RISE - Menu Monitor

Menu Positioning |
Corner Bakery’s bakery-café menu features breakfast selections, soups, salads, specialty sandwiches, paninis, pasta dishes,
bakery items and desserts. Its signature items include a variety of freshly baked breads including baguettes, crusty country
rolls and specialty breads like multi-grain harvest and ryes. Its breakfast menu includes hot entrées, scrambled egg
sandwiches, fruits and grains. For lunch, a popular option is the Trio Salad, which comes with a choice of three signature side
salads and is garnished with field greens and a baguette wedge. These include, D.C. Chicken Salad, Tuna Salad, Egg Salad,
Potato Dill Salad, Fruit Medley, Caesar Salad and Mixed Green Salad. Popular sandwiches include Chicken Pesto, Uptown
Turkey and Ham on Pretzel Bread. Signature soups include Roasted Tomato Basil, Mom’s Chicken Noodle, Loaded Baked
Potato, Cheddar Broccoli and Zesty Chicken Tortilla. Baked goods include an extensive variety of muffins, brownies, fruit bars,
cookies and other pastries and seasonal creations. A kids’ menu is available. Catering and takeout are also offered. Menu
prices range from $2–$5 for bread loafs and 89¢–$6.99 for regular menu items. No alcohol is served. Checks average $8.
Expansion Plans |
Corner Bakery Café plans to focus on its coffee and growth through franchising. By 2011, the chain plans to have about 300
units, half of them franchised. It will also change its coffee for a more robust flavor. In addition, the units have a new look,
featuring stuffed chairs and free Wi-Fi, for which the rollout was completed last week. (Dallasnews.com 9/15/07)
Promotion Plans |
Corner Bakery is offering free coffee and mugs as part of a plan to increase morning customer traffic beginning September 17.
The chain plans to give out the travel mugs in pairs, urging customers to keep one and give the other to a friend. Each mug
has a coupon for a free cup of coffee. Mugs can be refilled for $1.29. (Rimag.com 9/12/07)
Menu Development |
Corner Bakery added to its menu Tuscan Pesto Pasta, with penne pasta, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes,
spinach and Parmesan cheese with pesto-balsamic dressings; and Roasted Caesar Potato salad, with roasted red potatoes
and peppers, green onions, Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing. (Chain Leader 10/06 p28)
Corner Bakery has added Old Fashioned Beef Stew and Chicken Wild Mushroom Brie Stew for a limited time. Old Fashioned
Beef Stew features beef, red potatoes, carrots and pearl onions with seasonings in a beefy red wine gravy. Chicken Wild
Mushroom Brie Stew is prepared with chicken, shiitake and Portobello mushrooms, pearl onions and red bell peppers in a
cream sauce flavored with brie cheese and sherry. Both items are available by the cup, bowl or bread bowl and are priced
from $4.29–$5.99. Guests can also order the items as part of a Stew and Salad Combo for $6.49–$6.79. (NRN Daily NewsFax
2/6/07)
Corner Bakery debuted Turkey Frisco to its menu. The sandwich features smoked turkey breast, marinated artichokes,
roasted sweet balsamic onions, fresh spinach, provolone cheese and sundried tomato pesto mayo served on Asiago cheese
bread. The item is priced at $6.29. (Company Website)
Franchise Activity |
Corner Bakery launched a franchise program with a deal for The Rose Group to build 25 new cafés in the Philadelphia and
southern New Jersey markets over the next seven years. The 89-unit chain is looking to compete more aggressively with
Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain. In addition, Corner Bakery is working on catering and menu development to attract more
breakfast and dinner business. (Nation’s Restaurant News Online 6/4/07)
Corner Bakery Café signed an agreement with Cutter Restaurant Group and Cornerstone Foods LLC to develop 22 units in
Colorado and Utah. (Food Institute Report 10/15/07)
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