Applebee's Steps Up Its Digital Game for Super Bowl LIX

 

As Super Bowl LIX approaches, Applebee’s is leading the charge to redefine how restaurant brands engage with digitally savvy consumers by rolling out a technology-driven promotion designed to entice Millennials and Gen Z customers according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

On February 9, guests ordering online or through the Applebee’s app can claim 20 free Boneless Wings with any $40 purchase using the promo code SBWINGS25. These wings, already voted America’s favorite in a nationwide double-blind taste test, come in tantalizing flavors like Classic Buffalo, Honey BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, and Sweet Asian Chile, accompanied by Bleu cheese or house-made buttermilk ranch.

Understanding the Power of Digital Natives Millennials and Gen Z, as digital natives, navigate their world through technology. For restaurant brands, winning the hearts and wallets of these cohorts is pivotal. Research shows that nearly 65% of Gen Z and Millennials rely on mobile apps or websites to explore dining options, make reservations, or place orders. By tying promotions directly to digital platforms, Applebee’s strategically aligns with these generations’ dining habits while deepening their loyalty through a personalized, tech-forward experience.

The Importance of Super Bowl Sunday The National Chicken Council’s 2024 Wing Report estimates that Americans consumed approximately 1.45 billion chicken wings during last year’s Super Bowl. With digital engagement on the rise—and 50% of Super Bowl-related food orders originating online in 2024—Applebee’s promotion positions the chain as a go-to destination for the big game. Leveraging America’s love for wings while embracing digital ordering channels creates a compelling synergy, driving top-line sales and repeat customer engagement.

Beyond Wings: The Pick 6 Tie-In In conjunction with the game, Applebee’s ongoing NFL Pick 6 promotion offers customers an exciting game day bonus: six free Boneless Wings if a defensive Pick Six occurs during the Super Bowl. This partnership with the NFL reinforces Applebee’s as the "Official Grill + Bar" of the league, weaving the brand into a key cultural and sporting moment. Such collaborations capitalize on shared experiences and emotions, enhancing consumer connection to the Applebee’s brand.

Food Industry Insights: Why This Strategy Works

1.       Convenience Meets Value: Millennials and Gen Z value time-efficient meal solutions without compromising on experience. Offering free wings for digital orders incentivizes these key demographics to engage, aligning perfectly with their demand for Ready-2-Eat and Heat-n-Eat solutions.

2.       Event-Specific Relevance: Capitalizing on Super Bowl Sunday, a time when food plays a central role, Applebee’s captures its target audience at a high-engagement moment. Strategic promotions tied to cultural events foster brand relevance.

3.       Brand Advocacy via Social Sharing: Both Millennials and Gen Z actively share food promotions and game day spreads on social media. Applebee’s visible NFL affiliation encourages digital buzz, enhancing organic reach.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining Growth Through Digital Relationships Applebee’s Super Bowl promotion is a microcosm of the broader trend—restaurants must foster strong digital ties to retain and grow their customer base. By leveraging app-driven campaigns, rewards systems, and timely, experiential marketing, restaurant brands can build sustainable loyalty among Gen Z and Millennial diners, ensuring long-term growth and market adaptability.

As the Grocerant Guru™, I see Applebee’s strategy as a textbook case of blending traditional menu favorites with innovative marketing—driving traffic, increasing check averages, and fostering meaningful connections with a technology-first audience. Will Applebee’s lead the charge for the ultimate game-day snack? Stay tuned as they bring restaurant relevance to your Super Bowl table.ocourtesy of Applebee's

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

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Wings and Rings Branded Partnerships Drive Sales

 

From a historical grocerant perspective, branded partnerships have long been a cornerstone for driving consumer interest and boosting sales in the foodservice industry. By combining iconic flavors, recognizable brands, and promotional synergies, successful partnerships have created memorable dining experiences that resonate with customers and spur repeat visits according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Wings and Rings’ latest collaboration with Sam Adams during football playoff season demonstrates they’re following a winning playbook, seamlessly blending innovation with nostalgia to engage their audience.

The Power of Food Marketing Partnerships

Historically, the grocerant sector has leveraged branded promotions to remarkable effect. Consider McDonald’s collaboration with Coca-Cola and collectible glassware in the 1970s and 1980s. These promotions drove both sales and customer loyalty, turning casual patrons into frequent visitors who eagerly sought exclusive items. Similarly, partnerships featuring items like Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos underscore the staying power of innovative, co-branded products that align with consumer tastes and cultural moments.

Wings and Rings’ partnership with Sam Adams exemplifies the enduring appeal of this strategy. By introducing house-made Sam Adams Beer Cheese as a centerpiece of their limited-time offerings (LTOs), they’ve tapped into the rich heritage of an iconic beer brand while delivering bold, comforting flavors ideal for the winter season.

Why Wings and Rings is Doing it Right This Season

As football fans gather for playoff season, Wings and Rings has executed a game-winning strategy to align its promotions with fan-favorite rituals. According to the Grocerant Guru, their approach hits all the right notes:

1.       Timing and Relevance: Launching their weekday half-price appetizer promotion on January 13 ensures they’re engaging customers during the early playoff rounds, a time when sports enthusiasm is high and consumers are seeking value-packed dining options.

2.       Menu Innovation with Comfort Appeal: The Sam’s Loaded Fry, Beer Cheese Chicken Sandwich, and Beer Cheese Jumbo Tenders deliver rich, indulgent flavors perfectly suited for cold-weather cravings. These dishes demonstrate culinary creativity while remaining accessible, a hallmark of successful grocerant partnerships.

3.       Dine-In Exclusivity: By offering the half-price appetizer deal exclusively for dine-in customers, Wings and Rings strengthens their positioning as a social hub, where friends and families can gather to share great food and exciting moments during the playoffs.

Lessons from the Past

Looking back, similar strategies have proven effective for other brands during key cultural moments. Buffalo Wild Wings leveraged football season by offering wing deals tied to game outcomes, creating a shared experience among fans. Meanwhile, brands like Olive Garden’s Never-Ending Pasta Bowl and Red Lobster’s Endless Shrimp capitalized on the “more for less” appeal, becoming seasonal staples that reinforced their brand identity.

Wings and Rings’ focus on beer cheese aligns with this legacy of tapping into beloved comfort foods while showcasing exclusivity. The in-house preparation of Sam Adams Beer Cheese highlights quality and attention to detail, enhancing the overall guest experience.

Incremental Success Through Brand Partnerships

To build on their momentum, the Grocerant Guru recommends three strategies for Wings and Rings:

1.       Extend Brand Partnerships: Consider seasonal cross-promotions with Sam Adams for take-home meal kits, featuring the beer cheese and other branded ingredients, extending the brand beyond the restaurant walls.

2.       Digital Integration: Utilize social media campaigns where customers share their “Game Day” setups featuring Wings and Rings’ beer cheese items for a chance to win exclusive prizes.

3.       Community Engagement: Host watch parties with special discounts and giveaways, cementing the restaurant’s place as a football playoff destination.

Think About This

Wings and Rings’ latest promotions during football playoff season encapsulate the best practices of the grocerant industry. By strategically timing their LTOs, showcasing branded partnerships, and embracing the warmth of comfort food, they’ve positioned themselves as the go-to destination for both sports fans and casual diners. As history shows, the marriage of innovative food marketing and strong brand alignment is a proven recipe for success — and Wings and Rings’ 2025 lineup is a prime example.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

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Fast Casual Restaurant Flower Child Growing

 

Success does leave clues and When The Cheesecake Factory Inc. bought Fox Restaurant Concepts you knew they were looking at success and for a new avenue to drive sales.  According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® they found it in the highly popular fast-casual Fox concept Flower Child.

Reducing both start-up cost and operating cost is launching one new takeout-only restaurant concept, Fly Bye to Go, and a takeout-only version of its fast-casual Flower Child. So, get this, Fly Bye will be serving Detroit-style pizza and fried chicken two perfect hand-held food items for immediate consumption and perfect as a growth vehicle according to Johnson.

The company stated that “Fly Bye keeps it crispy with buttermilk-dipped, hand-breaded wonderfully crunchy chicken tenders (so you can stop pretending that kid’s meal isn’t for you),”  …The tenders will be served with a selection of 10 sauces for dipping, ranging from an Asian-inspired version to cheese fondue that’s a signature at sibling concept Culinary Dropout. Other items will include wings, mozzarella sticks and pizza.

Hungry yet? If not you will be ready to try the pizza after this, “When you bite into this pizza the crust is airy, the center is cheesy and the edges are perfectly crunchy.” Here is who it’s going to work.

Fly Bye will operate out of the company’s “The Yard” complex, occupying the former Little Cleo’s space next to Culinary Dropout. Little Cleo was a Fox seafood restaurant that closed in 2018. Customers will be able to order Fly Bye food online and pick it up at the location or have it delivered through a third-party smartphone service.

