Restaurant to Retail

Following a successful pilot in Ohio and Tennessee last fall, 12oz bottles of Chick-fil-A's most popular salad dressings rolled out in May to participating groceries and Walmart stores nationwide. Those four varieties include Avocado Lime Ranch (the restaurant’s most popular flavor), Garden Herb Ranch, Creamy Salsa, and a Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Chick-fil-A salad dressings are merchandised in the refrigerated section of participating retail locations.  

"Our dressings bring versatile flavors to the table making them perfect for marinating chicken, drizzling on tacos or whipping up a pasta salad," said Chick-fil-A Chef Christy Cook. "We love seeing the culinary creations our customers already make with their favorite Chick-fil-A dressings, like Creamy Salsa Waffle Fries. Now, we can't wait to see what they create with our Bottled Salad Dressings in their own kitchens."

Summertime Salads

Del Sol Food Company Inc., Brenham, Texas, celebrated “National Salad Month” in May four new BRIANNAS dressings. Joining the company’s line are a new Home Style Garlic Vinaigrette and an Avocado Oil Caesar. Two new Sugar Free varieties are a Rich Poppy Seed Dressing and a Blush Wine Vinaigrette.

BRIANNAS produces more than 25 flavors of premium salad dressing including Home Style, Organic, Avocado Oil and Sugar Free lines. Also new this May are BRIANNAS Seasoned Croutons, available in three bold flavors including Honey Mustard, Sweet Onion, and Parmesan and Fine Herbs.

Hot Sauce as Dressing

McIlhenny Company, Avery Island, La., introduced a limited-edition TABASCO Brand x TINX Avocado Jalapeño Hot Sauce Dressing on Amazon for $9.99 (12oz). Officials say the product’s name is derived from its hero ingredients as each bottle is 50% TABASCO Green Jalapeño Sauce that’s been blended with Tinx-approved ingredients like avocado, EVOO, and apple cider vinegar.

“Zesty and herby with just the right spice, the premium, limited-edition dressing marries the 154-year-old hot sauce maker’s pepper expertise with the style and palate of Tinx,” says McIlhenny. Christina Najjar, popularly known as Tinx, is a digital creator, podcast host and relationship and advice expert.

New Look, New Flavor

Last fall saw Panera Bread, St. Louis, introduce new grocery product packaging in conjunction with several new product introductions across is lines of refrigerated soups, macaroni & cheese, refrigerated dressings, artisan breads, sliced breads and bagels. Officials said a new Chipotle Ranch Dressing and Wildflower Honey Mustard Dressing debuted nationwide.

“Our mission for Panera’s CPG business is to make craveable Panera products easily accessible wherever consumers shop for groceries,” said Zach Soolman, Panera’s vice president and general manager of CPG.

Restaurant Flavors at Home

California Pizza Kitchen, Costa Mesa, Calif., partnered with Litehouse Inc., Sandpoint, Idaho, to develop and introduce five shelf-stable salad dressings, each with “the CPK spirit of creativity and freshness, along with the California-inspired twist that fans love.” Varieties include Thai (inspired by CPK’s popular Thai Crunch Salad), Caesar, Ranch, Italian and BBQ Ranch. CPK's salad dressings are available at grocery retailers nationwide with a SRP of $4.49.

"We are thrilled to partner with Litehouse on CPK's expansion into at home salad dressings," said Scott Hargrove, executive vice president and CMO at CPK. "We both recognized that the shelf-stable dressings category had become a bit stodgy and were excited to inject some fun and CPK "California creativity" – reimagined flavors, fresh restaurant quality taste, and a confidence to do things differently. We can't wait to see the CPK brand come to life in the dressings retail experience."

Dill-iscous New Flavor

The Clorox Company, Oakland, Calif., noticed that consumers’ appetite for pickle-flavored products continues to grow rapidly and the number of pickle-related offerings grew 67% from 2019 to 2022, according to Circana (IRI) data. That’s why Clorox extended its Hidden Valley Ranch brand with a Pickle Flavored Hidden Valley Ranch, distributed exclusively through Walmart.

"The flavors of ranch and pickle pair extraordinarily well," said C.C. Ciafone, marketing director at Hidden Valley Ranch. "The tangy, dill-pickly flavor is the perfect complement to the creamy, savory flavor profile of Hidden Valley Ranch."

Hidden Valley Ranch Pickle Flavored Ranch is available in a 20oz, inverted, easy-squeeze bottle sold exclusively at Walmart locations nationwide for the suggested retail price of $4.88.