The breakfast wars among QSRs rage on, so Krystal put out an LTO that is “everything that’s best about breakfast in one bowl,” says VP of Marketing Alice Crowder. The Loaded Hash Brown Scrambler Bowl is a heartier version of what’s already on the menu—meaning it’s easy to execute—and the effort still drew attention from consumers. Nearly 60% say they would order the bowl, ranking it among the top five LTOs in purchase intent late last year, according to Technomic’s MenuSurf.
Satisfying snackers
Hash browns already are on the breakfast menu, as are the scrambled eggs, sausage, gravy and American cheese that complete the bowl. No new SKUs or operational procedures were added to menu this item, making it an easy addition. Breakfast is Krystal’s strongest and fastest-growing daypart, says Crowder, with traffic increasing in midmorning as well. “Compared to other QSRs, Krystal indexes higher for snackers,” she says, adding that customers are ordering the scramblers for a snack or second breakfast. “We call this a mini daypart.”
Packaged to go
About 70% of Krystal’s traffic is drive-thru, says Crowder. The breakfast bowl—which is really more the size of a large cup—is compact and designed to fit in a car’s cup holder. All the scramblers are sold in these mini bowls, so the easy-to-carry packaging was already in-house.
Sales spike
Marketing efforts tapped into photography to target to Club Krystal and fans on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. During the LTO’s November-December run, sales in the scramblers category rose 14%, Crowder says. Krystal plans to bring back the hash brown bowl next winter.
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