In 2024, new toppings, specialty subs and bold flavors look to be the focus for the sandwich category.
Retailers report that sandwiches continue to grow in their stores, driven by innovation and, in the case of Englefield Oil Co.’s Duchess Convenience Stores, seasonality.
“At the beginning of the year, customers are looking for wraps and other items that they believe are more healthful in terms of calories and carbs,” explained Nathan Arnold, director of marketing for Duchess, which operates 119 locations in Ohio and West Virginia. “That trails off fairly quickly, and they go back to the classic and spicy Italian subs that are our core items and accounted for 12% of our deli sales during last year’s fourth quarter.”
Seasonal specialties such as a fish sandwich during Lent and barbecue pulled pork in the summer also help to boost sandwich sales, he said.
Duchess recently began offering toasted sandwiches, giving a new twist on some of the core favorites, such as the Italian subs.
“Our toasted sandwiches are doing well, and our plan is to grow that subset this year,” Arnold stated.
The company is even taking a closer look at different breads and other carriers such as biscuits that have traditionally been associated with breakfast, considering expanding their application to lunch and dinner. This, he noted, can help the back of the house by creating new items without bringing in new inventory.
Trendy Tastes
Arnold pointed out that customers like to see trendy and unique flavors in the form of special sauces, textures or limited-offer ingredient pairings. They also like to have the option of putting their own spin on their sandwiches from the condiment bars that are in some of the stores.
Derek Thurston, director of foodservice operations for Clifford Fuel Co.’s 21 (soon to be 22) Cliff’s Local Markets in New York, echoed Arnold’s observations about creating new sandwich taste and texture experiences for customers.
“Our customers like to try new bold and interesting flavors, trending flavors, that they’ve never tried before,” he stated. “They like different sandwich dressings and other toppings, so we give them new ones such as jalapeño ranch with crispy jalapeños on a sub or a sauce of locally made Utica beer cheese on a Philly cheesesteak every quarter.”
Hispanic flavors tend to perform well at Cliff’s. Even a familiar protein such as turkey, which is so popular it comprises 30% of the menu year-round, gets a fresh take when seasoned with chipotle and paired with bacon and sundried tomatos. Other recent forays into global specialties have included roast beef topped with pesto and a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches on ciabatta.