SugarCreek: Brandworthy Food Solutions

Let’s take a moment for some honest reflection: Fast food faces a real challenge. Among Millennials, the industry suffers from an image problem. Young consumers have more than a few ugly assumptions about fast food. To put it simply, fast food isn’t really “in” with younger generations of American eaters.

A lot of Millennials, upon hearing the words “fast food,” will automatically jump to “burgers-and-fries.” They associate fast food with high-fat, high-calorie, uninspired meals. And to top things off, in many cases, fast food consumption brings with it the risk of being judged poorly by peers.

From creative ways to showcase spam to fairy bread and sriracha sauce, food trends come and go; embracing the wrong trends can cost you.  Following trends can help you capitalize on popularity and offer items that are likely to be accepted by your target demographic — provided you choose trends that have some staying power.

Choose the wrong trend to follow and you could miss out in a variety of ways.

It may be an inconvenient truth for fast food chains, but no matter how appealing breakfast offerings may be, if they don't spell convenience to the customer, the resulting market share will be disappointing. In fact, this is one reason some chains are still resisting the move to add breakfast items to the menu.

If the food isn't portable enough, or if the location isn't well-suited to a "grab and go" clientele, the food is apt to languish on the shelf rather than being grabbed by the hungry crowd. And that adds little to the bottom line of any quick service restaurant.

It’s no secret that breakfast has been one of the fastest growing offerings in the QSR and convenience store industries; some segments are only seeing increases when it comes to breakfast sales and morning offerings. What’s driving this trend? Snackification, the appeal of a diverse menu of healthy, protein-rich offerings and an emphasis on convenience, as detailed below.

Long heralded as the most important meal of the day for individuals, breakfast plays an increasingly important role for the QSR industry, too. Daily breakfast is the only area where most QSRs have seen growth, and increased consumer demand equals great opportunities. Those opportunities come with an added dose of competition, as QSRs and chains compete to grab a share of this coveted market. How can a QSR survive the breakfast wars — or better yet, thrive in the AM? These tips will help you make the most of the growing consumer need for a quick, nutritious breakfast on the go.

It's 8am — or maybe even earlier. Your customers may be awake by the strictest definition of the word, but most of the time your drive-thru or counter service items are the real kick-start to their morning. With grogginess comes habit, and with habit comes a rare opportunity to forge a brand loyalty bond, one breakfast item at a time.

That's why QSR breakfast items have made some seriously impressive headway in the industry during the last year alone. Heavy hitters are making big changes: McDonald's has finally relented on their "after 10am" breakfast moratorium, and surprising early-morning contributions are popping up from the lunch-and-later players like Taco Bell. With competition old and new eyeing up your morning crowd and QSR industry challenges as prevalent as ever, what's the best way to remain competitive during breakfast hours?

There are three methods that are easy to implement, but offer an outsized positive impact.

No matter how — or when — you eat breakfast, chances are it is no longer a sit-down meal prepared at home. At least, not all the time. Grab-and-go breakfasts are increasingly popular with busy Millennials headed to the office in the morning. However, they are also gaining favor as snack foods with young moms on the way home after running a carpool, with anyone who needs a comforting midday pick-me-up and with professionals who need a bit of protein on the way to a late afternoon appointment.

Predicting consumer trends in food, particularly at the drive-through window, has always been a task perhaps better suited to a soothsayer than a nutritionist or a corporate analyst. That's no reason to negate or discount the findings of studies that track consumer preferences, however, or to ignore hot new trends. While breakfast bacon and egg sandwiches served on glazed doughnuts haven’t become mainstream favorites and a breakfast oat and bacon combo spiced with turmeric sounds delicious to almost nobody, there are numerous new foodie options that capitalize on trends and appeal to taste preferences at the same time. With planning, they can be rolled out on menus and be a healthy source of revenue as well.

The right QSR breakfast does two things: It gets high quality, nutritious food into the hands of customers, and it does so in a hurry. Customers are actively seeking out breakfast options on the go, to the chagrin of cereal manufacturers. QSR locations have a clear opportunity to provide healthy food in a hurry for the 48% of consumers who seek out drive thru dining options each morning.

What drives fast food breakfast traffic — and which components matter most? Your menu and the convenience you are offering your customer play a key role in your success. Offering great tasting, quality food with a side of coffee ensures that your customers actively seek out and enjoy your offerings. Setting up systems that allow customers to quickly acquire easy-to-carry menu items without getting stuck in a long line or having to wait ensures that you are truly giving them a convenient option for breakfast each day.

The definition of "good" food has historically revolved around a single consideration: taste. As long as your food had the right flavors in the right proportions, facets of the fast food dining experience like the ambience or menu pricing were somewhat flexible. But the internet has been changing the face of the fast food industry for years now, most notably in marketing, so the fact that it's shaking the very bedrock of what "good" food means should come as no surprise.

While digital outreach and engagement has undoubtedly helped with cementing QSR brand identity and marketing, it's also given procurement professionals unprecedented insights into the wants and habits of their consumers. The signs are loud and clear: sustainability reigns supreme.