Fast Food Embraces Novelty

From burger chains to pizzerias, quick service restaurants are turning to the unusual to draw in crowds.

August 16, 2016

MIAMI – The fast food industry has been in a bit of a slump lately, with sales continuing to slow or go down. “Things were going really well at the start of the year when all the economic indicators that would correlate to positive restaurant conditions were in a good place—gas prices were low, confidence was up, housing was settled—and then in April, the switch turned off even though the indicators were still in place,” said Darren Tristano, president of Technomic Inc.

That downturn has fast-food chains scrambling to come up with a gimmick to bring in more customers, hence the debut of beefy Frito burritos, chicken fries and chicken rings, hot dog-crusted pizza, grilled hot dogs, mac ‘n Cheetos and the Whopperrito, Fox Business News reports. “It’s about generating traffic,” Tristano said.

“People are buying food from other places—supermarkets, convenience stores; they’re eating at home more; and then there’s the presidential election, which could be a trigger point. It’s really the most tangible explanation anyone can point to—political uncertainty,” he said about the soft sales at fast food joints.

Quick service restaurants are offering discounts and crazy menu items in the hopes that more consumers will flock back. “Fast food chains are engaging customers by selling them an ‘experience,’ and this is an ‘experience’ that customers want to be part of, and share—pictures, posts, you name it,” said Dan Rene, senior vice president of LEVICK. “It doesn’t matter whether or not customers like the food or what it tastes like. If everyone’s talking about it and the hype results in more foot traffic for the fast food chain, it’s won.”

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement