Fish is not the most beloved protein in the U.S. market, but Datassential Vice President of Customer Experience Kelley Fechner believes that with a bit more visibility, it could start climbing up the rankings for many consumers.
In Datassential’s most recent survey of American protein preferences, 61 percent of the U.S. population said they love chicken. Bacon was second at 59 percent. Shrimp lagged behind at 49 percent, and fish was even lower at 39 percent.
The tastes of those who already love seafood also varies widely, according to Fechner, pointing to generational differences between baby boomers who prefer fish and chips, compared to millennials, who prefer garlic shrimp with parmesan toast, and Gen Z survey respondents, who expressed a preference for shrimp in a mild chili sauce.
“People want different flavors based on their generation,” Fechner said.
However, among every demographic group, there is room for improving the metrics of how many people eat seafood and how often they order it at restaurants, Fechner said.
Armed with Datassential’s rich vault of survey data, Fechner shared ideas on how to do so at the 2024 Global Seafood Market Conference on 25 January in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.
Specifically, Fechner pointed to quick-service restaurants (QSR) as a prime vessel for getting more Americans to love seafood.
“There is high menu penetration of seafood at casual dining and fine dining, but it is lower at QSR,” Fechner said. “[With the economy], people say they are trading down to cheaper restaurant meals. [While dining at QSR] makes it more affordable to go to restaurants, seafood has a lower menu penetration. This puts seafood on its back foot, [as consumers] are visiting restaurants that might not even have seafood on the menu.”
There are some affordable bright spots, though, as Fechner said single-bowl meals have gained menu penetration over the past decade and can be a less expensive option for restaurants to make and consumers to purchase. They’re also flexible and can fit practically any type of cuisine.
“It might be a mac and cheese bowl with protein on top, a teriyaki bowl with chicken or salmon, a burrito bowl, or even Mediterranean or donburi,” Fechner said. “Consumers love bowls, and this is just a great way to try new and inventive items to get consumers in the door and excited about seafood.”
Fechner reported 45 percent of general consumers like or love bowls, but of consumers who have tried a bowl, 73 percent reported liking or loving it.
“If you get someone to try a meal in a bowl, they like it – especially when they get to build it themselves,” Fechner said. “Bowls appeal specifically to younger consumers, and that’s a key demographic to get into enjoying seafood.”
Bowls are one of the few meal types that has been gaining menu penetration on U.S. restaurant menus, moving from 28 percent of menus to 36 percent over the past 10 years. Fechner said 55 percent of fast-casual restaurants have some sort of bowl on their menu.
Across U.S. restaurant menus, 21 percent of bowls served shrimp as the featured protein, while 16 percent contain salmon and 13 percent have tuna. Fechner highlighted two of her favorites: a surf-and-turf bowl from Qdoba with shrimp, steak, and guacamole and a Baja chimichurri bowl with Argentinian red shrimp served at Rubio's.
Fechner also said limited-time offerings (LTOs) can be an exceptional vehicle for seafood sales.
“[LTOs] get consumers to try new and different things. It’s a great opportunity for seafood,” she said. “People go to restaurants to try new items on the menu that seem interesting to them, and if they love that LTo, they actually tell people about it; 85 percent are going to return to that restaurant and order it again, and 75 percent are going to tell others about what they tried. Some might even just return to try something else that they saw on the menu, and 61 percent of [restaurant] operators say LTOs are a profit center for them.”
Fechner praised Arby's King’s Hawaiian Fish Deluxe Sandwich, Popeyes’ Cajun Flounder Sandwich, and Bar Louie’s Beer Battered Fish Sandwich with malt vinegar aioli as recent hits on the LTO roster.
“Seventy-seven percent of consumers are excited about trying new foods and beverages in 2024. We ask this every year, and this is the highest number we've seen in a few years; it's even higher for Gen Z and millennials, as well as people who are in an urban location. So, those younger consumers are really looking something new and exciting,” Fechner said.
One other angle Fechner suggested for higher visibility of seafood in U.S. restaurants was exploring the placement of more options on kids’ menus, even LTOs geared specifically toward children or offering half-portions of adult meals for kids.
“We still see things like mac and cheese, grilled cheese, pizza, quesadillas, and tacos on many kids’ menus. But, why not a shrimp taco?” Fechner said. “[Most operators] are probably most focused on the main menu, but they should have a look at that kids' menu. This is where kids learn about food and finding foods they love. The options need to fit with the brand, but it’s definitely an interesting perspective to consider.”
Fechner said many kids’ menus don’t take into account the fact that 12-year-olds eat differently than 4-year-olds. She said offering kids the choice to make their own combo platters or simplified bowls is also “an interesting idea.”
Datassential recently surveyed parents about their Gen Alpha children – kids born between 2010 and 2024 – and found that their parents are trying lots of creative routes to get them to eat healthier food, and restaurants could be one avenue for doing so, according to Fechner.
“Sixty-eight percent of parents take their kids out to eat once or twice a week. Another 20 percent take them out three to five times a week.” Fechner said. “When they go out, 52 percent of parents allow their kids to choose what they want to eat. Another 40 percent lets them choose, but the parents makes the final decision. So, 92 percent of kids are actually able to say, ‘This is what I want.' We have to make sure that seafood is on the menu for them.”
Fechner said younger consumers – especially Gen Z and millennials – also have an affinity for sushi as a regular meal they go to a restaurant to eat. That could show that younger generations – even Gen Alpha – might be more open to seafood than their predecessors.
“There may be barriers to kids eating seafood. Kids may or may not choose something that's healthy or nutritious,” Fechner said. “But, having variety and offering something healthy fits into what parents want for their kids. Hopefully, it becomes what kids want for themselves.”
Photo by Cliff White/SeafoodSource
