Protein trends are driving menu changes
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The BPM smoothie. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
Protein mania is on the menu in Kansas City, with national chains bulking up their menus alongside your neighborhood coffee shops.
Why it matters: Protein is now shorthand for "better-for-you" eating, and companies of all sizes are capitalizing on that by marketing options for health-conscious consumers who are dining out less and looking for value.
Driving the news: Protein-heavy additions hitting food chains in the metro this week include:
- Smoothie King debuts a 100-gram Protein Pack designed to help customers meet their full-day protein target in one stop.
- Dunkin' adds Protein Refresher drinks and a Protein Milk coffee add-in.
- Subway rolls out Protein Pockets Thursday.
The big picture: This wave of launches reflects how protein has already moved from niche to normal — both across the country and here in KC.
Zoom in: ProteinHouse, an LA-based health food restaurant, has been a Kansas City staple for nearly a decade. The "healthy fit kitchen" opened in Power & Light in 2016 and added an Overland Park location in 2020.
- Grand Coffee Company has been slowly transitioning to a health-focused menu. Its protein drinks and add-ins fuel collaborations with local fitness instructors and an 8:30am Saturday run club.
- Pitchside Coffee is planning a performance menu (the owners being soccer players and all), but there's no word on when it will drop.
Travis' thought bubble: I built my own bowl at Protein House ($13) and followed it with Grand Coffee's new BPM smoothie ($13). Not only did both items taste great and make my body feel good — I now look like Arnold Schwarzenegger (not).
Zoom out: Starbucks added protein lattes and protein cold foam last fall, pushing protein into everyday coffee orders.
- Chipotle rolled out its first-ever High Protein Menu in December, explicitly tying items to the rise of GLP-1 drugs and calling out certain bowls, salads and snacks as "GLP-1 friendly."
The bottom line: Expect to see more protein grams listed next to calorie counts.