How We Built Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes

Interview Part II with Senior Development Chef Brian Murphy

Q: What was the process for creating Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes?
A: First we took our “blue-sky ideas” to the new products committee and from there we started to narrow down the product list. For the Stacked and Stuffed hotcakes we put 14 different types on the Internet and our marketing team asked for customers’ opinions through an online survey. With the help of 4,000 customers, we narrowed down the original 14 flavors to the five that we took into our test markets.

The first week of the test was focused on operations. We made sure that our grill cooks could produce it efficiently; kitchen prep could make it and follow the recipe easily and that it wouldn’t interrupt the servers’ work flow. We also looked at the food cost, food safety (how long we can keep the batter fresh/shelf life) and other technical issues that helped us make a better, fresher product. After that, we gathered the management team and employee feedback, corrected any recipe issues and then did a three-week consumer phase. In that phase, we surveyed our customers about what they liked, what they didn’t like, how frequently they dine with us, what they typically order, their age and their gender. All of the information we gathered not only helped us improve the product but also helped us build a customer profile (who will be ordering it).

Q: What improvements have been made since the test phase?
A: We worked on the food cost and the technical parts of the product so we can offer our customers a better tasting, fresher product at a lower cost.

Q: Who came up with the name for the hotcakes?
A: Mary, our senior vice president of marketing. She really thinks outside of the box and is willing to push the limits creatively. She’s a lot of fun to work with because she is so enthusiastic about the food.

Q: Why are the Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes a great fit for Bob Evans?
A: I truly believe we have the best hotcakes in the industry – they are definitely a signature dish, and the filling we use to “stuff” the hotcakes has been a great success for us. Our customers love it in our stuffed French toast and our crepes too.

Bob Evans is known for having a solid tradition in savory breakfasts and we want to expand our breakfast line for those with a sweet tooth who might want to indulge at breakfast or for breakfast at dinner.


Check back soon and send us your pictures of your own adventures with Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes! (Post them in your Flickr photo album with the tag "bobevans")

eBay auction update - we have a winner!

Congratulations, bidder #7 - the winner of the 3-day vacation and breakfast with company founder Mr. Bob Evans and CEO Steve Davis!

Less than 2 days left to bid on Breakfast with Mr. Bob Evans

Bid now!

Four Hotcakes of the Apocalypse

According to the NY Times, Bob Evans' entrance into the blogosphere may be a signal of the marketing apocalypse. Stuart, we definitely appreciate your humor - who would have thought that the company that started on a farm more than 50 years ago in southeastern Ohio would be joining the blogosphere?!? Saying that, step back and think about what a blog is - casual conversation enabled by open lines of honest communication and a responsive author - add a side of sausage gravy and some hotcakes and that definitely sounds like the type of conversation you'd have with one of our servers at the counter at Bob Evans. Think of our blog as an extension of that conversation - only you'll have to get your coffee to-go when you're headed to your computer .

We're very excited to open lines of communications with those who are passionate about our brand and our products. Join the conversation and tell about your Bob Evans stories (just about everyone we meet has one). Sit down, grab your cup of coffee and let's chat.

What's your favorite...

What's your favorite Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes flavor? (mine is the roasted apple caramel cream)

Click the comments link below this post to share your favorite Stacked and Stuffed flavor.

Interview #2 - Tips for Making Great Hotcakes

Part 2 of our Interview with Senior Development Chef Brian Murphy

Q: How long does it take to make the hotcakes?
A: Six to seven minutes

Q: How many hotcakes are there in one Stacked and Stuffed stack?
A: Two, and I guarantee you’ll be full when you’re done!

Q: How much does each stack usually weigh?
A: 23-26 oz. depending on the flavor.

Q: Do you have any tips for customers who make hotcakes at home?
A:

1. Use water 55 degrees or colder.
2. Don’t over-mix your batter. “Lumps are good.”
3. Don’t keep batter for longer than 24 hours.
4. Refrigerate batter in between use.
   
