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Limited-time offers that embrace food trends prove a hit in restaurant chains
Be it Ghost Pepper Whopper or the classic McRib, short-lived menus and sandwiches are a favourite among customers, and therefore the businesses
Over the next two years, limited edition menu items and sandwiches will put plant-based alternatives in the spotlight.
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In the US Burger King has a special limited time burger called the Ghost Pepper Whopper for the Halloween month of October, while hot on the heels of its Happy Meal offering for adults, McDonald's has plans to bring back its classic McRib for a limited time, of course. Meanwhile KFC looks to the ultimate in comfort food with Mac and Cheese bowls. Limited time offers are part of the DNA of the fast food industry, but also of fast casual restaurant chains such as Shake Shack, which added a Buffalo Chicken Burger to its menu earlier this year. These types of products are real growth drivers for this restaurant sector.
The number of these types of limited time offers increased by 31% on chain menus in the United States, according to analysis from the consulting firm Technomic, presented at a conference at the University of South Bend in Indiana and reported on by Food Service Director. These offers of products available only during a given time frame were particularly popular in 2021 during the pandemic. But they may have become even more popular this year, according to the analysts' projections.
Over the next two years, limited edition menu items and sandwiches will put plant-based alternatives -- whether for cheese, pork, beef, milk or poultry -- in the spotlight. On a completely different culinary note, fans of these ephemeral offerings will also have a chance to pique their taste buds with hot and spicy recipes featuring chili pepper flavors. According to the experts at Technomic, the recipes will also be flavored by various condiments based on garlic, lemongrass, ginger or tapenade.
As a marketing technique, these limited time offers make it possible to attract new customers, or ones who don't visit regularly, with new flavors or products they may be nostalgic about. At the same time, they help maintain the privileged relationship that the chains have with their fans.
Of course not all recipes are equally successful. Depending on the ingredients chosen, the items can spark a buying frenzy or generate little more than lukewarm interest. According to Technomic, apple desserts have particular appeal. From pies to cobblers with various twists, these items represent an ultimate comfort food among consumers.
Other successful ingredients include bacon and seafood. Some consumer demographics enjoy certain offerings more than others: men, for example, are fans of steak, bacon and meat, while younger Gen Z customers are drawn to Tex-Mex cuisine and carb-loaded items.
