Craveable food is usually comfort food, said Byrne, no matter which segment of the population you’re talking to. In America, that’s breakfast sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and, especially, fried chicken, especially in finger form.
And indeed, in a Technomic poll of c-store items that customers found most craveable, sandwiches, pizza and hot dogs came in at the top, followed by baked goods, chicken and coffee or espresso.
The flavors that customers deem most craveable, Byrne said, are savory, cheesy and indulgent, and the marketing descriptors they find most appealing are cold, sweet and carbonated. Edwards of 7-Eleven adds that flavor combinations that hit two components at once, like sweet and sour, are also very appealing