Surprisingly — but true: some people also call nutritious and healthy food “fast food.” As a rule, such restaurants are located on main streets or in shopping centers of large cities and metropolises. The food court is a place with a high flow of people with diverse gastronomic preferences, lifestyles and values. Hunger, whether we like it or not, occurs regularly. Along with it comes the desire to try something new, tasty and minimally harmful to one’s health. This review covers that in more detail.
A trend in Ukraine’s HoReCa sector and in other countries is the rise of food courts. When searching for gastronomic novelties (especially in malls), a potential customer will better orient and decide by looking at a clear and informative digital menu.
A well‑thought‑out and properly designed digital menu in the fast‑food segment is 95% of your restaurant’s success.
For over six years our company has implemented digital menu projects across various restaurant formats, comprehensively solving issues of effective implementation and monetization of digital menu boards. Digital signage, advertising monitors and menu boards for assortments and promo offers, along with appropriate navigation — these tools will significantly boost sales at your venue. We described one unique (in terms of implementation timeframes) Digital Signage project for the Czech MASTER BURGER chain in a previous article. It is worth noting that one of the key advantages of digital menus (especially in the QSR chain segment) is the ability to rapidly update information both within a single restaurant and across a national network. Using the iDS Cloud system, updates happen in real time with a few clicks. Flexibly configured tools for showing special offers tied to time of day or day of the week let you present promos as precisely and effectively as possible and draw attention specifically to your venue.
Today a new trend dominates the global market — mini fast‑food restaurants offering healthy food.
In 2014 Americans left a record sum in fast‑food restaurants — over $21 billion. In the 2000s the number of fast‑service outlets (compared to traditional establishments) increased tenfold.
The first USDA‑certified fast‑food restaurant, Organic Coup, opened its doors with an intriguing menu: chicken dishes fried in coconut oil paired with vibrant vegetables. In contrast, burgers from McDonald’s and Burger King look less appetizing and bland.
The alternative offered by Organic Coup looks enticing: salmon with guacamole and cold‑pressed fruit juices. Everything can be taken on the go for a healthy snack. This snack format is gaining huge popularity.
Freshii
Their idea attracted the attention of McDonald’s CEO, and it was decided to include Freshii products in McDonald’s menu.
Freshii offers highly nutritious dishes containing lean protein, fiber, healthy fats and slow‑release carbohydrates. You choose from a wide range of ingredients to compose your perfect salad. You can also order freshly squeezed juice or a smoothie. This combination of nutrition can lead to rapid health improvement and weight loss if needed.
Where to find Freshii? They are present in over 75 cities across 15 countries: New York, Texas, Florida, Arizona and California.
Dig Inn — like a charming Cracker Barrel world, where everything is great.
Imagine your Sunday family dinner without all the unhealthy buns and pies. This chain’s menu impresses with its range. Dig Inn is a seasonal market‑style eatery offering local dishes at reasonable prices. You can build your own plate by choosing a base (greens or whole grains) and a protein (lean meat, tofu or salmon). Dig Inn offers a hearty plate of healthy food for roughly $8–10!
How we miss such places in Ukraine
Sweetgreen — like a McFarmers market
Sweetgreen is a guru in the healthy food world. Their menu consists of environmentally friendly ingredients sourced from farmers — the Sweetgreen team works exclusively with suppliers and farms while strictly controlling product quality.
Their assortment includes a wide variety of salads and add‑ons such as quinoa, avocado, olives, sauerkraut, beets and leafy greens. The real pleasure comes when you build your own salad, adding fresh farm produce: peas and roasted vegetables — everything fresh and 100% organic.
Where to find Sweetgreen? They have over 30 locations, including several in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia.
Roti Grill — your favorite Mediterranean grill in express format.
The chain’s menu captures all the charms of Mediterranean cuisine, known for health benefits, improving brain health and aiding weight loss. Their dishes are made with pita, couscous, grilled meats and hummus.
For example, their “Best Plate Ever” is a rice plate with chicken kebab, hummus, tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh vegetables, roasted red pepper sauce and a homemade casserole. Their dishes offer a perfectly balanced combination of protein, healthy fats and fiber to give your body optimal vitamins and energy.
You can try this deliciousness across Illinois, Virginia, Washington, Maryland and New York.
Fresh & Co
This fast‑food chain is known for high standards of food sustainability — supplies of produce, fruit and vegetables come exclusively from eco‑clean sources and organic farms. They have an original approach to breakfast menus, which includes a DIY omelet option with the freshest and most varied ingredients.
For sweet tooths and vegetarians there are healthy treats like vanilla chia pudding, hemp desserts and raw vegan bars with goji berries.
On that tasty note, we’d like to say we’ll be glad to discuss your project in detail and start bringing the brightest ideas to life!
For more than six years Innovative DMC has been an expert in developing Digital Signage software‑and‑hardware solutions that enable centralized management projects for audio (background and advertising content), video (including html layouts), interactive content, and broadcasting to LCD and LED panels or video walls — both within a single venue and for large networked businesses. Today our solutions are actively used by clients in the network segment across Ukraine, the CIS and EU countries. Key clients and partners include chain cafes and restaurants, gas stations, cinemas, advertising agencies, stores, malls, fitness clubs, banks and more. During this time we have implemented over 250 projects and developed a flexible, multifunctional and at the same time easy‑to‑administer centralized content‑management system for all types of playback devices. Global HoReCa and QSR leaders trust us. A detailed description of the Subway project implementation is available via the link.
