Lane Cardwell

Flatbread for a Round Earth

It has been common knowledge for at least 2,000 years that the Earth is round. Flatbread is older than a round Earth. What is flatbread? Well, I don't want to seem like a wise-guy, but it is any bread that is flat. Flatbread is one of the world's oldest, most prevalent forms of bread. Flatbread comes in many thicknesses and textures, but what they all have in common is...that's right: flatness.

Armenian cracker bread, Jamaican yucca cake, Iranian barbari bread, Indian roti and naan, Mexican corn and flour tortilla, Italian focaccia, Spanish gordita, Native American fry bread, Ethiopian injera, and Middle Eastern pita are some examples from around the world. In fact, almost every country or region has a version of a flatbread.


   

The restaurant industry has been capitalizing on flatbread for a long time, but it seems to be heating up in popularity in recent years. Last year Arby's promoted flatbread sandwiches, in addition to their lineup of wraps. Quizno's salads each come with flatbread. Dunkin' Donuts has a line of flatbread sandwiches. But the real appeal of flatbread can be found in one of our country's most popular products: pizza.

Flatbread pizza got a strong start in the Northeast as an upscale alternative to regular pizza. The cracker-like crust was the foundation for an array of healthier toppings. The flatbread pizza was usually wood-fired. One of the early practitioners was American Flatbread in Waitsfield, VT. They have expanded into a few other Vermont locations and one in Virginia. Their pizzas are topped with natural, mostly organic ingredients from local farms.

Their operation was the inspiration for another growing chain in the Northeast, Flatbread Company. They have locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and on the Hana Highway in Maui. On the other side of the country is the Flatbread Community Oven in Oregon and Idaho. They also wood-fire their pizzas. The 26 unit Granite City Food & Brewery, based in Minneapolis, features a category of flatbread pizzas on their menu.

The largest restaurant chain to capitalize on the popularity of flatbread is Sandella's Flatbread. This 125 unit chain was founded in 1994 in Connecticut, in the heartland of the early flatbread pizza pioneers. Sandella's has taken flatbread further than any other restaurant that I am aware of. It is the foundation for their extensive menu of wraps, grilled flatbreads (pizza), paninis, quesadillas, salads, and rice bowls. Each of the these menu categories uses their brick oven flatbread.

Sandella's is a fast casual concept with an active franchising program. They have a pipeline of 350 additional units in development over the next few years. In addition to the more traditional locations, their concept has been popular in many schools and universities because of the taste profile and health aspects of the menu.

Flatbread. It has been with us for a long time. It seems to just be hitting its stride with the public. Be looking for advertisements that feature Aristotle plugging his favorite flatbread restaurant.

Posted by Lane Cardwell on September 28, 2008 | Comments (2)