Fast food and fast casual restaurants are stepping up their game! As consumers have been gravitating towards quick service restaurants (QSRs) thanks to their convenience, they’ve been expecting these chains to push the envelope when it comes to innovation. As a result, trends in the quick service restaurant sector are rapidly evolving to meet consumers’ ever-changing preferences. Indeed, for a long time, QSRs were all about offering classic staple meals, like cheeseburgers and fries. Now, in addition to those items, chains are adding innovative limited time offers (LTOs) to their menus that embrace the latest trends.
What’s fresh in fast food and fast casual dining? Keep reading for our experts’ takes on the most dominant trends on QSR menus – and what’s on the horizon for these consumer-favorite convenient dining options.
Getting Creative with Comfort Foods
Nostalgia is currently one of the most prolific trends in the food industry as a whole, which is unsurprising given the mounting economic and political uncertainty at the moment. Comfort foods always see a surge in times of stress, and QSRs have long been a popular option for consumers to get their comfort food fixes. These days, QSRs have been offering new twists on nostalgic comfort foods to appeal to stressed out consumers who are looking to satisfy their cravings for the familiar and the not-so-familiar at the same time.
The ongoing “chicken sandwich wars,” in which fast food and fast casual restaurants have introduced an array of fried chicken sandwiches with various trendy toppings and sauces, is one example of how this trend has taken shape. Expect to see this type of rivalry play out with other comfort food staples, like mac and cheese, burgers, and milkshakes.
QSR chains have been adopting labels for comfort food menu items that evoke nostalgia, like “homestyle,” “Grandma’s,” and “classic.” As consumers continue to seek out convenient ways to get their cravings for comfort food satisfied, expect brands to lean even further into this trend, referencing specific decades or eras that serve as inspiration for new menu items.
Regional American Inspiration
Fast food chains, and to a slightly lesser degree, fast casual chains, tend to attract a very diverse array of consumers. As a result, their menus tend to lean more mainstream, meaning that trending exotic global foods and flavors tend to be too far outside of the box to appeal to the range of preferences of consumers who dine at these establishments. Regional American cuisines, however, have mass appeal and tend to suit the preferences of a wide range of consumers.
Recently, QSRs have embraced this trend by featuring Southern cuisines on their menus. Cajun specialties, in particular, have witnessed a surge, with everything from dipping sauces to side dishes taking on the flavors of classic New Orleans cuisine.
Consumers’ curiosity for how people in other parts of the country eat extends far beyond the bayou, however. Expect to see regional American specialties from all corners of the U.S. on QSR menus in the months to come. Even unexpected cuisines, like those from the central states, are sure to appeal to consumers who are looking to experience something new-to-them to take them out of their usual eating routines.
“Healthy” Choices
Fast food restaurants are not known for being particularly healthy. Consumers have grown increasingly concerned about their health and wellbeing in the aftermath of the pandemic, however, meaning that they have been pushing fast food restaurants to offer better-for-you options. Convenience and affordability are still the primary drivers behind consumers’ QSR purchases, but now they are less willing to sacrifice health and wellbeing for the sake of saving time and money.
As such, fast food restaurants are beginning to offer a few healthier options that feature trending plant-based ingredients. They are taking a page out of fast casual restaurants’ books by innovating with bowls that provide several servings of healthy grains, vegetables, and even plant-based meat alternatives. This trend is here to stay, as consumers are unlikely to abandon their desires for healthy, but convenient meal options.
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