Bold is so five years ago. Today’s consumers have an endless appetite for heat, researchers say. “I can’t overstate the importance of spicy and hot as a menu trend for 2015,” says Maeve Webster, senior director of Chicago research Firm Datassential.
Sriracha, the Thai garlic-and-chili sauce, made a big splash at QSRs last year, heating up Subway’s footlongs, Wendy’s cod sandwich and Bruegger’s breakfast sandwich. Now consumers are looking for the next hotter and spicier thing, and operators are obliging.
New Flavor Frontiers
“Last summer we featured a ghost-pepper sauce [option for our chicken wings] as a limited-time offer,” says Amy Smith, director of culinary innovation for Minneapolis-based Buffalo Wild Wings. “We ordered six weeks’ worth from our supplier but ran out in a week.” Fiery ghost peppers are rated the hottest in the world, racking up more than 1 million Scoville units, the scale used to measure spicy heat.
In January, B-Dubs Sauce Lab, aka the chain’s R&D kitchen, launched its latest limited-edition sauce, Smoldering Santa Fe: a blend of guajillo, chipotle and jalapeño peppers. “Intense heat is not our major goal,” says Smith. “We’re also combining chilies to create hot sauces with more complex flavor." Each debut of a limited-edition sauce is a traffic builder for the 840-unit chain, she says.
Smith works with suppliers to develop Buffalo Wild Wings’ sauces, reviewing a minimum of 50 a month to determine the limited editions. Following last summer’s success of Korean BBQ sauce, she is looking at other spicy Asian flavor profiles. Thai and Indian hot sauces also are in the works for 2015.
Sauces as Menu Drivers
“Our sauces are the backbone of our menu,” says Kate Malaniak, senior director of purchasing and beverage management for 60-unit Quaker Steak & Lube, based in Sharon, Pa. She partners with three suppliers to source the chain’s 26 proprietary sauces and five dry spices. “We make suggestions to guests as to which work best on certain menu items, but we also incorporate them into everything from appetizers to drinks, sometimes mixing two sauces for a unique flavor.”
Several dishes on the new Street Food menu tap into Asia. The Truck Tacos include Asian BBQ Steak, flavored with a sweet brown chili sauce; and Spicy Chicken, featuring Sriracha-Asian sauce. Also in the lineup are blazing Demo Derby Fries.
“Our medium-hot Fiery BBQ sauce goes on the fries, but we layer on more heat with fresh sliced jalapeños and pico de gallo, tempered a bit by queso sauce and lime,” says Malaniak.
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