The company also confirmed it will be opening its first takeout-only Flower Child, which has been until now a fast-casual concept, in Tempe, Ariz., in 2021. Flower Child has 26 locations in 11 states. How are you going to grow in 2021?  Are you going to drive down cost while garnering top line sales and bottom-line profits?

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Our Grocerant Guru® can help your company 253-759-7869. 

Nathan's Outside the Box Strategy

Growth at any cost is not worth the effort.  Growth when looking at a key consumer unmet need-set (hand held food for immediate consumption), then outside the box avenues of design, development, and distribution heave the potential to drive solid growth according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

These are unprecedented times food retailers need to look at consumers first, then their concepts success or problems growing customer counts, sales, and bottom-line profits according to Johnson.  Consumer migration from well established eating patterns has evolved dramatically not just this year but over the past 10 years.

Since, 1995 80.5% of all U.S. restaurant meals sold, have been sold by fast food restaurants.  Today that number is somewhere above 84%. The silent, unspoken demise of full-service restaurants has single handedly put the blame on the pandemic.  The fact is, consumer migration from full-service dinning has been underway for 25 years.  It is is because it is time consuming, expensive, and deemed ‘special occasion dinning today. Let’s face it in 2020 there are very few reasons to cheer.

So, when Nathan’s Famous announced the launch of its new brand, Wings of New York, a virtual concept offering New York style wings as well as Harlem-style chicken and waffles, focusing on hand-held-food for immediate consumption the team at Foodservice Solutions® knew Nathan’s was on the right track.

The roll out of this concept will only be available through third-party delivery initially in the New York Tri-State area, with expansion plans across the U.S. in the coming weeks.

James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants stated, "We are excited to launch Wings of New York and provide our fans with high-quality wings, hand-dipped chicken tenders and Harlem-style malted waffles through delivery,” “We’ve worked non-stop with our team as well as our culinary consultant Chef Mark Miller, to develop the menu with flavors that will resonate well with wings and waffle lovers all over.”

The cost to develop a virtual restaurant is up to 82% less than a traditional new restaurant concept. Even more important the ability of the team at Nathan’s to learn key drivers within a new avenue of distribution plus virtual brand distribution along with consumer consumption frequency patterns on a new product line will greatly benefit its legacy brands.

So, Wings of New York will offer customers a variety of menu options including wings and tenders a la carte, wings and French fry combos and Harlem-style chicken and waffles. The brand will offer over a dozen different wing sauces ranging from Classic Buffalo and Creamy Mild Buffalo to Carolina Reaper and Ghost Pepper, as well as a signature Buffalo sauce created by culinary consultant and James Beard Award Winner Mark Miller. The fries can be served alongside wings or loaded with an assortment of toppings including the NY Cheesesteak fries by Pat LaFrieda, while the waffles, which can also be served a la carte, will be topped with real maple syrup and butter. The menu also features two waffle dessert options – a Waffle Sundae and a Waffle Shake.

Wings of New York, will utilize Nathan’s Famous kitchens as their Wings of New York ghost kitchens, has launched on UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub and Postmates in the New York area with plans to expand in the coming weeks. Additionally, Wings of New York and Nathan’s Famous have partnered with Kitopi, a cloud kitchen platform, to deliver the menu to customers in the UAE starting next month.

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

White Castle Research Drives Customer Adoption

Founded in 1921, White Castle continues to garner new customers, expand its geographic physical location’s boundaries, drive relevant brand messaging, while building top-line sales, and bottom-line profits. How have they done that so well?  Simple, by doing the basic well, and always garnering more customer focused research according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  

Known for there ‘beef sliders’ White Castle is a brand that does not accept the status quo according to Johnson.  In strategic effort to broaden White Castel’s consumer appeal by age, sex, via product category they looked at consumer preferences outside of there brand then tested products and continued customer focused research.  Just the same way that  the team at Foodservice Solutions® does while identifying, quantifying, and qualifying new grocerant niche products.  It uses the Grocerant Guru’s, time-tested formula Build, Measure, Learn, and Repeat.  Here is a some of what they found:  

1.       Customers Prefer Chicken Rings Over Nuggets Nearly 9 to 1.

2.       The Chicken Rings are not only tasty, they’re also fun to eat.

Once again food that is interactive, participatory, and handheld for immediate consumption. White Castle’s Chicken Rings run circles around boring old chicken nuggets in the minds-eye of the consumer. “This is the major finding of a recent survey seeking consumer opinion on White Castle’s Chicken Rings and the mundane chicken nuggets offered by many of its competitors”. 

