In The World Of Fast Food, 2019 Is The Year Of Bacon

Nevin Barich

LOS ANGELES , April 16, 2019 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) – Bacon, bacon everywhere.

At least it seems that way in the world of fast food, as major chains are introducing the popular meat on their burgers and sandwiches. According to Datassential, bacon was found on 68.1% of quick service menus last year, and Burger King, Carl’s Jr. and McDonald’s are just some of the big players that have introduced bacon menu items this year.

Now fast-food chains are using bacon to lure customers through their doors without the hassle of real menu innovation. For example, Burger King added bacon to its cheesy tater tots as a way to add something new to the limited-time offer.

“It does seem like bacon is a way to change up the flavors,” said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage analyst for The NPD Group.

Fast-food favorites like McDonald’s, Yum Brands’ Taco Bell and Wendy’s have had to raise prices to keep sales from declining as foot traffic across the industry falls. Bacon not only offers a way to lure customers back, it can also be used to justify higher prices for the value-focused consumer by emphasizing the amount of bacon — double or triple the usual serving.

The ironic part of bacon’s popularity is that consumers are increasingly focused on health and wellness and are opting for low-calorie options or fewer processed foods. While packaged-food companies have tried to adapt by buying smaller, health-focused brands, changing consumer tastes has not stopped the fast-food industry from adding bacon, which contains high levels of saturated fat and has been linked to heart disease.

“Health at restaurants has a different meaning than what we think about when we think about health at home,” Seifer said. “We’re not looking for pure health when we go to quick-service restaurants.”

Instead, we’re apparently looking for bacon.

Nevin Barich is the Food and Beverage Analyst for Industry Intelligence, which can help YOU better address your own industry challenges. We invite you to come take a look at our service. Call us today at 310-553-0008 and we’ll schedule you for a 15-minute demo.

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