The game changers: Retail partnersThe game changers: Retail partners

By vanessa van landingham


This story is part of an online preview of "The NRN 50: Game Changers.” In this special report, NRN highlights some of the people, ideas, technologies, concepts and trends pushing the restaurant industry in new directions. The full report is available exclusively in the January 23 issue. Subscribe to Nation’s Restaurant News.

Restaurants have been using retail brands to bolster interest in their own menu items for years, but chains have gotten creative in recent months, expanding their use of name brands to include such foods as chips, sausages and liquor to tempt consumers into opening their wallets for a trusted brand used in an innovative way.



The players: Applebee’s, Baskin-Robbins, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., The Cheesecake Factory, Dairy Queen, Dunkin’ Donuts, Friendly’s, Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Outback Steakhouse, Pizza Hut, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Smashburger, Sonic, Taco Bell, T.G.I. Friday’s, Twisted Root Burger Co. 


Latest moves: In September, Burger King unveiled soft-serve ice cream sundaes with topping choices that included Oreo cookies and M&M’s. Carl’s Jr. cashed in on the trend in November with its introduction of the Oreo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. The Cheesecake Factory celebrated National Cheesecake Day by rolling out a Hershey’s Chocolate Bar Cheesecake in July. Dunkin’ Donuts teamed with Hillshire Farm in November to launch the Smokehouse Sausage Breakfast Sandwich. Outback Steakhouse introduced its Oreo Cookies ‘N Cream Waffles LTO in November. Jim Beam became part of the Red Robin Gourmet Burgers menu with the Sweet Jim Beam Bacon Swiss Burger, promoted on “Jim Day,” last Dec. 6, with a free giveaway of the sandwich to anyone whose name was Jim. Taco Bell is introducing a Doritos Locos Taco, featuring a Nacho Cheese Doritos shell, and a Beefy Crunch Burrito, complete with Fritos Flamin’ Hot Corn Chips, to its system this year, and the breakfast menu the chain is currently testing in select markets promotes the Johnsonville sausage used in the Sausage & Egg Wrap.


Commentary: “I think there are a couple of drivers behind [the use of retail brands on menus]. One is that consumers instantly recognize these brand names, and many of them have a strong following,” Eric Giandelone, director of foodservice research at Mintel, said. “For instance, with Jack Daniel’s [grill menu at T.G.I. Friday’s], you, as the consumer, know what that flavor is going to be. And with Fritos, you completely understand the texture and flavor. So that trust is certainly at play here. In addition, these items have a strong customer base already, and for a restaurant looking to boost their appeal, these items allow restaurants to appeal to not only their own customers, but these brands’ customers.”


Tom Ryan, Smashburger founder and chief concept officer, studies what brands are popular in different regions of the country.


“We look at local menus to see what’s hot,” Ryan told Nation’s Restaurant News in December. “If we see a predominance of anything, we kind of flag that. That’s how we knew that we needed Johnsonville brats in Minneapolis.” 

Contact Vanessa Van Landingham at [email protected].