If you walk around any major food court today the choices are just as likely to include a juice bar, salad counter and sushi offer as the traditional burger and fries or pie shop. Healthy eating really is part of today’s takeaway culture and it’s about so much more than just a tuna pasta salad and a piece of fruit; taste, food quality and innovation all count.

Choice is the byword for the fast food sector, which is seeing some regulation set to help educate the consumer about what they are eating. Because it’s not as simple as chomping on a salad rather than biting into a burger. Fat, fibre, sugar, kilojoules, salt, gluten… working out just what is truly healthy takes more than a quick glance at a menu board. While core ingredients might be low in fat, sugar and salt, add a tasty but high fat sauce and the nutritional dynamics change.

The new managing director at Healthy Habits, Merrill Pereyra, brings decades of working overseas with McDonald’s to his new role. “I found a lot of people think a salad is healthy, but while a Caesar salad or stir fried veggies can be healthy they might have more fat than a Big Mac.”

Richard Garraway, consultant at The Franchise Shop, which counts the EnSalada franchise among its client list, agrees. “The whole healthy food arena can be quite misleading. A lot of companies claim it through the way they present, without saying that they’re healthy, because they’re not. You can get a salad that has more calories than a burger. They’re still calories that you eat.”

That’s where the mandatory kilojoule count on menu boards at quick service restaurants goes some way to help inform the hungry customer. And more and more franchised networks are providing nutritional guidance to steer the customer to the meal that suits them. So with information to hand and choice at the counter, customers can pick how to consume the calories, the fat and sugar levels, or whether to add the extra salt. Franchises that offer an alternative to the standard fare can carve a niche in the marketplace, catering for Australia’s expanding tastes.

“I think when people are looking to purchase a franchise, they think about social and personal elements,” says Garraway. “People like to be associated with something that’s doing the right thing, whether that’s a charitable industry or environmental, and companies are more conscious of their policies in these areas.

“If you offer fresh or healthy, when people are playing the compare game, it will work in their favour.”

The sector continues to attract recruits keen to upgrade their offer to meet the demands of consumers. What they offer and how they interpret healthy eating of course varies.

Ingredients plus

For the Aroma Cafe chain, serving a healthy meal starts with top quality ingredients. Joe Camilleri, national operations manager, explains, “Even with 52 stores we believe in producing all our food in store, with fresh quality ingredients, using local seasonal produce where possible. All chicken is whole roasted, all bacon used is only eye bacon.” Food items like chicken schnitzel are grilled rather than fried.

Simon Crowe, founder of burger chain Grill’d, says the brand maintains a holistic approach to nutrition. “We don’t just strive for low fat, low sugar at the expense of quality and flavour. We go for real foods with real flavour and believe nutrition is more than just a set of numbers.”

SumoSalad’s co-founder Luke Baylis agrees “People want healthy but don’t want to compromise on taste.” He is one of several franchisors who are taking the health aspect of their menus seriously, employing a nutritionist to analyse the dishes.

“Everyone has different requirements. I do a triathlon so I want sustained energy but other people are looking for low kilojoules or low sodium, or they want to eat free range or organic meat, or want high fibre. There’s not a one size fits all.”

Carly Taber, national marketing manager at Pacific Retail (a group which includes Go Sushi, Wasabi Warriors, and Kick Juice) defines healthy eating as “something that meets the customerÕs nutritional needs based on what their body wants or needs to stay well. This may mean that the food contains protein, is low in fat or is a good source of omega 3.”

“Everything goes through phases,” points out Baylis. “It’s been carbs, GI, sodium. We need to be up-to-date and with trends. Regulations and global trends drive local trends.”

Brand new regulation across NSW and the ACT and proposed for Queensland is giving a clear focus to fast food chains with the mandatory display of a meals kilojoule count.

“Regulation is a bit misleading because it focuses on kilojoules alone but it’s a step in the right direction. We want to take a more holistic approach to educating the customer. This is achieved through fliers, marketing collateral, the website,” says Baylis.

The franchise is putting together a nutritional matrix that will inform the customer of their food choices, an essential process when the majority of consumers don’t clearly understand the kilojoule issue, he adds.

Better benefits

Keeping the message simple is key, says nutritionist Georgie Moore who works with Sumo Salad to analyse its food for nutritional content. “We’re looking at the basis of Heart Foundation, Diabetes Association, and other regulation groups rather than write our own standards and give a confused message.”

Moore gives a complete nutritional breakdown of Sumo Salad’s recipes developed to budget restrictions. But there is more to the menu than cutting out or reducing ingredients. “It’s important to offer a great taste and flavour,” says Moore.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food franchise Ali Baba has also turned to a dietician to endorse its newest line up of dishes: Joanne Turner says the franchisor has reduced its sodium content in kebabs, offers different portion sizes, and is using good quality oils to reduce saturated fat.

Robert Marjan, Ali Baba’s managing director, says “As a company we’re forever developing our product ranges. The market is ever changing in its approach to health and everyone is more mindful.”

