Because the food industry is constantly evolving, and tastes change so quickly, it’s inevitable that even the most respectable, wealthy, and well-staffed companies make some bad choices. Even taking focus group input, and developing recipes based on feedback that should normally be foolproof, sometimes--occasionally for reasons that aren’t clear--a seemingly great idea can go wrong. Of course, with the right restaurant supplies, it’s easy to make a rebound, but it always stings to find that something that you’ve worked hard to create just hadn’t come across the way that you want it to. The remedy to that pain is to remember some of the ideas that just haven’t gotten success--from some giants who went on to dust themselves off, and shift gears to a new success.
Colored ketchup
In theory, the concept of appealing to kids by providing them a chance to decorate their food with a condiment that many already love--ketchup--was a sound one. Colored ketchup, in green and purple and other colors, seemed to be a brilliant marketing and packaging plan when Heinz developed it in the early 2000s. However, Heinz didn’t consider the way that people depend upon their foods to look less like a Jackson Pollock painting and more like food; while the green ketchup saw early success as a novelty item, follow-up colors didn’t exactly meet the same interest. The product became an example of an idea that seems good until it’s actually executed--and, of course, of the problem with products that are marketed only solely to young children, without considering their parents’ possible views. Of course, the loss that this product caused to Heinz wasn’t exactly a huge issue for the company; after quietly discontinuing the color line, they have continued to be as successful as always with their standard offerings.
Vegetable Jello
If you look at cookbooks from the 1950s and 60s, it’s possible to have an inflated notion of how popular Jello for dinner was. There has long been a history of aspic dishes and entremet--savory dishes with vegetables and meat inside of gelatin. However, it became clear that in the 20th century, when people had access to meals served hot, and with discernible components, the popularity of savory gelatin had waned; but before that happened, Jello released its vegetable gelatin packets. The brand launched its hopes with four flavors: Italian, mixed vegetable, seasoned tomato, and celery. But while the prospect of molded, wiggling, fruit-flavored desserts has remained popular even beyond its peak in the 60s and 70s, vegetable-and-meat Jello just didn’t have the same appeal. To this day, Jello doesn’t like to draw attention to its failure; instead they focus on where their strength has always been: easy desserts.
Chantico drinking chocolate
Given the success of such seemingly strange concoctions like the unicorn frappuccino, it’s hard to believe that there have been items that Starbucks has put together and released that just didn’t make it; even their peppermint mocha and pumpkin spice latte are so popular that the company limits the availability of them to the fall and winter months--though technically one can get peppermint-flavored mocha in the cafe any time of year, just not with the jaunty decorative sprinkles. But when Starbucks launched Chantico, an innovative “drinking chocolate” beverage, in January 2005, it was not met with nearly the excitement that the brand expected. The thick, high-calorie drink required a special mix to make, and was served in special cups. While there are some die-hard Chantico fans who have continued to ask the company to bring it back, the drink barely lasted 11 months, and was quietly discontinued in favor of other chocolate drinks.
All of the companies mentioned of course went on to other successes after their flops, which is a good lesson to take from such cautionary tales overall. While not every menu item or idea that your business comes up with will meet with massive success, there is always room for a rebound and a comeback. With the right restaurant supplies to help, you can always come up with another new idea--and move beyond even the most embarrassing defeats.
