Marketing

Here's why restaurant chains are selling one another's products

Restaurant Rewind: The lines between segments aren't the only traditional boundaries that are being smudged in today's competitive environment. Contrary to the old rules, concepts are tapping the drawing power of competitors for share of stomach.

A&W fast-food restaurants in Canada will start serving Pret A Manger-branded products this fall, under a just-announced 10-year collaboration deal.

A cross-selling situation like that might have been inconceivable 20 years ago, as this week’s episode of Restaurant Rewind reports. But, as the podcast installment explains, the lines of competition have been blurring for some time as restaurant licensing expands beyond consumer packaged goods to ready-to-eat fare prominently featured on another concept’s menu. Cinnabon-branded products, for instance, are available at chains ranging from Wendy’s to Subway to The Cheesecake Factory.

Tune into this week’s episode for a look at why and how chains are increasingly relying on the drawing power of other chains’ products to increase their own allure.

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