Article
Sugar and spice and everything breakfast: 2014 on the menu
Breakfast, beverage and retail categories accelerated this year, while operators embraced meaty offerings, despite record-high protein prices.
December 12, 2014 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com
For the second year in a row, QSR R&D kitchens were busy churning out deep pipelines and putting intriguing twists on the classics. Much of the innovation in 2014 was created for the coveted breakfast daypart, with Taco Bell's entry into the space creating significant competitive pressure.
The beverage and dessert categories also accelerated, driven by an increased demand for indulgence and underscoring a continued economic recovery for consumers.
Concepts also bucked the rising protein prices trend by introducing a host of new meaty creations, and spiced things up with an infusion of bold flavors making their debut in the proverbial mainstream.
Below are QSRweb's top menu trends of 2014.
Rise and shine
Taco Bell's entry into the morning daypart was one of the biggest QSR stories of the year. The company claims it has already achieved profitability with the menu, a rarity in year one. The brand brought unique offerings to early birds, such as the AM Crunchwrap and the Waffle Taco, but it wasn't the only QSR reaching out to morning commuters this year.
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's rolled out a double loaded omelet biscuit and monkey bread, while Honey Dew Donuts introduced the country breakfast burger. Dunkin' Donuts and Jack in the Box both launched their versions of the cronut (croissant donut), while Taco John's added Mexican donut bites.
Also on this year's radar: White Castle launched waffle sandwiches; Dunkin' Donuts released its version of eggs benedict as well as a chicken apple sausage breakfast sandwich; Burger King promoted its Seattle's Best Coffee platform; and Taco John's added Boyer's Coffee to strengthen its early daypart.
Chick-fil-A launched a breakfast test, including a chicken and waffle pairing, while Del Taco added tacos to its morning menu. Roy Rogers jumped into the game with all you can eat pancake weekends.
So popular is the breakfast daypart, Bojangles' credits its morning signatures for helping it reach the $1 billion sales mark for the first time this year.
Spicing things up
Some concepts leveraged the popularity of breakfast with another menu trend – spicy flavor profiles. Taco John's, for example, added a spicy chorizo breakfast burrito and Carl's Jr. also added Mexican chorizo to two breakfast offerings. Whataburger rolled out a jalapeño cheddar biscuit and Sonic added salsa verde to its breakfast LTOs.
The demand for heat transcended dayparts for the second year in a row. A report published last year from market research firm Technomic showed that, for the first time, a majority of consumers (54 percent) say they prefer hot or spicy sauces, dips or condiments, compared to 48 percent of consumers in 2011 and 46 percent two years earlier.
In response, Burger King added a spicy chicken sandwich, while Taco Bell came up with a spicy chicken Cool Ranch Doritos Locos Taco flavor.
Church's Chicken brought back its Spicier Spicy Chicken, while Taco John's teamed up with PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division to launch the Flamin' Hot Cheetos Burrito and White Castle jumped on the Srirach bandwagon with two Sriracha chicken sandwiches.
Other examples include Carl's Jr.'s Jalapeno Big Chicken Fillet Sandwich and Popeyes Cracked Pepper Butterfly Shrimp and Spicebox Chicken.
Drink up
The beverage category has been active for the past few years and has even inspired new snack dayparts while driving high margins. This year's drink innovation was both rapid and bold. Sonic took a page from beverage king Starbucks, for example, with its Splash Hand-Crafted Soda, calling it "artisanal."
Even beverage leaders Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Hortons stepped things up, with the former adding sugar cookie and snickerdoodle-flavored lattes, the Arnold Palmer Coolatta, iced green tea and Baskin-Robbins-inspired flavors. Dunkin' also added almond milk for guests as a milk and cream alternative.
Tim Hortons added frozen hot chocolate and frozen green and raspberry teas. And, for the first time in its 50-year history, Tim Hortons also added a new coffee blend – Dark Roast.
Taco Bell launched a Starburst Strawberry Freeze, Manzanita Sol, Mtn Dew Baja Blast and other Mtn Dew-based offerings.
Cold Stone Creamery came up with a premium shake line, Villa Enterprises added hibiscus, mango and pomegranate tea flavors, Extreme Pita launched the Purfresh Strawberry Watermelonade and Cucumber Mint Lemonade and Chick-fil-A partnered with THRIVE to offer specialty-grade coffee.
The single-serve coffee competition also heated up significantly in 2014, with Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons, Peet's Coffee & Tea and White Castle throwing their hats in the ring. Subway partnered with Keurig Green Mountain Inc. to bring its single-serve K150 brewers to its North American locations.
