Chicago — Long before the PyeongChang, South Korea 2018 Olympic Winter Games Korean culture was diffusing into America at a rapid pace. The Korean wave swept in with K-pop, K-beauty, K-drama, K-food and, according to recent data from The NPD Group, a leading global information company, K-BBQ. Pounds of Korean barbeque sauce shipped from broadline foodservice distributors to U.S. independent and micro chain* restaurants increased by 120 percent last year and continues to grow.
K-BBQ is primarily sold by broadline distributors to Asian-casual dining and bar & grill restaurants. The strongest growth for these two restaurant concepts were in the mountain/pacific and west south central Census divisions, where pounds shipped increased by triple digits, reports NPD’s SupplyTrack®, a monthly service that tracks every product shipped from major broadline distributors to their foodservice operators. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Albany, Baltimore, and Houston are among the ten metro areas contributing to 46 percent of K-BBQ growth at bar and grill restaurants.
The versatility of K-BBQ, which typically comes in a choice of sweet and sour and sweet and savory flavor, lends itself to a variety of foods including burgers, jerky, and tacos. The utilitarian aspect of Korean BBQ sauce opens it up to a broader group of restaurant channels like steak & rib; hamburger, pizza/Italian, and chicken quick service restaurants; barbeque restaurants; and colleges and universities, says NPD.
“The growth of Korean barbeque is an example of how globally-inspired foods are becoming mainstream,” says Annie Roberts, vice president-SupplyTrack. “Ethnic spices are here to stay because food is the experience now, and foodservice distributors, manufacturers, and operators will need to pay close attention to this trend.”
About The NPD Group, Inc.
NPD is the leading global provider of market information and business solutions covering brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, and emerging channels in more than 20 industries. We combine our unique data assets with analytic solutions to help our clients measure performance, predict trends, and improve results, advising them to help drive successful growth. Practice areas include apparel, appliances, automotive, beauty, books, consumer electronics, e-commerce, entertainment, fashion accessories, food consumption, foodservice, footwear, home, juvenile products, mobile, office supplies, retail, sports, technology, toys, travel retail, games, and watches / jewelry. For more information, visit npd.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdgroup
Source: The NPD Group, Inc.
