Marketing
From doughnut shop 'I do's' to pink burger buns, 'Love' has struck the QSR
This Valentine's Day quick-service restaurants extend their versions of love in the fast lane.
February 12, 2021 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group
If you doubted this was a special time in our history, you need only look to this year's QSR Valentine's Day promotions for proof that we're all developing a slightly warped sense of humor. This year's annual day of hearts and cupids finds a doughnut-centered brand hawking wedding attire and cocktails, a burger brand selling biscuits in bed, and one nation's Burger King outlets pushing pink burger buns. Isn't it a wonderful world?
And why not go a little crazy? We've all been mostly pent up in our homes for most of the past 365 days due to a deadly virus, so letting a little loose on the annual day of love seems perfectly in order. Not only that, but QSRs are setting new standards for creative eat-at-home romantic meals this year, in an effort to drum up business when all the sources of business (a.k.a. human beings) are largely locked up in their own quarters.
According to U.K.-based research firm, GlobalData, analysts this Valentine's Day weekend are anticipating a literal "explosion of interest" in romantic meal kits as lovers strive to make the "moves" on one another with restaurant-quality dinners at home. The company found that 24% of consumers were planning more take-out meal purchases this holiday weekend than they did before the pandemic slammed down on the planet.
"Throughout 2020, we saw a significant shift towards people recreating out-of-home experiences within the home," GlobalData Consumer Analyst Ryan Whittaker, said in a news release about the findings. "Several people made bars in their gardens in the summer, Diageo (one of the world's biggest spirits and beer producers) reported a boost to its spirits sales as people made cocktails at home, and the end of 2020 saw demand for full Christmas meal kits skyrocket. As U.K. consumers in 2021 are still unable to visit their favorite restaurants, we expect many will buy the next best thing — Valentine's meal kits to recreate at home."
Speaking of cocktails, GlobalData revealed that sales of any and all types of booze have been soaring right along with COVID-19 rates in the U.S. And given the largely limited or closed status of places to drink publicly, imbibers are bringing it on home.
"Many of the RTD and pre-mixed alcoholic cocktail brands, as well as home delivery from local bars, facilitate experiences in the home, providing convenient emulations of the going-out experience and moments of excitement and indulgence," Whitaker said.
"The changes in demand for more at-hoe experiential fare should be embraced by foodservice providers. The desire for novelty extends as much to meal kits and takeaways as it does cocktails; people like to engage with brands that make their at-home experience better, more exciting or funny."
Granted, most QSRs aren't really playing to the cocktail crowd in most of their regular daily offerings, but hey, like we said, it's a weird year.
'Welcome to Dunkin' — Will you have a cocktail while waiting to wed?'
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| TheDunkin' Pink Velvetini, made with one of its macchiatos. (Photo provided) |
Dunkin' is well aware that many of its customers will be celebrating the big day at home, so it's trying to get everyone in a relaxed and loving mood by hawking how well its drink menu can be converted into cocktails this year.
The brand is pushing a coupling of pink cocktails that use its Valentine's Day Pink Velvet and Mocha Macchiatos as the base for something a little stronger.
Dunkin' Senior Research & Development Technologist Kelly Callahan hooked up with Associate Research & Development Technologist Kassi Lugo to create the spirit-infused drinks, including a vodka-based Pink Velvetini made with the Pink Velvet Macchiato and red velvet liqueur, as well as the Chocolate Lovers Boozy Milkshake that includes vodka (duh!), chocolate liqueur, an iced mocha macchiato, Brownie batter doughnut and a cup of Love Potion #31 ice cream, from sister brand, Baskin-Robbins.
And once your local day-glo-colored doughnuteer gets you all warmed up and in a loving mood, why not make it all official? That's right, just in time for Valentine's Day, Dunkin' is launching its wedding line of merchandise, including:
- A Dunkin'-ized wedding veil.
- A Dunkin'-patterned pink-and-orange bowtie.
- "This Bride Runs on Dunkin'" satin robe.
- Customizable newlywed coffee mugs.
- "I Do Crew" tumblers.
- Ring bearer pillow.
- Love-phrase emblazoned T-shirts and sweatshirts.
In fact, two couples will actually win the honor of having their wedding at the Walkill, New York Dunkin' drive-thru as winners of the Dunkin' Marriage is on the Menu contest.
"It's incredible how many fans make Dunkin' a part of their wedding day already," Melanie Rabino, Dunkin' director, Brand Engagement, said in the release. "We want them to know: we hear you, and we're making it official. Wedding merch, a ridiculously fun and fully fan-inspired collection, is finally here. As new weddings are planned and some are rescheduled from last year, we're excited to make it easier for coffee and donut loving couples everywhere to bring a little more Dunkin' into their celebration."
And because marriage, like life, 'is a box of chocolates …'
Dunkin' sister brand, Baskin-Robbins certainly presents a possibility for that Dunkin' wedding ceremony cake with its "Box of Chocolates" cake, since life and marriage are both kind like a box of chocolates in that — in the words of Forrest Gump — you really do "never know what you're gonna to get," said the cynical news reporter.
The cake is designed to look like the longtime Valentine's Day standard — so the heart-shaped box of candy, since it it can be customized with ice cream flavor and will be topped with a layor of fudge and milk chocolate candies. And a good selection for that cake ice cream might well be Baskin-Robbins aforementioned Love Potion #31, replete with raspberry-filled chocolate-flavored hearts and chips, swirled with a raspberry ribbon in white chocolate and raspberry ice cream.
2021: The year biscuits became bedroom attire
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| At Jack's, biscuits are for the boudoir. (Photo provided) |
Two other QSRs have singled out the biscuit as the outlet for their Valentine's Day weekend love-a-thon, beginning with longtime burger chain, Jack's, which is not only pushing Valentine's Day breakfast with its biscuits, but making them into hearts and serving them to the take-home audience with chocolate gravy. Yes, apparently chocolate gravy is a "thing" in the Southern U.S. — the same great place that brought you everything from beignets and southern-fried chicken, to gumbo and pimento cheese.
The Birmingham, Alabama-based chain said the little biscuit hearts and liquid chocolate can be pre-ordered through Feb. 13 at either the eatatjacks.com website or via the brand's mobile app in quantities of either six or 12 biscuits, along with the milk chocolate gravy.
Also, at Hardee's — or perhaps we should say Hearty's for this weekend as heart-shaped biscuits are also the order of the day but as a savory offering, available through Sunday. Customers may purchase the biscuits of love for $1.19 each or order them on a heart-shaped breakfast biscuit sandwich in either bacon, egg and cheese or sausage and egg.
Last but not least, my love …
The last QSR Valentine's Day special we are simply forced to include here just out of its odd-factor comes from Burger King Thailand, where the chain is promoting romance this season with a pink-and-black theme. To be more specific, on its Facebook pages, Burger King Thailand is proudly displaying its "Black and Pink Burgers," according to My-Thai.org.
The LTO features either a dark beef rendition on a black bun — the Black Double Grilled Onion Burger — or a salmon "burger" on a very pink bun, appropriately dubbed the Pink Salmon Burger. Both variations are available until Feb. 28, but sadly for we in the rest of the world, only at Burger King outlets in Thailand.
About S.A. Whitehead
Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb editor Shelly Whitehead is a former newspaper and TV reporter with an affinity for telling stories about the people and innovative thinking behind great brands.
