Restaurants add spicy menu items to bids from young diners

Restaurant brands hope that popular new menu items can be accessed among young dressmakers. In this case, the heat is literal.

Chicken sandwiches, seasoned side and spicy items In the main fast and fast service chain, seasonings are more frequent on the menu. The idea is to introduce easy-to-execute and buzz options that capture the attention of Gen Z and Alpha Gen Diners even if it’s just a flash in the pot.

One of these companies is chipotlelaunched in June Adobo RanchThis is the first new dip in five years as a limited-time offer.

“From an operational standpoint, the sauce is much easier than introducing another LTO or other protein,” Chipotle president and chief brand officer told CNBC.

The draw for restaurants is another way for restaurants to respond to slower consumer spending while trying to control costs. one KPMG Consumer Pulse Survey This summer, U.S. consumers plan to spend 7% per month at restaurants.

“The pullbacks for low-income consumers, especially from low-income consumers,” said Gregory Francfort, chief restaurant analyst at Guggenheim Securities. “Spices are a low-cost, high-reward way to re-engage them.”

“Restaurants are really trying to be aggressive with their marketing calendar and release new products now,” Franford said.

From March to June, the U.S. restaurant chain has launched 76 new spicy menu items, accounting for about 5% of the new menu items. This includes permanent additions and limited-time quotes and is roughly consistent with the historical menu items in categories over the past few years.

Dataassential says about 95% of restaurants now offer at least one spicy item on their menu.

Although the spice concept on the menu is nothing new, it seems to be on fire with Gen Z and Alpha (alpha about 30). Their preference for bold spicy flavors has inspired more restaurants to heat up.

According to Soda Brand Sprite, up to 50% of Z consumers eat at least one spicy meal a week, and the soda has already exerted a strong flavor.

“The younger generation (e.g., Generation Z) is aggravating the spicy trend, craving a bold, more adventurous flavor”, Wendy’s A spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.

“They aren’t looking for bland or predictable.” Kava’s Chief Concept and Co-founder Ted Xenohristos. “They want strong flavors.”

In April, Cava launched Hot Harissa Pita chips Meet rising demand. The chain also offers Harissa avocado bowls, Harissa vinegar and Harissa Honey Chicken.

in May, Tacos Launched Mike’s Hot Honey Diablo Saucea collaboration between Mike’s Hot Honey and the iconic Diablo sauce of the taco chain. Released in February Caliente Cantina Chicken Menubuild fan favorite chicken chicken.

In June, Wendy released Takis Fire Fighting Rice, Partner with spicy tortilla chip snacks, which include the chain’s signature spicy chicken sandwich and takis-flavored fries.

Introducing spicy items faces a challenge: Generation Z and Alpha tend to quickly move forward from the trend. This makes it difficult for restaurants to rely on a popular item for a long time.

The nearest highlight Sweet and spicy and Nashville Hot Generation Z has seen a decline in interest,,,,, According to Dataassential. Instead, the company found that a new flavor profile with global relations is seeing greater engagement among younger consumers.

Social feeding fire

The spicy menu items gain traction primarily through social media. Tiktok and Instagram It has become a key discovery tool for Gen Z and Alpha.

Restaurants are using these platforms to promote limited-time quotes and impactful content, including taste tests and reaction videos. Short form of content can cause a sense of urgency and encourage experimentation.

“Spicy foods always perform well,” Tommy Winkler Tiktok Food Influencertell CNBC. “This is essentially a new billboard. It’s a great opportunity for someone to order in the end.”

According to Dataassential, in June, the word “spicy” was mentioned online more than 40,000 times. Data shows that these mentions peak when new spicy items start to trend.

this month, Coca Cola-Owned Sprite initiated a entitled “It hurts really good” Use spicy food exercises. The brand positioned soda as a pairing of spicy foods and worked with it McDonald’sTakis and Buldak fried noodles. The event includes Tiktok filters and other social media activations.

Oana Vlad, vice president of Global Elves, highlighted other compelling events such as Mukbangs (a host broadcast that broadcasts live, eating a lot of food) or the spicy noodle challenge that brings spicy food into online culture.

“At Sprite, we always try to be inspired by consumer-first insights and then bring value to existing behaviors,” Vlad told CNBC.

According to the beverage summary, as of late April, lemon lime beverage was ranked the third largest carbonated soft drink.

A few years ago, McDonald’s Fountain Elves spread the virus as social media users posted videos calling “taste” “sharp” and filmed their reaction to attempts.

“A big part of Gen Z tried their first elves at McDonald’s,” Vlad said. “You can see fans describe McDonald’s elves as lightning or electric flashes.”

The diversity of younger generations also helps guide them to turn to flavor with flavors of depth, texture and regional identity.

Chili is crispy and used in traditional Chinese cooking; Nam Phrik, originated in Thailand; and According to DataSserential, Piri Piri is often associated with Portuguese and African cuisine and is increasingly appearing on American menus.

“As the population becomes more diverse, as young consumers want to experiment more, we will see a greater willingness to try new flavor profiles,” he said. Bank of Americatell CNBC.