October New Menu Items Offer Variety and Portability

A new month is upon us, therefore it's time to look at the national new menu items for October 2020. For those of you familiar with our posts, you'll know we usually find a common thread that links new menu items together. A trend for BBQ, or plant-based, for example. This month, however, it seems the trend is variety and portability.

As we begin to pivot into the winter months, restaurants are looking for ways to diversify menus to off-set the inevitable loss from inhospitable outdoor dining conditions. One way to do this is to offer items that are easily portable and speak to a wide range of customers, including kids and families.

The October new menu items certainly reflect this need for diversity. Let's take a look at what's out there.

October 2020 New Menu Items

Fazoli's

Our friends at Fazoli's are shaking up their Italian-focused menu with some continental fun. They will now be serving breaded and fried chicken wings in a variety of savory flavors, including mild, medium, or hot buffalo, hot honey BBQ sauce, and Asian chile sauce, among others.

Why this may seem to not fit their Italian mold, it's a smart business move. Now, customers have lots of fun options when ordering and Fazoli's found a way to grab another market of consumers with minimal in-house changes.

Lion's Choice

Lion's Choice is focused on grabbing a younger demographic with their new Turkey Dipper. This is a handheld item of roasted turkey and Provel cheese in baked flatbread with a side of marinara sauce for dipping, served with apple slices and a drink. A perfectly complete meal for the kids.

Modern Market Eatery

Mod Market is going all-in on their new blackened chicken options. One of which is their BBQ Pizza, topped with barbecue sauce, blackened chicken thigh, red onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper Jack cheese. It's a solid favorite among diners with a new twist by including blackened chicken thigh. This item will only be available until November 11th.

O'Charley's Restaurant & Bar

O'Charley's is coming in with a bevy of new family-style meals, but the standout is their new Carolina Gold Family-Style Meal. It's a protein packed box of six herb-seasoned, grilled boneless chicken breasts basted with Carolina Gold barbecue sauce and topped with bacon and Monterey Jack cheese, served with rolls and your choice of two family-size sides. Gotta love that Carolina Gold!

Velvet Taco

Velvet Taco, a perennial placeholder here on our new menu items list, hits a new flavor profile with their Sweet Chile Shrimp Taco. This is a panko breaded fried shrimp taco with sweet chile sauce, kimchee slaw, angry crema (with sambal oelek and Sriracha sauce added to it), carrots, pickled Fresno chiles, and green onions in a flour tortilla. Guaranteed to keep you warm in the cold weather.

Your Pie

The up and coming franchise Your Pie makes the list for the first time with a pair of new menu items sure to heat things up. They're offering a Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza and a Sweet Heat Pepper Pasta, both loaded with savory marinara sauce, pepperoni, pickled jalapenos, and finished with a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey. Now we're cooking with fire!

Make it To Go!

Having a smart, portable menu that satisfies a group of picky eaters is a safe bet to maintain steady business in the coming winter months, as the new menu items above show. It also may not hurt to add a little heat. Make sure you're planning ahead to keep your customers fed, happy, and calling back for more.