CHICAGO, IL – December 6, 2022 – Today, NielsenIQ BASES, a leader in helping companies build brands through innovation, proudly announces the 2022 North America Menu Innovation Award winners. This year, 120 new menu items were evaluated in a consumer survey by thousands of restaurant guests; the NielsenIQ BASES Restaurant Team then evaluated each item’s relative performance on relevance—items which guests indicated they need or want—and innovation—items guests indicated they found new and exciting to identify 20 winners in North America.
The awards were created to showcase standout menu innovations in the restaurant industry, according to restaurant guest feedback. These innovations were impactful successes which kept guests engaged during a transitional year after the brunt of the pandemic. With this, this year’s overarching theme is reaching consumers where they are. Whether consumers were ready to come back to a brick-and-mortar location or if they wanted to stay home, these award winners went the extra mile to deliver what guests needed, where they needed it.
“These brands went above and beyond to reach their guests but also give them new and exciting products during a challenging time for restaurants and consumers alike,” said Ramon Melgarejo, Global Managing Director of NielsenIQ BASES. “In our second year of the Menu Innovation Awards, we’re excited to include Canada in this year’s North America awards and recognize the hard work of so many great brands.”
The 2022 North America Menu Innovation Award winners are:
U.S.
- Baskin Robbins, Hidden Treasure Ice Cream
- BJs Brewhouse, Smokehouse Burger
- Chipotle, Hand Crafted Quesadilla
- Cracker Barrel, Cinnamon Roll Pie
- Firehouse Subs, Everything Hook & Ladder Sub
- IHOP, Hand Crafted Melts
- KFC, Chicken Sandwich
- Marcos Pizza, Build Your Own Pizza Bowls
- Outback Steakhouse, Bloomin’ Fried Shrimp
- Panda Express, Beyond Original Orange Chicken
- Red Lobster, Create Your Own SeaCuterie Board
- Red Robin, Blue Bunny Super Fudge Brownie Load’d Bar
- Ruby Tuesday, Big Philly Burger
- Smashburger, The Chorizo Burger by Chef Rick Bayless
- TGI Fridays, Top Shelf Pairing
Canada
- Burger King, Peppercorn King
- Dairy Queen, Sea Salt Toffee Fudge Blizzard
- Freshii, Tacos
- New York Fries, At Home Poutine Kits
- Subway, Great Canadian Club
“It means a great deal for our brand to receive this prestigious recognition from such trusted and well-respected innovation experts,” said Alex Tokatlian, Brand Marketing Director at Marco’s Pizza. “At Marco’s, adapting to consumer trends is part of our DNA and this carb-cutting alternative proved to be a bold and refreshing move in our category. Our goal is to delight our guests, and we are honored to be acknowledged for achieving this goal.”
BASES Menu Innovation Awards winners are wonderful examples of how restaurants can truly connect with their guests and create disruptive and innovative menu items. For more information on how you can replicate this on your menu, visit innovation.nielseniq.com/BASES-Restaurant. To sign up for the webinar and learn from the winners in North America or another region, go to https://nielseniq.com/global/en/landing-page/bases-menu-innovation-awards/.
About NielsenIQ
NielsenIQ, a global information services company, delivers the gold standard in consumer and retail measurement, through the most connected, complete, and actionable understanding of the evolving global, omnichannel consumer. NielsenIQ is the source of confidence for the industries we serve and the pioneer defining the next century of consumer and retail measurement. Our data, connected insights, and predictive analytics optimize the performance of CPG and retail companies, bringing them closer to the communities they serve and helping to power their growth.
NielsenIQ, an Advent International portfolio company, has operations in 90+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit NielsenIQ.com.
