Usage of caviar and fish roe in restaurants has increased in recent years. That’s because, thanks to innovations in harvesting, fish roe is more easily accessible. Both the retail and wholesale prices of traditional caviar are still higher compared to salmon or capelin roe. However, there is a growing number of sturgeon aquafarms worldwide and caviar is no longer a product used primarily in Michelin-starred restaurants. Instead, a variety of businesses purchase caviar and other types of high-end fish roe. But what exactly is the role of caviar and roe in restaurants? We’ll attempt to answer this question in the following paragraphs. If you’re interested in the different aspects of this industry, check out our articles on what is caviar and what the differences are between roe vs caviar.
Key takeaway: The main application of caviar and roe in restaurants is when preparing appetizers or looking for ways to increase the value of a dish. Since caviar is associated with gourmet cuisine, restaurants can also use it as part of their marketing efforts or when organizing special events.
What Are Caviar and Roe Restaurants
There are very few roe or caviar-based restaurants worldwide. Sometimes the term “caviar restaurant” is used to describe a fine dining establishment that serves high-end dishes and frequently uses caviar as a centerpiece ingredient.
Some seafood restaurants can be considered to be roe restaurants if they frequently serve seafood delicacies combined with traditional caviar or other types of fish roe. These ingredients are commonly used in hors d'oeuvre appetizers. Another application of roe in restaurants is to be placed on top of pasta, risotto, or another type of dish. This will not only elevate the meal but will also have a significant impact on the overall taste as caviar and certain types of fish roe have a strong and concentrated flavor.
Caviar and Roe Restaurant Brands
If you’re looking for a food service establishment that specializes in these products, here are a few places you can visit.
- Caviar Russe. Located on the iconic Madison Avenue in NYC, this Michelin-starred restaurant gives clients the opportunity to try various types of traditional caviar and gourmet dishes. They also have another location in Miami and they sell caviar on their eCommerce website.
- Petrossian. With four locations in the US and another four in Europe, this hospitality group is among the most famous caviar and roe restaurant chains in the world. In addition to offering high-end service, they also sell different types of caviar and accessories.
- Nobu. With dozens of hotels and over 50 restaurants, Nobu is a major chain of fine dining establishments and high-end hotels. The brand is not strictly speaking a caviar and roe restaurant. However, many of their iconic dishes use caviar.
How to Use Caviar and Roe in Restaurants
Restaurant managers can benefit from the increased popularity of caviar and roe in various ways. Let's examine some of them.
- Caviar can be offered as a standalone dish. In fact, that’s the best way to eat caviar if you want to fully appreciate the flavor profile, texture, and characteristics of the product.
- A lot of business owners in the food service industry use caviar in order to experiment with dishes and create gastronomical delights.
- Naturally, one of the main applications of caviar and roe in restaurants is to use them in dishes such as pasta or risotto.
- Caviar and roe can be used to create seasonal seafood dishes and chef’s specials.
- Fish roe and caviar can be used to organize special events such as caviar tasting nights.
- As caviar is associated with luxury meals, it can be used as part of a restaurant’s marketing. It can be featured on social media posts to help the business improve its brand awareness and perception.
- Caviar can also be used to upsell customers on more expensive meals. Being a more luxurious and gourmet product than other types of roe, restaurants can offer dishes with more affordable salmon roe or more expensive traditional caviar.
Other Roe and Caviar Businesses and Opportunities
In addition to offering dishes with roe and caviar in restaurants, there are other ways food service establishments can benefit from these products.
- Offer catering services and appetizers with caviar and other types of fish roe;
- Partner with wholesale food distributors that offer not only caviar wholesale but also sell other types of luxurious food products;
- Combine caviar and other seafood dishes with tempting beverage options such as expensive wine or champagne;
- Work directly with aquafarms. Instead of purchasing caviar from specialty food distributors, large businesses in the restaurant industry have the opportunity to skip intermediaries and partner with aquafarms and manufacturers directly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Caviar and Roe in Restaurants
Whether you’re interested in reading a full-scale guide about catering businesses or you’re looking for caviar recipes to add to your menu, there are tons of useful resources on BlueCart’s website. Below we’ve answered some questions about the role of fish roe in restaurants.
How Do Restaurants Benefit from Caviar and Roe?
The popularity of roe, caviar, and other seafood goods creates a lot of opportunities for restaurant businesses. The food service sector can use the health benefits of eating seafood as part of their marketing efforts. Furthermore, as caviar is perceived as a luxury product, using it even in small quantities can significantly elevate a dish. This improves the customer experience and can attract high-paying clients. The scarcity of caviar allows restaurants to have higher profit margins on appetizers and main dishes that include this ingredient.
How Big Are the Roe and Caviar Markets?
Although caviar is a type of fish roe, sturgeon caviar and non-sturgeon fish roe are often perceived as separate niche markets in the specialty food sector. That’s because traditional caviar is much more expensive and scarce. According to estimates, the size of the global caviar market is around 330 million USD. This means it’s a fairly small market compared to other sectors of the seafood industry. The global size of the overall fish roe market is roughly 5 billion dollars. It includes the most consumed types of roe such as salmon, flying fish, trout, and capelin roe.
What Are the Trends in the Roe and Caviar Sector?
The usage of caviar and roe in restaurants is likely to increase in recent years. That’s because of trends such as the foodie culture and innovative harvesting techniques such as non-lethal harvesting. Furthermore, goods such as caviar will always be perceived as luxury products that can significantly increase the value of a dish. Thus, the usage of caviar and roe in a restaurant, even if it’s in small quantities, can lead to great restaurant marketing opportunities and improved customer satisfaction. The health benefits of fish roe are also among the main trends in this sector and a reason for the increased usage of roe in restaurants.
BlueCart: The Right Wholesale Ordering Software for Any Restaurant
Distributors that specialize in B2B sales of food products can benefit from BlueCart’s solutions in various ways. They can help suppliers increase wholesale sales and automate various business processes. Restaurants also have various reasons to use BlueCart’s marketplace. It allows them to find the best prices for high-demand products and to find suppliers in different categories. Schedule your demo today and see why BlueCart is among the leaders in wholesale ordering solutions.