The word “premium” has started popping up on menus: popping up twice as frequently as it did five years ago, according to a chart created by Mintel:
Burgerbusiness.com put the trend down to the economic downturn:
In an economy where consumers are looking for top value without necessarily paying more for it, “premium” connotes high quality or high price without committing to being either.
It’s a cheap ploy, but the new rather bland term manages to make former menu favourites like “deluxe” look tacky by comparison.