CHICAGO, July 28, 2025 —Strong relationships may be as crucial to getting a manufacturer’s product on a menu as the caliber of the item itself, according to a new study of the menu ideation process.
Based on a canvas of 400 foodservice operators, the report advises manufacturers to foster a vibrant give-and-take with potential and current food-away-from-home clients to ensure a menu-placement opportunity isn’t missed.
The research found that high-volume potential customers like college dining rooms or healthcare accounts can have as narrow a window to update a menu as two weeks, not always with advance notice. The chance at a placement can come and go if the supplier isn’t communicating regularly with the account, the findings show.
The data indicates that onsite foodservice may offer better odds of securing a product placement because they change menus more frequently than the commercial sector.
Restaurants update their menus less often, the study reports, but the ideation is typically longer, the report found. Still, it advises manufacturers to focus on relationships, so they’ll be included in the brainstorming process.
Just be prepared to air a lot of ideas, according to the study. About six items are tested for every alteration in an operation’s roster of entrees, be it the addition of a new product, a revamp of an old one, or a limited-time offer.
The report also looks at such factors as the most likely sources of menu ideas; what feedback is regarded as most valuable for the foodservice operation; and whom on the account’s staff can be a manufacturer’s strongest ally.
The research was conducted for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association by Datassential. It is the most recent report to come out of the association’s Consumer and Operator Research Group (CORG), a consortium of manufacturers looking for answers to key industry questions.
Past reports from CORG have focused on the menu effects of GLP-1 weight loss aids, why consumers switch their allegiances to restaurant brands, and how suppliers can boost their sales to c-stores.
The information is free for Tier 3 members of the association. Others can buy the reports via the association’s online store, located here.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.