8/26/03

Eateries cash in by going low-carb

By RENUKA RAYASAM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

link to article

In the quest for a slimmed-down America, it's not only diet pill manufacturers and gyms that are cashing in. Restaurants, which might seem the dieter's enemy, are catering to the latest fads to boost their sales.

The recent surge in popularity of diets pushing low-carbohydrate foods has inspired restaurants to tinker with their menus. About 25.4 million people are on or have tried the Atkins diet, which advocates a diet high in protein and low in carbs, according to Natural Marketing Institute.

"People on the low-carb diets, it's like frosting on the cake" for restaurant sales, said Harold Shumacher, president of the Atlanta-based Shumacher Group, which finds real estate for restaurants. He also is a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution restaurant critic.

It's easy for restaurants to cater to low-carb diets. "If you're in a sandwich shop, just give the customer more meat, or one slice of bread instead of two," said Shumacher.

Americans ate more than 54 billion meals outside of their homes last year, spending $426.1 billion, according the National Restaurant Association. Georgians accounted for about $10 billion of those sales.

Atlanta restaurants are trying to grab a chunk of sales, making money off dieters who have no time to cook.

In Midtown, Balance serves up a do-it-yourself menu, allowing those on specialized diets to assemble meals that fit their needs. At Bluepointe in Buckhead, diners can get the "six-pack-stomach" special for lunch, featuring a different dish each day that's low in fat and carbohydrates. It has even added no-rice sushi rolls to its menu.

Houston's in Buckhead has been getting more special requests from those who don't want buns on their hamburger. "We do our best not to say no" about special requests said Manager Eric Altfest.

Companies that dieters should normally stay away from are getting into the act, too. Don Pablo's, a Mexican chain with an Atlanta branch, has been testing low-carb fajitas in Cincinnati. Instead of wrapping meat in flour tortillas, the fajitas are wrapped in lettuce. Fajitas also use low-carb vegetables such as mushrooms and squash.

"It's a way to broaden our appeal," said Greg Graber, vice president of communications at Don Pablo's.

The low-carb fajitas will be available nationwide in October. Don Pablo's is also working on a low-carb Margarita -- Michelob and other companies already brew low-carb beer.

Restaurants have been altering menus to suit popular diets for years, said Jenny Anderson, executive editor of the Technomic Information Services, a food consulting group.

When a growing number of patrons cut meat out of their diets, restaurants were quick to offer more vegetarian options. Low-fat options, too, became easier to find.

Such menus give existing customers another reason to keep eating at the same place, said Shumacher. "It makes it easy for people to follow the diet they're interested in."

That's the case for the Bluepointe lunch special. "It's got some of our regulars eating different things," said Stevenson Rosslow, assistant general manager at Bluepointe.

Plus the extra low carb choices help with the veto vote, the one person in a group who refuses to eat at a restaurant because it does not have options that cater to his or her diet, Anderson said.

Balance has reaped the benefits of offering a wide range of dietary options. The restaurant, which opened in May, had about 300 customers a day for dinner for the first two months.

Following low-carb diets could lighten patrons' wallets. The six-pack-lunch special is the on the upper range of Bluepointe's lunch menu, costing $14. Entrees at Balance range from $13 to $20.

"Usually protein is going to be the most expensive food cost," said Shumacher.