Gen Z seems to be the new trendsetter among all generations. Their immense power to use social media to make nearly anything go viral means they can reach the masses faster than anyone else.
💰💸 Don’t miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet’s FREE Daily newsletter 💰💸
This relatively recent development has taken the food industry by storm, leading even the most iconic restaurants to refocus their targets and formulate new strategies to better adapt to Gen Z's needs and wants. The goal is to drive business and propel overall growth.
Related: Taco Bell makes viral move young customers will love
Restaurant chains have taken Gen Z's feedback seriously by taking a gamble and investing thousands to develop entirely new concepts with innovative menu items.
Fast Food chains follow Gen Z's trends by developing new concepts
In December of last year, McDonald's (MCD) was the first restaurant chain to go viral with the creation of CosMc's, a smaller-format concept featuring a space-themed café. This restaurant focuses on uniquely crafted beverages, including coffee, frappés, iced teas, lemonades, and energy drinks. It also offers multiple breakfast items, such as its iconic McMuffins and new specialty sandwiches, as well as baked goods, snacks, and soft-serve ice cream.
Due to CosMc's successful launch, which captivated Gen Z's attention, other restaurant chains quickly followed in McDonald's footsteps.
Related: McDonald's, Google get backlash after UnitedHealthcare CEO suspect's arrest
Most recently, Taco Bell opened its first-ever Taco Bell Live Más Café this month in Chula Vista, California. This new concept features an extensive menu with various milkshake flavors, iced and hot coffee types, fruity drinks, fizzy sodas, and, of course, Taco Bell's iconic food items.
KFC gives its newest restaurant a complete rebranding
In addition to the long-established popular fast food chains, chicken-focused restaurants such as Chick-fil-A and Raising Canes have taken over the chicken-loving market due to their unwavering effort to keep up with Gen Z's constantly evolving trends.
Although this is great news for the growth of these newer chicken-first restaurants, the older chains are starting to fall behind. Their sales are plummeting, and their business is slowly crumbling in front of their eyes. However, after multiple decades of hard work, some refuse to have their titles stripped away that easily.
More Retail News:
- Popular restaurant chain accused of disability discrimination
- Dying business sees hopeful resurrection after closures
- Amazon under investigation due to a concerning issue
To keep up with its trendier competitors, Yum! Brands' (YUM) Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) quietly developed a new strategy to gain the praise of the younger generations. KFC surprised customers by revamping its latest restaurant location, giving it a complete 360-degree rebranding that looks nothing like its original locations.
The fried chicken restaurant chain traded its recognizable red and white colors for pink and purple, replacing its KFC sign with a bright light-up one with the word "Saucy!"
This modernized KFC concept targets Gen Z customers by offering over 4,000 different ways to customize their orders, ensuring a different flavor experience every time.
These customizations focus on a broader sauce selection comprising eleven new dips to complement its fan-favorite crispy chicken tenders and sandwiches, along with various sides and new desserts. It also expanded its beverage menu with eleven new fun and fruity drink options, including teas, freezes, and refreshers.
“With Saucy, we’ve taken KFC’s famous Original Recipe and amplified it with a brand-new concept that lets consumers play with flavor. You can pick a combo, choose a flight of sauces, or, my personal favorite, mix sauces and sides to create your perfect meal," said KFC Chief New Concept Officer Christophe Poirier.
KFC's first Saucy! concept is set to open on Dec. 20 in Orlando, Florida.
Related: The 10 best investing books (according to stock market pros)
