It’s no secret that menus are shrinking. In fact, restaurants have reduced entrée numbers by 12.1% over the two years ending Q4 2017. However, in this “less is more” environment steak’s menu presence has held strong, with some cuts increasing their numbers on American menus.[i]
Recent analysis of Technomic’s Ignite menu database summarizes steak menuing across full-service restaurant menus.[ii] The data show how steak menuing for the year ending Q4 2017 remained particularly robust across the board, with classic cuts such as the Ribeye (+3%) and Filet (+4%) becoming more prominent. The menu count of other well-known cuts, such as Sirloin (-2%) and Strip Steak (-1%) has declined only slightly, despite the prevailing menu simplification trend.
That said, if a steak menu item doesn’t carry an official cut name, what might it be called on a menu? And, which of these descriptors is remaining most prominent? While Hamburger Steak is the most common non-cut callout, Cowboy Steak represents that high-end, bone-in Ribeye experience. Both are maintaining a steady presence on menus. Non-cut menu callouts that are increasing include Center Cut (+2%), Chopped Steak (+3%) and London Broil (+2%). Overall, actual cut name use remains more common than the non-cut descriptors. And finally, steak menuing for non-center-of-the-plate applications (such as sandwiches, salads and other beef dishes) has remained steady in the age of menu simplification, as well.
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