
Happy National Maple Syrup Day!
Maple is moving from the morning hours and making its way to all-day parts. Operators are pushing maple beyond traditional breakfast dishes and experimenting with it in non-alcoholic beverages, cocktails and savory concepts. Mentions of maple on menus are up overall 3.4% year over year¹. According to the Technomic Menu Monitor, maple is up 85% in non-alcoholic beverages and almost 15% in alcoholic beverages between the second quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017².
Up until recently, sugar and sweetened products played a significant role in the American diet. Today, 76% of consumers are avoiding any type of sweetener³ and searching for better-for-you alternatives. Instead of artificial sweeteners, consumers are looking for more natural alternatives like maple, honey and agave.
