CHICAGO — A sauce can turn an item from good to great, average to awesome. Don’t discount its power to propel menu items into the craveworthy category.
“Signature food concepts have strong, memorable branding; bold, differentiated packaging; potential for seasonal campaigns; and are craveable,” Tom Henken, vice president and director of design at api(+), said at the recent CSP C-Store Foodservice Forum in Rosemont, Ill. Develop something memorable, he said, noting that Chicken Guy!, Orlando, Fla., has 26 dipping flavors. Customers can experiment mixing sauces, which promotes customer interaction.
Sheetz two years back built sauce momentum with a contest where the public could win the convenience-store retailer’s first-ever Boom Boom Sauce bottles. Sheetz Freakz and customers won 16 ounces of the sauce.
Chester’s Chicken earlier this year introduced five new flavors (pictured) to complement its fried chicken, but of course no one says the sauces can’t be used elsewhere.
A respondent in a Technomic survey said Raising Cane’s sauce “is so incredible; it tastes good on everything you purchase.” The sauce was created for the chicken fingers, but consumers love it so much, they also slather it on the chain’s Texas toast and fries, they said.
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