As the year winds down and the weather turns colder, chains are tapping into diners’ desire for piping-hot comfort foods, while still keeping an eye on health. Here’s what to look out for this month.
Gruyere mentions are up 29.4% on the menus of the top 250 highest-grossing chain restaurants. First Watch, for example, added Gruyere with its debut of a limited-time Croque Madame that also features smoked ham, tomato and two eggs on grilled brioche.
As outdoor temperatures fall, chains are making sure takeout food doesn’t also get cold while it awaits pickup. In September, Buffalo Wild Wings announced that company stores would be installing hot boxes, and Little Caesars has already begun testing pickup “portals” that keep food hot until consumers enter a personalized code to retrieve their meals.
Panera and McDonald’s are the latest major chains to take steps to address kids’ nutrition, with the former offering scaled-down versions of its regular menu items for kids and the latter switching from regular apple juice to a healthier organic version in its Happy Meals.
Executives should consider more caution about development given soaring costs, future uncertainty and more traditional growth dangers, says RB’s The Bottom Line.
