Article

Extended hours grow more common

But late-night service may pack on pounds, expose workers to risk.

December 19, 2007

In the old days, people who worked or partied late into the night had few options for satisfying their appetites quickly and cheaply. They could raid the fridge when they got home, or stop by a 24-hour burger joint for some Sliders, if they happened to live in a part of the country served by White Castle.

 

Now, with Americans working and partying later than ever, QSRs are responding to the midnight munchies with extended hours, and in some cases throwing away the "closed" sign altogether.

 

Taco Bell, Wendy's and Burger King all have extended hours, and many McDonald's locations are open around-the-clock.

 

Taco Bell began its late-night program, marketed as "Fourthmeal," in the spring of 2006, but had been extending hours as necessary for years before that, said Will Bortz, spokesman for the Irvine, Calif.-based chain. Fourthmeal typically is considered the period between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m., although some stores are open later than others.

 

And despite the name, Bortz concedes, he doesn't expect every customer to add one more to the traditional three square meals a day.

 

"Some people may not have a breakfast, or not have a lunch or have dinner at a nontraditional hour, toward 9 p.m. instead of a traditional 6 p.m. or 5 p.m," he said.

 

Fourthmeal targets 18- to 34-year olds, and has a broad application to different people, Bortz said, including students, soccer moms and workers — but especially young people who are looking to "extend the night."

 

"So, if you are out later, you're coming from a concert or you're out with friends, we see it really as a big destination for our (demographic)."

 

While Taco Bell doesn't give specific sales numbers for Fourthmeal, Bortz described the period as robust.

 

The hours between 9 p.m. and midnight account for 7 percent of all QSR sales, said Harry Balzer, vice president of research firm The NPD Group, and have remained steady for the last three years.

 

He said 45 percent of late-night customers described their purchases as supper. Fifty-one percent called it a snack, and 4 percent said another meal, such as a lunch break.

 

Teens and young adults — ages 13 to 24 — are the most likely to dine at QSRs late at night. In fact, Balzer said, they are more than 50 percent more likely to visit during that period than any other time of day.

 

The top foods ordered between 9 p.m. and midnight are carbonated soft drinks, burgers and fries, according to data from The NPD Group. This is not surprising, Balzer said, since those are the top foods ordered all the time. Other likely items include ice cream, tacos, fried chicken sandwiches and pizza.

 

Taco Bell's full menu is available for Fourthmeal, but Bortz said customers gravitate toward spicy, melty or grilled items, such as a Grilled Stuft Burrito with spicy chicken. They also tend to customize more and order more adventurously.

 

The health factor

 

Late-night meals can have an impact on a person's health, said Dr. Michelle May, a physician and author of "Am I Hungry?"

 

"Eating too close to bedtime can interfere with restful sleep, particularly large, rich or spicy meals," she said, noting that one of the most common nighttime complaints related to eating is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or heartburn. "Food and acids in the stomach reflux up into the esophagus when lying down, leading to heartburn. Over the long run, the exposure to stomach acids can damage the more fragile esophageal tissues, even leading to cancer."

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Though many diets recommend not eating after 6 or 7 p.m., May said the reasoning behind that is many people who struggle with their weight overeat in the evening. Instead of eating because of hunger, many late-night snackers do so because of other triggers: boredom, television or loneliness.

 

Metabolism doesn't shut off at night, May said, but people tend to be less active.

 

"They require fewer calories, so they have plenty of fuel to keep them alive when they sleep," she said. "If they feed themselves a booster dose of calories they don't really need right before bedtime, the extra fuel is stored instead of burned."

 

Occasionally eating a late-night fast-food meal won't do any harm, May said. "Consequences occur when people habitually eat too much."

 

Safety in numbers

 

By staying open later, QSRs may be opening themselves up to greater possibilities of crime.

 

According to data from the U.S. Department of Justice, the nighttime hours have their fair share of crime in general. The hours between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. accounted for 44.6 percent of violent crimes and 30.5 percent of property crimes in 2005.

 

And homicides at limited-service restaurants have been on the rise since 2004, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number increased 14.3 percent from 21 in 2004 to 24 in 2005, and the trend continued between 2005 and 2006, jumping 16.7 percent to 28 homicides.

 

Customer and employee safety is paramount for Taco Bell, Bortz said. Specifically, the chain has conducted employee training to teach extra caution at closing times, to be aware when making changes in cash registers and to pair up and work as a team to ensure safety.

 

"We want to make sure when we're looking at being open later that we're making it a safe environment for everybody," he said.