Other key findings of the survey include:

They also overwhelmingly proclaimed that Chicken Rings are tastier (86 percent) and more “craveable” (87 percent) than conventional chicken nuggets.

3.       82 percent of respondents say White Castle Chicken Rings are more shareable than chicken nuggets

4.       86 percent of respondents would give their friends and loved ones White Castle Chicken Rings over chicken nuggets

5.       73 percent of respondents say the ideal time to eat a Chicken Ring is during all day parts or “anytime the crave strikes”

6.       64 percent said the ideal time to eat a chicken nugget is never or only when a White Castle Chicken Ring isn’t available

Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle stated  “Honestly, we weren’t surprised at all by the results of the survey,”

White Castle’s Chicken Rings, are made with tender, juicy all white meat chicken and lightly breaded to perfection, are known just as much for their incredible taste as they are for their perfectly round shape. In fact, survey respondents described the Chicken Ring as “fanfreakingtastic,” “pluckin awesome,” “cravealicious” and “awesomely the best.”

Richardson continued “The nation’s Cravers have spoken, and we hear them loud and clear,” Will your brand be around after 100 years?  Will you still be driving customer relevance?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success

Did you Watch NFL or College Football this Weekend

Food Marketing success has a lot to do with timing and the bigger the chain the better they are about planning promotional tie-ins that are also consumer hot-button touchpoints according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Well, if you did watch College Football on Saturday or NFL on Sunday there is a good chance you saw an ad for Kentucky Fried Chicken, chicken wings. Yes, just in time for those who prefer to stay home and watch the ‘game’ on their “65 Inch HDTV”.

The Kentucky Fried Wings, are available in a “classic” un-sauced version or in Nashville Hot, Buffalo or honey barbecue sauces. They’re priced starting around $5 for 6 wings, $9.99 for 12, $18.99 for 24 and $36.99 for 48 and most locations now have delivery.

KFC is offering free delivery on orders of $12 or more for customers who order through kfc.com, grubhub.com or Grubhub’s New York City brand, seamless.com. That offer is available through Nov. 24.

Get this, chicken wings have become part of the football experience for many Americans. The chicken industry’s trade association, the National Chicken Council, projected that Americans would eat around 1.4 billion wings during Super Bowl weekend alone.

But get this, KFC offered a 10-week “Seasoned Tickets” that give the buyer 48 chicken wings delivered to their home every week. On the 10th week, they get an extra 48 wings. Yes, that’s 528 wings valued at about $400, but at a cost of $75. The deal was apparently so good that the tickets sold out in less than two hours.

KFC’s Andrea Zahumensky stated “You would be hard pressed to find hot and fresh wings without the wait anywhere else,” … “Whether you are Team Nashville Hot or Team Honey BBQ, our Kentucky Fried Wings are available on demand, revolutionizing your gameday dining experience.”

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success. 

Buffalo Wild Wings Refocus with Outside Eyes for Inside Results

Success does leave clues and Buffalo Wild Wings recently did what restaurant chains did all the time back in 1970’s to 1980’s they hired leaders from successful retail CPG brands to lead the company to the next level.  Back in the day restaurants were known as ‘mom & pop organizations’ and ‘funky’ companies that were not very professional according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Once again the restaurant sector while not ‘funky’ is in a funk that requires disciplined outside-eyes to drive inside results elevating chain restaurants out of the ‘self-imposed brand protectionism’ that has stifled customer count growth for nearly 10 years.

So when Inspire Brands named Lyle Tick president of Buffalo Wild Wings, Johnson knew that the undercurrent of grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food was helping a sector get back to basics focusing on the customers first.

Tick was most recently managing director for the beauty brands business of Walgreens Boots Alliance in the Americas. Before working for Walgreens, Tick was senior global category director for Bacardi, based in London, and also the rum producer’s president of marketing for North America, based in Miami. He also has held various positions at marketing and advertising agencies, including J. Walter Thompson, Gotham, McGarryBowen and DDB, according to a press release by Inspire Brands.

Tick’s appointment comes on the heels of the appointment in late August of former hotel executive Seth Freeman as the chain’s chief marketing officer. To many chain restaurants have been doing what they have always done and continue to do it the same way.  Well, regular readers of this blog know that does not work forever! 

The line between retail channels continues to get thinner and thinner.  Food retail brands that insist on a policy of ‘brand protectionism’ will continue to capitulate market share, store numbers will shrink, and average unit volume will continue to slide according to Johnson. Is it time you invite in some Outside-Eyes?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, www.Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/ or www.twitter.com/grocerant/