Five Steps to Meet Diners’ Demand for Seafood
People missed many things during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown: getting together with friends and family, attending special events, playing team sports, and eating at restaurants—especially dining on seafood.
While retail seafood sales showed a spike during the pandemic, according to Dataessentials’ Midyear Trends Report, seafood was also one of the foods restaurant patrons missed the most. Since restaurants have reopened, seafood has made a strong comeback, as proven by the 37.5% increase in sales in first-time restaurants making the Top 500 seafood chain list.
In addition to those who missed the deliciousness of seafood, the pandemic helped attract new seafood lovers as the number of Americans eager to consume seafood for health reasons rose:
According to Food Marketing Institute (FMI) The Power of Seafood 2022:
Seafood sales topped $16.9 billion in 2021, an increase of 29.3% over 2019.
29% of Americans consume seafood frequently—at least twice a week.
More than half—54%—of those surveyed said eating healthier was the main reason for their increased seafood consumption.
Other reasons surveyed people cited include seeking more variety, trying new foods, and eating more protein.
The upward trend is expected to continue, with 3.3 billion people expected to get 20% of their animal protein from seafood by 2030.
Welcoming Diners Back
Clearly, diners are happy to be able to patronize restaurants once again and enjoy their favorite sea fare once again. The question for restaurants is how best to capitalize on this uptick and keep the numbers trending upwards.
Below are some suggestions:
1. Highlight health. Since people want to eat healthier, be sure they can find what they seek. Highlight your seafood options on your menu. Include a sidebar or callout on the health benefits of seafood, including its high protein, vitamin and mineral levels and low calories.
2. Make it special. Offer at least one healthy seafood special daily, but don’t fall into a rut. Get creative. New versions of favorites like shrimp burgers and calamari fries are big hits right now. Remember, along with health, diners are looking for variety. Place it prominently on the Specials list.
3. Create a signature. Most diners have a favorite place for ribs, burgers, or a go-to vegetarian spot. Make a dish so unique and delicious that it will give your restaurant a reputation for outstanding seafood. To help get started, have a free tasting night and offer a coupon for a discount on a subsequent meal to anyone who writes a positive review on social media. Then, feature the dish at a special price one night a week.
4. Chat it up. Speaking of social media… social platforms can boost your brand—and seafood offerings. Create a social seafood campaign that includes posts about your delicious seafood dishes. Include tantalizing photos, customer testimonials and reviews, and other “news” about the healthy and tasty seafood diners can expect at your establishment. Do this on several platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, to reach a diverse customer base and post consistently for the best payoff. If you are unfamiliar with the platforms or don’t have time, hire someone part-time or offer an internship through a local school.
5. Sell in pairs. Sometimes encouraging people to try new things means pairing it with something familiar—or fun (think wine and art parties). Pairing seafood with specific beverages that complement the dish or offering surf and turf can encourage diners to experiment with various seafood dishes.
With the worst of the pandemic behind us and people once again enjoying the joys of restaurant eating, serving them the seafood they crave can help ensure the restaurant they choose is yours.