Strategize and Boost Profits with Avocados All Day

Second-generation restaurateurs Angela & Mariam El Haj opened Calaca Mamas Cantina in 2022 to pay homage to their hard-working parents. Situated in Anaheim, California, on a bustling entertainment strip leading straight to Disneyland, the colorfully hued establishment offers traditional and modern Mexican fare throughout the day.

For example, the traditional Huevos Rancheros, consisting of crispy tostadas, eggs, chicken chorizo, ranchero salsa, cotija cheese and sliced avocado, remains one of the most popular dishes during breakfast. While during lunch and dinner, the Quesabirra Tacos shines as a crowd pleaser, tempting guests with shredded beef birria, avocado mousse, onions, cilantro, consommé and Oaxaca cheese crust on a corn tortilla.

The standout ingredient that brings out the nuance and depth in both of these dishes is avocado, of course. That should not come as a surprise, considering that 64% of U.S. consumers love/like avocado, according to food and beverage market researcher Datassential.¹

Equally important, continues Datassential, avocado is most popular on the West Coast, with 79% of consumers loving/liking it. That’s why restaurants like Calaca Mamas Cantina feature it so prominently on the menu. The Northeast comes in at 64%, then South (60%) and finally Midwest (55%).¹

Here are additional statistics about consumer demographics:

Demand only growing for avocado

Avocados excel, of course, on Mexican menus, seeing incidence distribution up 12% in 2024. The indulgent, yet healthy ingredient performs well also on entrée salads, up 14.5%, as well as other dishes that are not Latin inspired.² For example, at Hapa Sushi in Denver, a sliced tempura avocado appetizer called Monkey Brains is drizzled with sriracha mayo and sweet soy. Napoleon House in New Orleans stuffs a whole avocado with Gulf shrimp remoulade for a different take on a salad. And Wendy’s is still going strong with its Avocado Chicken Wrap, which adds a generous dollop of creamy avocado seasoned with salt and lime to enhance spicy or grilled chicken.

Here are 10 top ways the avocado is menued, according to Datassential:²

Two effective ways to entice customers to eat even more avocado is to feature it on limited-time offer (LTO) or “secret” menus. According to Datassential, 61% of operators see LTOs as profit centers for their businesses, with 33% reporting traffic growing from 11% to 25% within a month of launching a program.

New flavor profiles on familiar formats especially attracted new and repeat customers, so with avocado rating so highly across the country, it should easily be a home run.

Simplot’s three Harvest Fresh® Flavored Avocado Spreads are ideal for LTOs or secret menus, as they’re designed to elevate just about any dish. They are one-of-a-kind mashups of Mexican avocado and chef-inspired ingredients. Simplot® Harvest Fresh® Dill Pickle Flavored Avocado Spread complements burgers, chicken sandwiches and wraps. The avocado’s mild, buttery flavor balances the tangy zest of dill pickle seasoning. Simplot® Harvest Fresh® Cucumber Tzatziki Flavored Avocado Spread works best with Mediterranean dishes. It’s a dazzling combination of cucumber, avocado and the garlicky, slightly tart taste of tzatziki. And Simplot® Harvest Fresh® Everything Bagel Flavored Avocado Spread takes the extremely popular bagel seasoning³ and infuses it into avocado for the perfect enhancement on breakfast offerings.

“America’s appetite for avocado is stronger than ever and restaurants continue to find creative ways to profit from it,” Michael Zeller, Senior Corporate Executive Chef, Simplot, said. “From entrées to apps, snacks, desserts and beverages, avocado is putting smiles on customers’ faces around the clock.”

How to leverage avocado’s pricing power on menus across dayparts

Indeed it all begins with breakfast. Avocado’s growth on breakfast menus is up 62% the past 10 years, and it appears on 49.2% of all breakfast menus.² That type of strong performance has motivated operators to experiment with avocado on dishes during other dayparts, and thus far the strategy has proven successful.

Overall, operators are seeing a 17% increase in consumers willing to pay more for dishes with avocado, reports Datassential. Most notably, bread appetizers (+50%), fries (+33%) and appetizer salads (+33%) have experienced the largest increases.²

Here are additional insights:

Simplot’s talented culinary team has created some fresh new avocado-forward recipes meant to inspire: