FSR January 2023

CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S NOW SERVING

BowledOver

BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Full-service restaurants are borrowing one of fast casual’s favorite carriers.

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN’S ANCIENT GRAINS BOWL

TRUE FOOD KITCHEN

IN THE FACE OF high labor and rent costs and limited real estate, some full service concepts are launching lim ited-service prototypes. But a question remains: How can bowls benefit full ser vice when fast casuals like Chipotle seem to dominate the carrier? Big Bowl, a six-unit Chinese and ai concept under Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, has offered a customizable Chef ’s Choice Stir Fry Bowl since the brand’s inception. “It’s allowed us to provide a welcome

choice for the health-conscious diner,” says Howard Katz, president of Big Bowl and sister concept, Wildfire. “It’s another avenue for people who like to customize their meals, with choice of rice or noodle, protein, sauce, etc.” To create the signature stir-fry bowls, Big Bowl’s executive chef paired comple mentary vegetables and seasonal offer ings, Katz says, “while also thinking of flexible customization to meet guests’ dietary requirements and preferences.” ese options include a low-carb cauli

flower rice base, as well as multiple veg etarian options. The Chef ’s Choice Stir Fry bowl includes snow peas, broccoli, green beans, red onions, baby bok choy, car rots, red peppers, and bean sprouts, but guests select their base (rice or noodles), protein, and sauce, ranging from yellow curry kung pao with peanuts to Shang hai ginger garlic. Scott Lawton, founder and CEO of NextGen chain Bartaco, says the deci sion to add bowl options came early

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FSRMAGAZINE .COM

JANUARY 2023