Whether it is the sales jolt cited by Dunkin' Brands from its new breakfast sandwich, enthusiasm for grilled cheese demonstrated by entrepreneurs rolling out The Melt chain or the continuing amazing success of Subway and Panera, the consumer has not turned away from bread.
To the contrary, these stories and others are nothing short of thrilling. The challenge for bakers, and it is a real challenge, is finding ways to compete with increasingly appealing food service choices in order to reignite consumer enthusiasm for what is offered on supermarket shelves. It is difficult to imagine a pathway to industry prosperity through food service alone.