   All of these tips have to do with leavening. When you over-mix, add warm water or let the batter sit too long, you create heat in the batter that destroys the leavening and gives you a tough/chewy hotcake instead of a fluffy one. Also, when you flip your hotcake to cook the opposite side, don’t give it a “love tap.” That subconscious tap will “knock the love right out of it.”
   

Q: What completes the ultimate Stacked and Stuffed Hotcake?
A: Sausage links and coffee; don’t laugh! This is the gourmet coming out in me. The acidity of the coffee contrasts the sweetness and the savory taste and spice of the sausage is a nice complement for the sweet flavor too.

Pancake Video

Cool hotcake video.

If you want to see your Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes pictures or video on our blog, upload to Flickr or YouTube with the tag "bobevans."

5 days left for eBay auction!

If you haven't bid on the sweetest auction on eBay you still have 5 days left! Bid to win a 3-day vacation to have breakfast with company founder Bob Evans and CEO Steve Davis - 100% of the winning bid will go to our hometown affiliate of Habitat for Humanity!

Make your own Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes

Caramel Banana Pecan Pancakes






Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla pudding
2 cups cream cheese
Prepared pancake batter for two pancakes
2 tbsp. honey roasted pecans
1 banana sliced into 1/2" thick slices
Caramel sauce
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
Whipped topping

Directions:
For vanilla cream cheese mixture: combine vanilla pudding and room temperature cream cheese. Mix until well blended and creamy (no lumps). Refrigerate immediately. Covered vanilla cream cheese may be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Dispense batter for two hotcakes on a 350°F pan/griddle. Evenly distribute half of the pecans and four banana slices per hotcake immediately after dispensing batter on pan/griddle. Place four banana slices on the hotcake. Grill the hotcakes until they bubble and each hotcake is dry on edges. Flip hotcakes over. Grill until golden brown on both sides. Place first hotcake upside down on a plate. Using a tablespoon, place four spoons of vanilla cream cheese mixture on the upside down hotcake. Then place the second hotcake upside down on top of the vanilla cream cheese mixture. (Place the hotcake upside down so the bananas and pecans are visible.) Ladle caramel sauce on top of the hotcakes. Sprinkle hotcakes with powered sugar. Garnish with whipped topping.

Stacked and Stuffed Hotcakes Cooking Video - our own Ranae McName on Channel 12 in Cincinnati.

And if you just can't get them right, head over to Bob Evans - we'll make them for you!

Interview #1 with the Mastermind

You’ll be able to finally get that inside look at expert hotcake-making, the perks of being Brian Murphy and much more!

Q: What’s it like to be a senior development chef at Bob Evans?
A: We work hand-in-hand with marketing, pick a category on the menu to improve upon or further develop. Then, they turn us lose! It’s really blue sky development. Once we have the direction I go into the kitchen thinking I’m going to play with hotcakes today.

I really love what I do. It’s like being a mad scientist – I get to create new things and that’s a lot of fun. People always ask where I get my inspiration – a lot of it comes from personal experiences, my mom and grandma’s food, T.V., customer feedback (or blogger feedback!), periodicals, the internet, of course, and sometimes the radio.


Q: What is the BEST part about working at Bob Evans?
A: I get to eat all day long! But seriously, the interaction I have with the other departments. It’s a great time to be in the department; there is a lot of energy and we’re really trying to stay true to our core but make sure we stretch ourselves to keep up with the competitive market for younger customers.


Q: Personally, what is your favorite flavor of hotcakes?
A: Hands down – the caramel banana pecan cream!


Q: When you make hotcakes with your son, Patrick, what is his favorite way to help in the kitchen?
A: Patrick really like to crack the eggs, measure the dry ingredients and sift them – he loves to use the sifter!

Thanks Brian! Keep checking up for updates and tips from Brian. Hopefully by now you've had a chance to try our new hotcakes - if so, let us know what you think!

(Be sure to check out the eBay auction that started this morning - 10 days and counting to win a 3-day trip to have breakfast with company founder Bob Evans)