Each Friday, we select the week’s most exciting foodservice headlines. These stories can be new trends, survey findings, product launches, or company partnerships. The one thing they all have in common is they have the potential to reshape the foodservice industry as we know it today.
Here are a few headlines that caught our attention this week (Dec 30-Jan 3):
Copyright: QSR Magazine
Dickey’s Barbecue Partners with Texas Pete – Dickey’s Barbecue, one of the fastest growing chains in America, entered into a partnership with Texas Pete Hot Sauce. The two brands will team up to create new menu items to launch later this year. Texas Pete, which is known for its full line of hot sauces, was originally known for making barbecue sauce.
“We’re excited about our partnership with Texas Pete,” says Roland Dickey, Jr., president and CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants Inc. “We’ve developed exciting new menu items along with the Texas Pete culinary team that bring together the best of our slow-smoked barbecue along with their bold, fiery flavor.”
To read the full story, click here.
Our Thoughts: Co-branding is a great way for a brand to introduce products to loyalist of another brand. Most recently, we saw this when Taco Bell and Doritos partnered to create the popular Doritos Locos Tacos.
Copyright: Businesswire.com
Burger King Launches KING DEALS® Value Menu – Burger King, the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world, introduced its new KING DEALS® Value Menu of more than 20 items. The KING DEALS® will offer a variety of choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with prices starting at $1.
“We’re launching the new KING DEALS® Value Menu including classics and new favorites like the Rodeo Sandwiches all starting at just $1,” said Eric Hirschhorn, Chief Marketing Officer, North America. “We’ve seen an incredible response from our guests with our $1 menu items and we want to continue creating great tasting products that don’t sacrifice on taste.”
To read the full story, click here.
Our Thoughts: Burger King has undertaken a series of initiatives such as new product launches (Big King, Satisfries) and re-imaging to improve their brand recognition. This modification to their value meal is just another action in the company’s brand-building efforts.
Copyright: QSR Magazine
McDonald’s and White Castle Testing Ordering Kiosks – Traditional quick-service burger chains, McDonald’s and White Castle, are considering giving customers the ability to customize their orders by using kiosks. Last month, White Castle began testing touch-screen ordering kiosks at a renovated restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. McDonald’s also tested a similar system at a location in Laguna Niguel, California.
“Younger customers are starting to expect more from brands, and kiosks are already popular in Europe and other countries. It also creates better efficiency between the customer and the back of the house, and reduces order errors,” says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic.
Neither McDonald’s nor White Castle executives are saying whether or not they plan on adding ordering kiosks to additional locations.
To read the full story, click here.
Our Thoughts: We’ve seen a number of restaurants test kiosks and tablets in their restaurants. Late last year, Applebee’s announced its plans to install tablets in more than 1,800 of its restaurants. Whether for customization or convenience, we expect to see touch-screen ordering continue to trend in restaurants.
We hope you enjoyed these stories and don’t forget to check back to get a roundup of the week’s biggest restaurant and foodservice news! We love to hear from our readers, so please share your thoughts, views, and opinions in the comment section below.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
CHD Expert 