As Americans’ culinary spirits get more adventurous, demand for flatbreads, wraps and other alternatives to traditional breads continues to climb. And a host of new products shows that producers and their retailer partners are committed to diversifying the category.

New from Grecian Delight this year are two Opaa! branded products: Mediterranean Chicken Kit & Individually Wrapped Sandwich.

The Opaa! Brand Mediterranean Chicken Kit serves four and includes pita, chicken and tzatziki sauce, said Mike Sargent, senior brand manager for Grecian Delight.

The chicken is pre-cooked. Just heat and serve for a quick family meal in minutes.

The new Mediterranean Chicken Sandwich is an “extra hearty” single-serve sandwich, Sargent said. With 23 grams per serving, it’s an excellent source of protein, he added.

Providing meal solutions comes naturally to Grecian Delight. At the IDDBA show in June, the company spotlighted its retail meal kit options for retailers. Grecian Delight typically supplies the different foods in bulk, which retailers can then transform into whatever meal solutions they like.

“As a leading provider of authentic Greek and Mediterranean Foods, including gyros, specialty meats, pitas, flatbreads, tzatziki, hummus, spreads, falafel, ready-to-eat proteins, plant-based proteins, and value-added bakery products, we’re uniquely position to provide all, if not a majority of the components within several prepared foods options that include Gyro Meat by the pound, Gyro Sandwiches, Pizzas, Salads, snack kits and so much more,” Sargent said.

Grecian Delight’s regular flatbread and wrap lineup, meanwhile, includes 6-inch Kronos Original and Multigrain Pitas in a 5-pack resealable bag.

And in addition to pitas, the company sells other flatbreads including Naan, Lavash, Panini Flatbread, Pitawrap, Pizza Crusts and Bistro Flatbread.

Demand for the company’s products, Sargent said, is strong.

“Consumers’ tastes are evolving. People have a strong desire to try new things and to try new things more frequently.”

Younger Americans in particular, who are “craving new food adventures that are global in nature,” are driving consumption, he added.

“Gen Z & Millennials are eating global foods more often than previous generations and doing so on a weekly basis,” Sargent said, citing Datassential HotShot Report statistics.

Mediterranean represents a $33.4-billion-dollar category in restaurants with continued projected growth of over 2.5% per year through 2029.

“Pita-related items like Gyros and Chicken Gyros continue to expand menu penetration within restaurants of all shapes and sizes, and we have the options to get that restaurant quality food at home from their local grocer,” Sargent said. “As consumers look to expand their options beyond traditional loaf bread formats to more worldly breads like Pita, Naan, and other flatbreads, projected growth continues to look strong for many years to come.”

Working with some of the largest foodservice distributors and purveyors in the country keeps Grecian Delights’ finger on the pulse on what’s happening in foodservice, which the company can then translate into products for grocery, Sargent said.

This article is an excerpt from the August 2024 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Flatbreads feature and more in the digital edition here.