Retail therapy
QSRs extended their brand presence into retail channels with more than just coffee this year. Taco Bell's Mtn Dew Baja Blast, for example, was made available in bottles and cans on retail shelves. Its hot sauces can also be found on shelves now.
Krispy Kreme's iced coffees are now available to consumers in new ready-to-drink bottles.
Whataburger is offering its Signature Sauces and Original May at H-E-B stores. The burger chain is also selling its Honey Butter and Premium Pork Sausage at the retail outlet.
Cinnabon partnered with Pillsbury to introduce the new Cinnabon Bakery Inspired Cinnabon Rolls at retail outlets, while Baskin-Robbins teamed up with Boardwalk Frozen Treats to offer a retail ice cream lineup.
And, in Canada, McDonald's McCafe his retail shelves. The rollout is expected to be completed in the US in 2015.
Breaking bread
Last year's top menu story maintained some momentum in 2014: Bread innovation. QSRs are simply adding more carrier options. For example, Sonic baked some cheese on top of its traditional hot dog bun for the Cheesy Bread Dogs launch.
Quiznos added Ciabatta Toasties, while Wendy's added ciabatta for a Mediterranean-inspired Ciabatta Bacon Cheeseburger. Wendy's rolled out the brioche for its smoked gouda chicken and bacon portabella melt sandwiches, while also bringing back its popular pretzel bun from the prior year.
Dunkin' Donuts added a whole wheat bagel and multigrain flatbread carrier.
Calorie burners
The demand for healthier, lower-calorie menu items continues to grow, as reflected by QSR efforts from White Castle, with its Veggie Slider and Grilled Chicken Slider launches, and Dunkin' Donuts' permanent addition of the grilled chicken flatbread sandwiches.
McDonald's embraced the demand for healthier kids' meals, adding Cuties and Go-Gurt and testing bananas.
Captain D's rolled out its Fire Grilled Menu systemwide, while Wendy's introduced two new permanent salad offerings. Baskin-Robbins and Tim Hortons both jumped into the Greek Yogurt space, with frozen yogurt and parfaits/smoothies, respectively.
Rather than adding healthier options, some concepts trimmed the fat instead, including Del Taco with its lower-fat turkey tacos and El Pollo Loco's 5 Meals Under 500 Calories Menu.
Go on, indulge
Conversely, many concepts also stepped up their dessert innovations this year, proving that the sweet tooth always wins in the end. Church's Chicken created Oreo Biscuit Bites, while Carl's Jr. introduced a new sea salt and caramel shake and hand-scooped snickerdoodle cookie ice cream sandwich.
Even traditional dessert players stepped things up this year:
- Carvel created a full Nutella ice cream lineup;
- Cold Stone Creamery launched a made-to-order ice cream cookie sandwich;
- Baskin-Robbins created a camouflage flavor and cone in honor of Veterans Day;
- Sonic rolled out a Red Velvet Molten Cake Sundae, six new Master Blast Flavors (including chocolate chip cookie dough and triple chocolate!) and its second Summer of Shakes promotion;
- Rita's Italian Ice added Starburst Cherry and Starburst Orange flavors.
(Protein) power trip
Some brands took a different approach to the "healthy halo" demand this year by going big on protein. Whether aiming toward carb-cutters or muscle builders, there was no shortage of meat on the menu, despite record high beef and pork prices.
Taco Bell Power Platform was initiated with its Cantina Power Menu launch in July. Taco Bell also rolled out its XXL Crispy Steak Taco in February.
Arby's shifted its entire marketing campaign around the theme "Meatcraft," and included three new steak sandwiches. The launch piggybacked off of the brand's successful smoked brisket offering introduced in the spring.
Dunkin' Donuts and Tim Hortons both added steak as permanent platforms, while Wendy's added a steakhouse cheeseburger to its value menu.
Krystal doubled the size of its signature burgers with the Krystal Stackers rollout. Burger King, Carl's Jr./Hardee's also went big, with the Extra Long BBQ Cheeseburger and Texas BBQ Thickburger (smoked beef brisket on top of a beef patty), respectively.
The protein story, however, wasn't just about beef. Pork was pushed into the spotlight as well.
Carl's Jr. topped its fries with bacon (and ranch), and added four strips of bacon to the new Western X-Tra Bacon Cheeseburger before adding the Mile High Bacon Cheese Thickburger.
Jack in the Box raised the stakes higher, with six half slices of hickory smoked bacon on its Bacon Insider Burger.
Pulled pork sandwiches were also launched en mass – at Cousins Subs, Quiznos, Roy Rogers and Wendy's.
