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Restaurant brands entice customers with a bevy of summer specialties

From chicken shaped like a magnolia flower to cotton candy dessert offerings, restaurants across North America are working hard to lure in hot and hungry customers.

June 3, 2016 by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

With this week's official Memorial Day kick-off to summer, restaurant brands across the country are vying for consumer attention with a bevy of menu items designed to appeal to what our hot little mouths are hankering for in the heat. From a move toward spicier items to special bargains on summertime favorites, it seems like all brands are making a play for the consumer's sweaty summertime dollars. 

Chicken restaurants go spicy 

One of the most well-researched summer menu offerings might be that from Church's Chicken. In a news release, company representatives said they conducted a nationwide study of quick-service chicken eaters and found that more than half "eat spicy foods three times a week," and an astonishing 21 percent said they eat spicy foods daily.

The study even found out how people liked their spice. The findings, according to a news release, suggested that most people want the heat incorporated into the main feature of the meal with 61 percent saying they preferred heat and spice to be integrated into the recipes for their entrees, as opposed to being served as a sauce or add-on item."

The chain highlighted this research to explain some of the reasoning behind its new summer offering, designed to pour a little gasoline on the heat-seeking appetites of its customers. Church's special summer menu item, Fiery Jalapeño Crunch chicken, is marinated in the spicy namesake peppers for 12 hours, coated in "extreme breading" and fried in small batches for extra crunch.

Though the offering was introduced as a limited-time feature, it's likely more hot offerings will follow on its heels, since the previously referred to study by Qualtrics Research indicated that that less than a quarter of those polled believed current QSR restaurant menus were satisfying their cravings for super spicy stuff. The study found that nearly three in four QSR consumers only want spicy offerings, and only 7 percent said current offerings met their need for heat.

"Our research indicates that jalapeño is the most desired pepper for quick-service guests, more so than Ghost, Thai Chili or other peppers," said Jennifer Chasteen, senior director of brand and product strategy for Church's. "Our new Fiery Jalapeño Crunch chicken fills that demand, and delivers both the spice and crunch our guests love."

Meanwhile at Popeye's, customers who love Southern cooking may enjoy the chain's Magnolia blossom chicken. The all-white meat chicken breast specialty is cut into pullable pieces and marinated in orange flavors. It comes with a spicy orange dipping sauce.

"At Popeyes, we have built a tradition of innovation guided by our Louisiana heritage," said Chief Marketing Officer Hector Muñoz. "Magnolia Blossom Chicken is an example of that tradition in action."

On the fishier front: D's goes a little (coco)nuts

Captain D's Head Chef Jason Henderson said its guests remain committed to the chain's shrimp offerings, which the brand  is "summer-fying" with a little touch of the tropical. The offering, available through July 24, has been dubbed D's jumbo coconut shrimp and includes coconut-crusted shrimp, hand batter-dipped fish and a sweet pineapple sauce for dipping. The creation was inspired by customer feedback, Henderson said.

"Our shrimp has been and continues to be a standout favorite among customers, so we wanted to take it up a notch and create a dish packed with a variety of flavors," Henderson said.

The restaurant is also offering some features that save money and calories. Offerings include meal deal items, including the Southern-style fish tenders and sampler meals for $4.99 and lighter fare for the waistline-minded, like D's grilled whitefish and shrimp skewer meal, as well as lobster rolls.

And for the meatier-minded customers . . . 

Sonicplans to capitalize on its customers love for burgers and dogs with its $5 SONIC boom box, featuring a choice of hot dog or cheeseburger with tots or fries and a drink for a fiver. The idea behind the boxes, according to Sonic Marketing Vice President Sarah Beddoe, was to give customers value and a taste of what they love about summer.

"Adding to our hot dog flavor line-up, we've added our new 6-inch bacon lover's chili cheese coneys to offer even more choices to our Sonic Boom Box."

Other coney flavors include the loaded bacon ranch chili cheese or spicy bacon chili cheese, along with those old standbys of just plain ol' chili cheese as well as Sonic's versions of the New York, Chicago and All-American hot dogs.

Continuing along with that grill-inspired value theme, Burger King is staying true to its all-beef heart, by offering its Whopper in a meal deal that gives the burger-loving public two of the hefty sandwiches with two servings of fries and drinks for $10.

And speaking of thirsty …

Beverages  of all variety make up another big category for special summer offerings and Maui Wowi clearly wants a piece of that action. That's why it is bringing back two products designed each to meet the hankerings of different customers. All summer, the brand will offer its seasonal favorites of Midnight Kona coffee and orchard peach smoothies.

"We wanted to provide consumers with an offering from both the coffee and the smoothie side of our operations this summer," said President Mike Weinberger. "Midnight Kona provides a mild zing, much like the perfect summer day. And with peach being a traditional favorite summertime fruit, we, of course, wanted to bring back the orchard peach smoothie."

DQ and Bruster's pick up the dessert round

And finally, a little something sweet for summer comes to us by that purveyor of all such things, Dairy Queen, which is specializing in what you might call fair fare this summer. By that we mean, that carnival midway staple, the funnel cake and its bouffant-haired sister, cotton candy.

The chain's funnel cake a la mode flies in the face of those who thought the circuitous cake had about reached the max for sugary treats. DQ's version features the crispy deep-fried and sugar-dusted confection with a side of soft-serve ice cream drizzled with hot fudge, caramel or strawberry topping.

And just to add further insult to dentists everywhere, Dairy Queen is also offering a cotton candy summer blizzard this month.

Meanwhile at semi-competitor Bruster's Real Ice Cream, they're goin' all Southern y'all with a flavor inspired by that favorite of the south, banana puddin'.

The ice cream is not only billowing with banana but also crunchy vanilla wafers, a la the traditional Southern pudding offering. Also this summer, Bruster's has a salute to those way-down-south Florida isles with its Key lime pie ice cream swirled with graham crackers, as well as coconut cream pie ice cream embellished with marshmallow ribbons and vanilla wafers.

About S.A. Whitehead

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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.