US Foods has launched its latest Summer Scoop, focused on the theme of “Dining Out Is In Again”, with 18 on-trend, versatile, profit-driving products designed to reduce back-of-house preparation and skilled-labor demands.

With 62% of operators saying they are concerned about finding skilled workers during the pandemic,[1] restaurant operators struggle to balance the resurgence of on-site diners and existing take-out and delivery operations ramped up during the pandemic. Summer Scoop helps address these challenges with innovative products that can drive higher profits and help operators save approximately 85-95% in back-of-house preparation time compared to making from scratch, helpful for restaurants operating with fewer and less experienced kitchen staff.

“Through each phase of the pandemic, our commitment to helping our restaurant operators ‘Make It’ with product innovation and expert resources has remained our number one priority,” said Stacey Kinkaid, vice president of product development and innovation for US Foods. “As restaurants quickly move closer to, or reach, full capacity, solving back-of-house labor challenges is more critical than ever. As a result, operators need products that are easy to prep back-of-house, require fewer culinary skills, and deliver on taste, quality and profitability. With Summer Scoop, we’ve designed a product lineup to help restaurant operators meet these challenges head-on.”  

Summer Scoop highlights a variety of labor-saving products that are versatile and easily integrated into summer menu favorites. Highlights include:

Simple Summer Menu Additions Hot Off the Grill

• Chef’s Line Alabama White Barbeque Sauce – Made with spicy brown mustard, horseradish and apple cider vinegar. Crafted by a US Foods Food Fanatics chef who was inspired by the regional cuisine. Provides roughly 30 minutes of labor savings compared to creating from scratch.
• Chef’s Line All Natural Seasoned Beef Brisket Steak Burger – Made with USDA Choice grade brisket and sirloin and seasoned with coarse ground black pepper and Naturally Hickory Smoked Sea Salt to deliver that familiar smoked brisket flavor. Cooked from frozen, they provide about two hours of labor savings compared to creating from scratch. [2]
• Chef’s Line All Natural Italian Sausage Burger – Made from whole boneless pork shoulder and seasoned with herbs and spices authentic to Italian sausage. The ideal go-to burger that is cooked from frozen in minutes. Provides roughly two hours of labor savings compared to creating from scratch. [2]
• Chef’s Line Roasted Garlic & Herb Compound Butter – Made with butter, olive oil, roasted garlic, Chardonnay, shallots, garlic, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, tarragon and parsley, and then rolled into a log for easy coin-like cuts. This item provides roughly one hour of labor savings compared to creating from scratch. It is ideal for burgers and spreads and is the perfect complement to US Foods Tender by Design steaks. Tender by Design products use an exclusive and proprietary freezing technology that locks in tenderness and freshness to deliver the same quality and great texture as fresh steaks and provides less variability in pricing for manageable portion cost.

Fast and Flavorful Ingredients

• Cross Valley Farms Apple Pineapple Pico De Gallo – Made with quarter-inch cut Granny Smith apples, onions, pineapple, jalapeño peppers, cilantro and key lime juice. A nice alternative to the traditional pico de gallo. Provides approximately two hours of labor savings compared to creating from scratch.
• Cross Valley Farms Fresh Chopped Cilantro – Already chopped and ready to use, the 8 oz. pack size is just right for any back-of-house use. Provides an average of one hour of labor savings compared to chopping back-of-house.
• Chef’s Line Toasted Coconut Pineapple Flavored Ice Cream – A delectable combination of pineapple and coconut with a dense, creamy texture that makes it an indulgent dining experience. Incredibly versatile, it can easily be incorporated into drinks, served on its own or as an unexpected complement to other desserts.

Even as dining out continues to recover, off-premise dining trends consumers adopted during the pandemic are expected to remain even as on-site normalizes to pre-pandemic levels. Summer Scoop offers innovative and labor-saving products to support the continued growth of off-premise dining, and these products are equally as profit-driving when served in-house. Highlights include: 

Grow Profits with Grab and Go

• Monogram Tamper Evident Beverage Pouch – Quick and easy to fill with profit-driving cocktails to-go, signature drinks or an operator’s signature sauce or dressing, the pouch can be used with warm or cold liquids. The pouch is see-through and provides a window for easy labeling as well as an opening perfect for a drinking straw. 
• Thirster Organic Ginger Lemon Kombucha & Thirster Organic Red Raspberry Kombucha – Packed in a slim, on-trend can. Made with a blend of black and green tea, this fermented beverage is a mix of sweetened tea and Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). This tangy concoction is loaded with more than 5 billion CFU Probiotic bacteria at the time of bottling. It can be used within a profit-driving cocktail base behind the bar on-site or packed to-go for off-premise picnics.
• Chef’s Line Crispy Italian Tomato and Mozzarella Arancini – Made in Italy with Italian Carnaroli rice and filled with tomato, mozzarella and a signature vegetable blend, this authentic bite-sized Arancini brings this popular Roman street food to any operator’s menu. Provides approximately three hours of labor savings compared to creating from scratch and travels well for take-out and delivery.
• Patuxent Farms Biscuit Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks – Made with whole muscle breast chicken chunks with rib meat and coated with a crunchy, biscuit-like breading for an upscale version of popcorn chicken. Provides approximately three hours of labor savings compared to creating from scratch. It is ideal for to-go and dine-in.

In addition to innovative product solutions, US Foods provides free one-on-one consultations with their expert Restaurant Operations Consultants (ROCs). US Foods ROCs have already helped thousands of restaurants solve their biggest challenges during the pandemic. They remain dedicated to providing free virtual consultations on ongoing operations pain points such as menu engineering and profitability, staffing and labor, finance and cost management, and how to access restaurant relief grants. In addition, the company has US Foods ROCs dedicated to the support questions about US Foods CHECK Business Tools, designed to help restaurant operators navigate the restaurant technology landscape and find the right solutions for their operation. 

To learn more about Summer Scoop and available resources and tools, visit usfoods.com.

[1] Dataessential

[2] No artificial ingredients. Minimally processed.

About US Foods

US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With 70 broadline locations and 80 cash and carry stores, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois.