- Among the dessert items surveyed, ice cream is the most frequently menued (73%), followed by cheesecake (71%) and chocolate cake (66%)
(R&I, 2005 Menu Census)
- The top five menued desserts among noncommercial operators are cookies, brownies, chocolate cake, ice cream and pudding
(R&I, 2005 Menu Census)
- Vanilla is the top Ice Cream flavor in the U.S., followed by chocolate, vanilla/chocolate, fruit and cookies & cream
(foodreference.com)
For information about exhibiting or attending
The Great American Dessert Experience please contact:
Nina Feiner,
Show Manager
718-854-4450 x 104
nina@dessertexpo.com
Sarah Cohen, Editor
718-854-4450 x 111
sarah@dessertexpo.com |
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Dessert
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"The Great American Dessert Experience" —
Upgraded Show for Dessert, Coffee and Tea to "Keep the Family Together!"
 Atlanta ... .A major trade show for desserts that for the past five years profiled pastries, gelato, and other fancy desserts is expanding its focus to many related categories such as coffee and tea. The Great American Dessert Experience will take place on April 7-8, 2008 at the Georgia International Convention Center adjacent to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The Dessert Expo, which in the past was co-located with Coffeefest in Las Vegas and in Atlanta, "will be keeping the family together in expanding the show into The Great American Dessert Experience," announced Nina Feiner, show manager. "The show will help trade representatives, including hotels, restaurants, coffeehouses, foodservice, retailers and wholesalers use the combined dessert experience as a profit center in their businesses."
Mrs. Feiner added: "The Dessert Experience is a response to the realities of the American food experience where desserts are combined with coffee and tea. The show floor will indeed be a potpourri of all the different products that are common in coffee shops and at fancy affairs." The combination worked magnificently well in the past, creating new profitable opportunities for both industries. The addition of the Great American Dessert Expo added more than 1200 buyers to past co-located shows with Coffeefest, introducing these buyers to both desserts and coffee.
Coffee shops and other foodservice operations are constantly looking to add and upgrade desserts while traditional bakeries and restaurants are adding coffee and tea. In the first showcase ever, the categories that are so closely identified with each other will offer more than 4,000 expected buyers "the best of both worlds." When combined, desserts and related beverages are part of a $15 billion industry and growing at a pace of 10% - 15% a year.
 Following the success of the first "Signatu're Cake Competition" at the 07 show, the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the American Culinary Federation will again host this year's competition at the upcoming show. The ACF is the premier professional chefs' organization in North America, with more than 240 chapters nationwide and 19,000 members. The ACF is well known as an authority on culinary innovation and sets the standard in culinary arts. Culinary Competitions are a vital and evolving branch of the American Culinary Federation. The purpose is to continually raise the standards of culinary excellence and professionalism in the USA while promoting camaraderie and educational opportunities among culinary professionals.
In addition, the Great American Dessert Experience will also include many other coffee and tea special events and educational seminars.
For more exhibitor and visitor information please contact the Great American Dessert Experience at (718) 854-4450 ext. 111 or visit www.dessertexpo.com
Win a Free Round Trip to Atlanta:
Dessert Today is offering a free trip to The Great American Dessert Experience!
We are looking for a creative idea that combines Dessert, Coffee and Tea that can be incorporated into the Atlanta show or the next issue of Dessert Today. Submit your original idea, complete with your contact information, by email to sarah@dessertexpo.com by Oct. 1st 2007. Limited to one entry per person.
Contact Sarah at 718-854-4450 x 111 for more details.
We are pleased to introduce our second edition of DESSERT TODAY, a periodic publication on the latest information on the rapidly developing desserts industry. This edition includes many interesting news items on desserts, an exciting announcement about the launch of the Great American Dessert Experience, and a photo review of our successful Great American Dessert Expo in June '07.
We also invite readers to check for periodic updates on www.dessertexpo.com. We invite your comments or information on your business for inclusion in the newsletter.
Remember, it's OK to drop in anytime on desserts! Right now, we hope that you have Georgia on your mind! For more information about our newsletter, or to submit updated industry information please contact Sarah Cohen at 718-854-4450 ext. 111 or e-mail sarah@dessertexpo.com
Recently released industry statistics have explained the surge in chocolate sales over the last year. With chocolate being the fastest growing snack category in the US, it comes as no surprise that new trends are emerging in the chocolate industry. According to Mintel, a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media research, more than 100 fortified chocolate and candy products have been launched since 2003.
 Dark chocolate has become increasingly popular over the last year. According to AC Neilson, dark chocolate sales have risen 42% over the last five years. Mainstream chocolates such as Hershey Kisses and M&Ms have come out with dark chocolate treats. According to Healthday.com dark chocolate allows consumers to indulge in sweets while also having the added advantage of boosting the function of vital endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Researchers have suggested consuming foods that are rich in a group of antioxidants called flavanoids, such as cocoa, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. While these findings have been researched, scientists do not recommend increasing intake of dark chocolate simply for the added health benefits.
Another growing popular chocolate option is organic chocolate. Consumers seeking untreated natural ingredients are opting for organic products. The organic food industry has been enjoying a surge in sales over the last couple of years. The Gourmet Retailer reports that just like Organic food sales have been growing in the last year, organic chocolates will follow this trend. Chocolate sales accounted for $6 billion in 2006. While Organic chocolate sales was estimated at $70.8 million in 2006, experts reveal that this category will follow the organic food trend and will rise over the next few years. Mainstream companies are entering this market and brand names such as Dagoba, Green & Black's, Lake Champlain, Chocolove and Newman's Own are becoming increasingly popular. Some retailers are going as far as combining these two growing categories. Dagoba's elixir bars are organic and made from dark chocolate as well.
