Commission Shares Innovative Menu Ideas with NORMS Restaurants

When NORMS restaurant, a California-based 22-unit chain, requested California avocado-centric menu ideas for its spring 2023 menu the California Avocado Commission obliged with an in-person ideation session at a working NORMS restaurant. As a result, NORMS will move forward with five new California avocado recipes on its spring 2023 promotional menu.

In advance of the session, Chef Jason Hernandez of the Commission’s foodservice team prepped eight menu concepts for on-site presentation. Each of the easy-to-execute concepts was designed to fit the NORMS menu profile and price point, while inspiring the chain culinary research and development decision makers to expand their usage of California avocados on limited-time and permanent menu items. Chef Hernandez presented the concepts in a NORMS restaurant using existing ingredients and adding a few new ingredients. Further, he took advantage of under-utilized kitchen equipment to simulate real-world conditions. While preparing the California style menu concepts, Chef Hernandez and CAC staff spoke about the value California avocados bring to the menu and answered questions from the group, which included David Cox, Corporate Executive Chef/Director of Purchasing; Ingrid Martinez, Vice President of Marketing; Nate Bertke, Corporate Marketing Manager; and Mike Colonna, Corporate Executive Officer.