DINERS TAP THEIR INNER CHILD AS RESTAURANTS DIVE INTO DIPPING CONTINUED...
COVER STORY
A lot of thought went into Panera’s two Ciabatta Dippers to make sure the flavors in the sandwiches and soups perfectly complemented one another, Shambura added. The French Dipper features marinated steak, provolone and asiago, and a garlic aioli drizzle on ciabatta bread; it’s paired with Bistro French Onion Soup. “We found that the flavors in the Bistro French Onion Soup did a great job enhancing the flavors of the steak sandwich and almost acts as an au jus, creating a delicious combination that is familiar to our guests but has our own Panera interpretation to it,” he said. The Spicy Chicken Dipper combines grilled chicken, creamy salsa verde spread and provolone on ciabatta and pairs nicely with Creamy Tomato Soup. The soup balances out the spice in the sandwich, creating an appealing flavor experience, said Shambura. Prices for the Spicy Chicken Dipper and French Dipper paired with a dipping portion of soup run about $10.19-$12.99. Like Panera, it was customers
with different dips and share,” said Goldberg. “Dipping creates community.” PopUp Bagels also does breakfast “cocktail parties” where guests are served half bagels standing up in a cup of schmear. No utensils needed. There are now nine locations of Westport, Connecticut-based PopUp Bagels, with six more in development. And while some have stand-up tables or benches, none will slice your bagel and spread on the cream cheese. A CHANCE TO INDULGE Dips as shareable appetizers have long been popular in casual dining. Think queso, guacamole, wings and mozzarella sticks. But Chili’s Triple Dipper has soared above the rest, after the menu item went viral on TikTok with over 200 million views. The Triple Dipper gives customers the chance to mix and match three appetizers and three dips, including wings, sliders and Southwestern egg rolls. At the same time the Triple Dipper was catching
who sparked the idea for PopUp Bagels to join the dipping craze, said founder and chief brand officer Adam Goldberg. When the first location opened as a drive-thru in March, 2021, it had no seating. “People were picking up hot bagels by the dozen with schmears [containers of cream cheese, butter, etc.] and placing the containers in the car’s cup holder,” he said. “Before they headed home, they were ripping off pieces of bagel and dipping them in the schmear.” That prompted Goldberg to trademark the phrase “grip, rip and dip” and start selling bagels three to an order with a cup of schmear, now priced at $13. There are two permanent schmears— scallion cream cheese and plain cream cheese—and two rotating specials, currently salted butter and black truffle cream cheese. A sweet chocolate chip cannoli cream cheese is up next. Customers buy hot-from-the-oven bagels in groups of three, six or 12 with cups of schmear. “People may buy a dozen bagels
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RESTAURANT BUSINESS JANUARY 2025
PHOTO COURTESY: POPUP BAGELS
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