 The health conscious consumer can now rest assured that there are ways to indulge in sweets. The Gourmet Retailer reports that the key to selling more desserts is offering smaller portions. Health conscious consumers, whether at a coffee shop or restaurant, are more willing to try desserts in smaller potions. Desserts such as miniature cupcakes, bite size pies and more are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants and in supermarkets. Whole Foods Markets has lunched a line of miniature desserts called Petite Sweets. These desserts range from miniature pies to mini fruit mousses to bite size chocolate layer cakes. The small desserts allow consumers to indulge without feeling guilty. Tiny desserts are also becoming popular in restaurants. The Gourmet Retailer reports that people that go out to dinner will influence each other's decision to order dessert. One person, not wanting to seem over-indulgent will pass on dessert and consequently, the other dinner guests will follow suit. Offering small portions is a great way to lure consumers into a dessert mode.
Portion controlled foods is part of a general trend in the food industry that allows the industry to appear to be more socially responsible and at the same time to garner more profits from smaller sizes. This is particularly true for snacks, where consumers are more apt to buy smaller packages so as not to overindulge. Chocolates have always been available in a variety of sizes including individually wrapped chocolates, but now it appears that the trend is extending to all categories of desserts.
 Chocolate cafes made the list of the new and trendy last year, and while they still offer a tasty opportunity, they've spurred an equally tantalizing concept: dessert-only restaurants. A clear indication of America's growing sweet tooth is in consumers' dining habits. According to Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association in Washington, DC, nearly one in three fine-dining operators reported that consumers bought more desserts this year than two years ago. Fine-dining operators also indicated the strongest growth in desserts.
In January, Stephane Lemagnen, 31, and Laurent Lanneau, 34, catered to the dessert craving by opening Room 4 Dessert, one of New York City's first dessert-only establishments. The restaurant offers a variety of dessert-tasting menus to be paired with wines and teas, and culinary masterpieces are created before customers' very eyes. No wonder curious pastry chefs visiting from the West Coast as well as other visitors consider the dessert bar a must-hit spot in New York, and the media--even in Japan--just can't seem to get enough.
The high-end, dessert-only concept is so tempting that competitors have already put their hands in the cookie jar and opened their own. But Lemagnen, who projects 2006 sales of about $500,000, feels secure with his piece of the pie. "Each pastry chef is so unique and creative that each dessert bar is going to have its own character," he says. And with the restaurant industry set to reach a record high of $511 billion in annual sales this year, according to Riehle, "there's nothing bitter about this sweet trend".
Getting Started:
If you dream of opening your own dessert-only restaurant, try these tips for sweet success:
Create an unforgettable experience. At Room 4 Dessert, desserts are assembled in front of the customer, high attention is paid to presentation and menus are seasonal, changing every three months. According to Lemagnen, "Make it exciting and fun because when people go out, they want to have fun; they want to relax."
Keep customers in the loop. Lemagnen and co-founder Lanneau, make it a point to collect the e-mail addresses of their customers. In this way customers stay updated on the newest menus and information, which encourages them to keep coming back for more.
Don't skimp on the pastry chef. A talented pastry chef is the key ingredient to the success of a dessert-only restaurant. When searching for their number-one player, Lemagnen and Lanneau looked for excellent credentials and experience, advanced techniques and someone who would attract a lot of media attention. When they found the right person, they increased their budget and even made him a partner in the business. Lemagnen says, "For someone to produce their best work, they have to feel like they're part of the company."
Emphasize quality, freshness and uniqueness. According to Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association in Washington, DC, desserts don't need to be sophisticated, but they do need to be made with the freshest and highest quality ingredients. So seek out the best÷even if it means using several different suppliers.
Spread the word. With such a novel and appetizing concept, attracting media attention won't be difficult. But it's up to you to generate interest by sending out press releases and announcing the opening. Lemagnen and Lanneau hosted a tasting event prior to the official opening. It gave invited guests a taste of what was to come and got the business off on the right foot.
Reprinted with permission from Entrepreneur Magazine, November 2006
While America has a huge sweet tooth the kosher food market does as well. There are some major new trends that bode well for manufacturers of kosher desserts. This became apparent in new information presented by the Mintel research organization at The Great American Dessert Expo, which took in Atlanta June 1-3. Mintel reports that an incredible 55% of respondents to its most recent survey on desserts acknowledged buying kosher products 'because they consider them safer or healthier'. "While consumers are increasingly looking to purchase healthier dessert product options for their homes, they are also more likely to indulge their sweet tooth when they eat out," said Marcia Mogelonsky, Senior Research Analyst at Mintel, at a seminar on desserts at the showin the Cobb Galleria. She noted that health and wellness concerns have catapulted some fruits to the level of 'superfoods' because of their high levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Ms. Mogelonsky also pointed out that while 91% of Americans eat ice cream at home, these consumers are constantly on the hunt for healthier options to satisfy their cravings.
 Pointing to some of the latest trends in desserts, the Mintel researcher said that consumers are increasingly focused on purchasing products that fit their 'portion control' and 'trading off' lifestyle. The Great American Dessert Expo featured many kosher certified dessert products that fit these trends. Gianni NY, Gourmet Ice Cream and Italian Ice Company, boast fat free and lactose free Italian ice. "Our products cater to all different kinds of consumers who are not only looking for great taste, but healthier dessert options as well," said Peter Grosz, President of Gianni NY. Mogelonsky reported that some of the buzzwords in the dessert industry are "natural, organic, specialty and kosher."
Kosher food sections have dramatically been increasing healthier options that satisfy dessert cravings. Products such as low-fat cheesecakes, reduced-calorie cakes, and low-fat chocolates and ice creams are just a few examples of delectable desserts that are typically found in kosher supermarket sections.
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PastryNet
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