Consumers Gravitating Toward Spicy

Spice is hot — literally and figuratively. Technomic’s latest Flavor Consumer Trend Report found the majority of American consumers (54 percent) now prefer spicy foods and hot sauces, dips or condiments, compared to 48 percent in 2011 and 46 percent in 2009. Younger consumers are driving the trend.

Convenience store operators are responding with spicy menu additions, particularly featuring new and interesting ingredients that give guests not merely a punch of heat, but new taste experiences as well. Looking at recent c-store menu activity, we see a few patterns taking shape within the overarching trend toward spicier foods.

Ethnic ingredients are invigorating the spicy flavor landscape. Little known a few years ago, Sriracha has hit the stratosphere, permeating menus across the entire food industry from casual dining to c-stores, and even in retail food products such as ketchup and popcorn.

C-stores capitalizing on this trend include QuickChek Corp., which added Sriracha Chicken Bites to its offering. Beyond Sriracha, we see kimchi, chorizo and harissa on the foodservice horizon and likely to find their way onto c-store menus.

Operators are layering spicy ingredients to deliver added heat and complexity. Becoming more common are limited-time offers (LTOs) with two, three and sometimes four spicy components that together make the sum hotter than its parts.

GetGo’s new Buffaloaded sandwich amps up a classic combo by balancing Buffalo chicken dip and Buffalo chicken tenders with ranch sauce and ranch bread, while ampm’s recent Pepper Jack Cheeseburger LTO paired pepper jack cheese with jalapeños.

Sheer novelty also works when bringing the heat — be it a new-kid-on-the-block ingredient like ghost peppers or contrasting sweet and spicy flavors in unexpected ways. Such is the case with Corner Store’s Sweet, Salty & Spicy Whoopie Pies with chocolate icing, Sriracha and pretzel pieces.

As consumers gravitate more toward spicy flavors, c-stores are well-positioned to deliver the heat. Consider developing LTOs with ethnic, layered and novel ingredients to create excitement beyond the ordinary. The condiment bar also presents opportunities to add more spicy choices, thus allowing guests to experiment and customize their items.

Of course, the added focus on spice calls for c-store operators to upsell cooling beverages.