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WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 39 Potatoes | Menu Adoption Cycle | Feb 2019 inception fine dining, mixology, earliest stage adoption trendy restaurants + specialty grocers proliferation chain restaurants + mainstream grocery ubiquity find it just about anywhere Tortilla Espanola Papa A La Huancaina Patatas Bravas Potato Galette Papa Rellena Salsa Verde Samosa Lime Croquette Pommes Frites Potato Dauphinoise Buttermilk Pommes Anna Potato Taco Pommes Aligot Protein Topped (Pulled Pork/Brisket/ Chicken) Scalloped/Au Gratin Old Bay Horseradish Salsa Duck Fat Cilantro Pierogi Gorgonzola Potato Pancake Paprika Curry Greek Fries Poutine Fingerling Potato Truffle Egg Topped Sweet Potato Tater Tots Potato Fritter Hash Malt Vinegar Potato Crust Chimichurri Lyonnaise Potato Gnocchi Potato Bread Tomato Ranch Sriracha Parsley Jalapeno Flavored Ketchup Herb Aioli Bbq Rosemary Cajun Parmesan Sweet Potato Fries Sea Salt Tater Tot Cinnamon Marshmallow Chive Oven Roasted Potato Crusted Sweet Potato Chips Garlic Baked Potato Cheese Gravy Fries Twice Baked Bacon Onion Sour Cream Casserole Mashed Cheddar Potato Chip Potato Salad Loaded Potato Skins Breakfast Potato Hash Brown Home Fries Potato Soup Mayo Butter Generations Change, Food Evolves The ethnic diversity of generational groups can provide an enlightening look into the future of food. The population of baby boomers is 28 percent ethnic, whereas the latest generation, Generation Z, is 47 percent ethnic. This growing level of diversity is a driving force in shaping our collective culinary tastes, and preferences and expectations for global flavors is expanding. Similarly, exotic ingredients are no longer reserved for fine dining or ethnic restaurants. To track the growth of ingredients and flavors, Datassential's Menu Adoption Cycle is a framework for understanding the cycle of food trends. Foods and flavors are tracked based on their presence, ranging from novel and new to the quintessential and mainstream at four levels: inception, adoption, proliferation and ubiquity. Potatoes are a well-loved ubiquitous ingredient optimally primed for a dose of trend- forward inspiration. Most limited-time offers released at major restaurant chains today comprise ubiquitous ingredients like potatoes (nearly 80 percent), but there's innovation happening by leveraging a twist of something new— "ubiquity with a dose of inception." By taking approachable ingredients (ubiquity) and pairing them with exploratory flavors (inception/adoption), mainstream ingredients become novel experiences. As with Wendy's ghost pepper fries, ubiquitous cheddar and jalapeno french fries are topped with adoption-level ghost pepper sauce for an approachable, yet trend-forward concept. The Root of Potato Trends Potatoes are a superfood in both nutrition and popularity. Today, potatoes are found on nearly 84 percent of menus, and that number is expected to continue growing—particularly in the trend-forward fast-casual segment, according to Datassential's machine learning tool, Haiku. The future of potatoes' growth lies in making the most of consumer and menu trends. While there are some generation-specific affinities (curly fries are more popular with Gen Z, with 82 percent loving or liking them and 83 percent of millenials loving or liking them), there are options that ring true across generations. Adoption-level fingerling and red bliss potatoes have a high level of appeal across a wide range of consumers ranging from millennials to boomers. Operators are seeing success by elevating potato offerings with flavor-forward spins on classics; they load 'em up. The fastest-growing potato items are smothered with anything from buffalo to barbecue sauce. Significant opportunity lies in the potential of potatoes as a carrier of some of the fastest-growing inception- and adoption-level ingredients—think Tajin, dukkah, furikake, gochujang, 'nduja or ghost peppers. Transform Trends into Opportunity Potatoes provide a veritable blank canvas and foundation for a menu of ideas shaped by the latest trends. Health is evolving, and with the rapid growth of plant-based eating, potatoes can become the ideal partner to eating styles favored by today's consumers. Understand and embrace what generations herald— an inspiring and novel approach to global flavors. Maximize trends with an innovation approach that is driven by "ubiquity with a dose of inception." It's a new age for the potato: Time to smash old opinions and mash up a new mix of trend-forward potato innovation. Marie Molde is a client solutions professional with Datassential, a company providing strategy-shaping market insights for the food industry, providing not just facts and figures, but the story that pulls it all together. Learn more at www.datassential.com.