Fast food restaurants are well known – and loved – for their beige, salty food that appeals to all age groups. However, they are starting to spice up their menus by adding stronger flavours in hopes this will attract more of a young, trendy crowd.
According to Insider, Gen Z’s interest in spicy food and exotic ingredients means takeaway joints are having to update their menus to keep them as customers.
Brendan M Foley, boss of McCormick, which owns herb, spice and sauce brands like Schwartz, recently said at a New York Conference: “[Gen Z and millennials] are more experimental and prefer authentic, bold, and spicy flavours more so than the generations before them.”
For instance, they are big fans of Sriracha sauce, spicy cheese dip Queso Blanco, and Wendy’s spicy chicken nuggets.
As a result, big chains like Subway are planning to offer a greater variety of spicy meals to their menus, so they remain appealing to Gen Z and millennials.
These generations also love chicken, forcing fast food outlets to make more of a feature out of their chicken dishes than previously.
A poll by Morning Consult in 2022 revealed 13 per cent of 1,000 Gen Z respondents from the US claimed chicken was their favourite food, preferring it to sushi, burgers, steak and fries.
According to a report by The NPD Group, chicken particularly appeals to this market.
“Chicken sandwich offerings are essential to Gen Zs, particularly those with value price points or a spicy profile,” the analytics data provider revealed.
In fact, they love chicken meals so much, many are petitioning to bring back McDonald’s Chicken Legend after realising it is no longer on its menu.
Nearly six months after the fast food chain scrapped the dish, people are still taking to social media to express their upset.
One person even set up a Twitter account dedicated to the burger, posting: “187 days since my last chicken legend. when will the anguish end? [sic]”
However, in an attempt to please younger diners, the takeaway outlet has revealed it is releasing four new dips and a burger to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of its McNuggets.
The new sauces are garlic mayo, chipotle mayo, mega hot sauce, and creamy ranch, and will be available for a limited time only.
It will also release the Spicy Big Tasty, which comprises a beef burger topped with Emmental cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato, as well as the Big Tasty sauce with a jalapeno kick.
McDonald’s has also re-launched classics, including Big Tasty, halloumi fries, and the Wispa McFlurry, all of which are sure to please hungry customers.
Its wraps are also designed to satisfy the more complex palate of Gen Z, with The Garlic Mayo Chicken One, The Spicy Veggie ONe, The Sweet Chilli Chicken One, and The BBQ & Bacon One with strong, fiery flavours.
For its vegan customers, it has the Double McPlant, featuring two plant-based burgers with ketchup, mustard, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, and vegan sandwich sauce.
Another thing Gen Z are interested in is sustainability, which is why fast food joints need to provide recyclable branded burger boxes if they want to continue to appeal to this market.
