to promote Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Minty Mango Salsa and Thai Salmon with Fresh Mango Salsa, which were available at 117 restaurants nationwide.
During the same February through April time period, the NMB also ran a promotion with first-time fresh mango users, Daphne’s California Greek with 55 locations. In this new partnership, Daphne’s added mango to their menu with a limited time offer (LTO) mango dish. Daphne’s offered a delicious Mango Shrimp Salad topped with mango salsa. The promotion included various collateral materials such as direct mail flyers, floor banners and in-store counter cards which featured the LTO mango dish.
During the last week of the school year (April 30 – May 4, 2012) the NMB also partnered with the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), where college students had a chance to enjoy fresh mangos through the NMB’s promotion, Mango Mania. More than 14,000 meals a day were served at the university’s four dining halls, which included more than a dozen fresh mango recipes such as salads, sauces, entrees and snacks. The NMB partnered with UMass for the promotion, offering students a chance to learn more about mangos with NMB’s educational materials available in the dining space, as well as see the www.mango.org logo on the school’s Mango Mania flier to generate more traffic to the website.
The NMB’s fourth promotion was with major frozen yogurt chain, Red Mango. Red Mango participated in the mango craze for the month of May, featuring fresh mangos as their topping of the month. During this promotion, Red Mango used NMB-branded point of sale materials to educate their customers, while also offering $1 off coupons for their purchase. Red Mango also spread mango nutrition messages to their customers through several of their social media channels, including e-blasts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
In addition to mango promotions, the NMB works with foodservice publications to get mango stories in foodservice magazines and newspapers throughout the year. In their outreach efforts, the NMB attended the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show where the newest innovations and trends for culinary professionals are showcased. During the show, the NMB sponsored a Multicultural Cuisine Editor Brunch where foodservice trade media enjoyed a menu built around four global cuisines. Two fresh mango recipes were served, including a Haitian inspired dish, Mango Crab Fritters with Mango Ketchup & Green Mango Slaw, and a Contemporary American dish, Mango Macadamia Caramel Rolls.
Additionally, the NMB also sponsored a morning refreshment break prior to the NRA show for the Marketing Executives Group (MEG), a non-profit study group designed as an educational forum for foodservice marketing executives to raise the standards of excellence in restaurant marketing. The Spring 2012 Conference brought together 250 registrants. Two fresh mango recipes were served during the break, Mango Sangria and Hot and Sweet Mango Chicken Salad. Both recipes were well received as refreshing and delicious ideas for menus.
All of the recipes chosen and served were selected to help showcase the delicious versatility of fresh mango and how it fits into menu trends that appeal to restaurant customers.
The NMB also sponsored the Flavor Experience in association with Flavor & The Menu magazine. Mangos were included in the menu throughout the three-day event where foodservice professionals had the chance to enjoy the tropical fruit in six delicious dishes: Thai Chicken, Mango and Kale Spring Rolls, Mango Lassi,Mad About Mangos Salad, Mango Walnut Upside Down Cakes, Cuban Mango Melt and Spicy Shrimp and Mango Skewers . The NMB also hosted a dinner event for an elite group of prospect operators.
For more information about the NMB’s foodservice outreach program, please visit www.mango.org/foodservice. Recipes are available at www.mango.org/recipes.
About National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. One cup of mango is only 100 calories, an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor.
Mango availability per capita has increased 35 percent since 2005 to an estimated 2.53 pounds per year in 2011. Mango import volume for 2011 was 810 million pounds. Learn more at www.mango.org.
Source: National Mango Board