Serving up a high quality meal is a balance between good ingredients and cost of goods and this is when the benefits of being part of a franchise network that can finance the development are obvious says Baylis. “It’s a very expensive process with huge compliance costs, it’s very costly to analyse nutritional values. Smaller organisations are disadvantaged by the costs and would find it hard to meet the resources.”

So what does 2012 hold for the franchises in the healthy eating arena? More taste options to tempt the palate are on the menu, as are outlets in as yet underdeveloped locations, particularly in regional areas.

Sumo Salad

It’s important that SumoSalad’s menu offers updated choices for regular customers, so the summer and winter menus are released in tiers to ensure that all-important variety, with freshness absolutely key.

“We have a good relationship with Aussie farmers, with an approach of gate to plate. Lettuce is harvested, washed three times at the farmers, then delivered to the store with the aim of giving Sumo Salad the freshest produce,” says Baylis.

Next year the franchise team is focusing on organic store growth and on taking more market share in the food court environment from providing a better offer. There will also be expansion into sub-regional areas; the Mildura outlet which opened last year is “doing unbelievable numbers” says Baylis who is now looking at country towns with populations of 30,000 or more to locate high street outlets with a sit down offer.

Pacific Retail

Readily available information for customers who might want it is a priority for the Pacific Retail brands: the grab and go, fresh and healthy chain Go Sushi; Wasabi Warriors, a high quality fast food sushi brand with a focus on doing good as well as eating well; and Kick Juice Bars, which offers customers super fresh juices, made fresh to go.

“We’ve had a great response to the launch of our Go Healthy Go Fresh Guide, which shows customers the nutritional facts and health benefits of the products,” says Taber. “We are also seeing growth of this market into regional areas, where healthy food options may have not been previously available.”

GrillÕd

Transparency is important at Grill’d, from the food preparation to philosophy. “Our philosophy on healthy eating is simple, we have no hidden secrets. We make every burger fresh to order on the flame grill right in front of our customer,” explains Crowe. “The grill gives our food its unique flavour and itÕs healthier than using a hot-plate. We provide our customers with a host of healthy options including salads and build a burger where customers can choose what ingredients go into their burger.

“Many people love burgers but have been forced out of the category due to other companies giving the burger a bad reputation. Grill’d is legitimatising a favourite meal in a contemporary, healthy manner.”

Healthy Habits

With a new head honcho onboard, Healthy Habits will be undergoing a brand review, and in June, Pereyra aims to launch the new model. “My vision is soup, salads, smoothies and sandwiches. I’m still trying out the idea of soup,” he adds.

One of Pereyra’s first moves when he joined the sandwich bar business was to employ chef Lesley Bailey, who also has global brand experience from Cathay Pacific and McDonald’s. Pereyra’s brief to Bailey is to come up with innovation. “I’d like a customer to come into the stores and get chicken with a sauce that’s exclusive to Healthy Habits.”

He would also like to develop a gluten-free option. So there’s a new menu coming up to help take the 19 year-old brand to the next level of trading across Australia, and beyond. Whatever the new model will look like, maintaining a balance between franchisor, franchisees and suppliers is the foundation to the business, Pereyra says.

Ensalada

For franchisor Simi Mukherjee, it’s all about serving top quality, fresh ingredients in dishes prepared by professional chefs. “There’s a choice of 14 mouth watering salads, fruit salads, our own freshly made Greek yoghurts, soups and wraps,” he says. “Quality, flavour and presentation are the three ingredients to my kitchen,” adds head chef Jean Philippe Kersetenne.

There is something on the menu for everyone, from the calorie conscious customer to those wanting gluten free, dairy free, or a fresh and delicious salad. A nutritionist has designed meal plans which are available on the website www.ensalada.co.nz and also provides a free email service for specific questions as well. This New Zealand based business is now franchising in Australia through The Franchise Shop.

Ali Baba

Catering to wider consumer group and all ages and health conditions is the driver behind an invigorated menu, at Ali Baba, Robert Marjan says. And on the menu are low salt items, gluten free options, low fat choices, kids offers and salads. “We are actively developing kebabs with at least 50 percent less sodium than what we have offered before. It’s in line with retailers who are conscious of these nutritional problems.”

There’s been a focus on food sensitivity too, with a couple of gluten free products introduced, and others in the range which will suit those who buy gluten free as a health choice.

High fibre salad choices reflect the Mediterranean cuisine: Moroccan couscous, pearl couscous and pumpkin and tabbouleh.

Price remains an issue for consumers but Marjan is confident the new menu, and new look restaurant, have “nailed it”.

A new concept store with a footprint of 120 to 150 square metres in suburban strip locations will cater for a family casual dining experience at quick service restaurant prices, he explains. “We’re a one-stop shop for the family,” he says.

The concept stores to be unveiled in the second quarter of 2012 will also include an oven to bake bread onsite.

“No-one owns the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean category. We’re not burgers, or chicken or Subway. There’s a gap in the market and we want to be first in.”