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“We knew we had to deliver on the sauces, and doing them as a coating delivers the flavor,” said Li. He and his team are working on ex- panding the flavor variety to amplify the Saucy Nugg momentum. “Our flavor toolbox is much broader now, but the flavors we introduce have to make sense to Gen Z and be appro- priate to our brand,” he added. Saucy Nuggs have already achieved the goal of attracting new fans and building traffic, and like the pull-aparts, can be positioned for snacking as well. In the pipeline are items fans will be super-excited about, said Li. “We think about the customer first when we think about menu innova- tion—this is not boardroom-gener- ated innovation. And we don’t add things willy-nilly, as that can ruin the supply chain and operations.” BLAZE GOES BACK TO LEADING WITH CULINARY Earlier this year, Christian Kuhn came on board as CMO of Blaze Piz- za, joining his former GoTo Foods colleague, CEO Beto Guajardo, to revitalize the brand and position it for growth. “Menu innovation is at the core of Blaze Pizza, and we have to bring the company back to being led by culinary,” said Kuhn. “When a great culinary idea comes up, I can mar- ket it.” Kuhn must be busy, as is Matt Eland, the primary chef for the fast-casual pizza chain. First out of the pipeline were new chef-curat- ed signature pizzas. These include the meaty Carnivore with toppings of pepperoni, ham and crumbled meatballs, and the Herbivore with mushrooms, roasted garlic, banana peppers and arugula. “We now have six curated pizzas that can be rotated in and out, with new photos that make it simpler for first-time guests to choose,” said Kuhn. Sales are still 80-20 build-
April, Wendy’s rolled out a Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap to very favor- able customer response. “It’s a for- mat that has a lot of legs,” said Li. Another recent breakfast hit is Cinnabon Pull-Aparts—iced bite- size cinnamon roll pieces with gooey centers. Li wanted to add something sweet and indulgent to breakfast, but these treats are building afternoon traffic, too. “I underestimated Gen Z and Alpha’s snacking behavior, and these can be positioned as snacks as well as breakfast,” he said. He will continue to play off the momentum for Wendy’s cold brew platform, adding snacks that pair well with the beverages. In addition to plain cold brew coffee, there are Frosty Cream Cold Brews made with Frosty-branded creamer in three flavors: caramel, chocolate and vanilla. Wendy’s signature stand-alone Frosty is one of those “famous” items that has experienced a burst of flavor innovation. “Gen Zers are flavor enthusiasts,” said Li. “They are always seeking new flavors and combinations of flavors.” Several Frosty flavors have deep roots and are almost mandatory to be brought back every year, in- cluding vanilla, peppermint and strawberry. But the culinary team is now introducing seasonal favorites every three months or so. Orange Creamsicle launched for the sum- mer season, followed by Triple Ber- ry. Fall brings the Pumpkin Spice Frosty, “when consumers actually want it,” said Li. Saucy Nuggs, Wendy’s updat- ed chicken nuggets, were also de- veloped to appeal to those young “flavor enthusiasts.” They joined the menu in June in seven flavors— BBQ, Garlic Parm, Buffalo, Spicy Honey BBQ, Spicy Garlic Parm, Spicy Buffalo and fiery Spicy Ghost Pepper—with the sauces coating the nuggets instead being served on the side as dips.
And back in May, the chain test- ed three fruity flavors of Agua Re- frescas, its take on the iconic Mex- ican icy drink, the agua fresca. At the time, CMO Taylor Montgomery said that the LTO pairs “with every- thing our fans crave from Taco Bell and will help us on our journey to make Taco Bell a beverage destina- tion.” But tried-and-true platforms will never be abandoned, said Restrepo. “We’re always innovating on our fries, for instance, balancing new items with twists on favorites.” AT WENDY’S, FAMOUS AND FRESH ARE INNOVATION TARGETS Wendy’s is taking a similar ap- proach to innovation, focusing on “famous” or legacy items like its Frosties, breakfast menu and fresh burgers, but introducing new fla- vors and platforms that draw young- er customers. A robust pipeline has always been a priority for Wendy’s culinary team, but with the arrival of CEO Kirk Tanner in February, there’s a heightened urgency and stronger emphasis on innovation. “What has changed is we now have to make sure innovation is most impactful in the areas where it counts the most,” said Li. “I’m not going to spend my resources on developing salad crou- tons. We are focusing on our biggest bets.” Breakfast is a differentiator and sales generator for Wendy’s, and Li said the brand will keep investing in it. The chain’s first breakfast burrito debuted in January, filled with qual- ity ingredients including fresh eggs, bacon, cheese, seasoned potatoes and cheese sauce. It performed very well, said Li, and his team followed it up with a Sausage Breakfast Burri- to, launched in test in May. Wraps are what consumers like to eat, he added, and the platform can extend across all dayparts. In
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RESTAURANT BUSINESS OCTOBER 2024
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