According to an article in today’s Advertising Age, Starbuck’s new oatmeal is “shaping up as the company’s most successful food launch of all time… despite unseasonably warm weather in many markets” since the time of the product’s introduction.

AdAge may call this “a bit of a stunner” but we’re not surprised. We have seen time and again that consumers are eager to choose whole grains, if restaurants simply make delicious options available. We saw this at PF Chang’s China Bistro, where white and brown rice are offered equally, and customers split their orders pretty darn close to 50/50 between the two.

We’ll say it again. Taste rules, and if customers can get taste AND health, without compromising either, they’re very happy to do so. Who wouldn’t want it all? Any restaurant that says, “Oh, my customers don’t like whole grains” is really admitting that their chefs or product development team is not up to the task of creating delicious whole grains.

Yes, it’s a bit more challenging than creating refined-grain products. But if a restaurant can’t do it, don’t blame the whole grains – just get new chefs! (Or, if you’re a consumer, pick another restaurant.) Savvy chefs, these days, know how to make whole grains really sing. (Cindy – October 13, 2008)