According to USA Today, The Cheesecake Factory, a nationwide restaurant chain, is starting to slim down their oversized cocktails by replacing sugar with Splenda and natural sweeteners, cutting the amount of calories in their cocktails by about half.
The dining chain will debut their “skinny” line of the five most popular cocktails on their menu later this month. Margaritas and mojitos that are usually 300 calories will now be about 150 calories.
“We think it could create a whole new beverage category,” said Mark Mears, Cheesecake’s marketing chief.
The idea of being diet-conscious when it comes to cocktails has been an on-going trend over the past year, with smaller regional chains adding skinny cocktails to their beverage menus. However, Cheesecake Factory is one of the first national chains to be a part of the trend.
“Consumers are trying to balance indulgence with healthier lifestyles,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic, a restaurant research specialist. “It’s very ironic that a chain that found its success through cheesecake is offering lower-calorie beverages.”
